I Maestri Cantori: Is German Art Still Holy When Presented in Italian?
What happens when “die heil’ge deutsche Kunst” becomes “l'arte sacra tedesca?” In 1891, New York’s Metropolitan Opera presented Richard Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg in Italian as I Maestri Cantori di Norimberga. This change came after six successful years of the work presented in its original German to highly favorable reviews and high profits. Why the sudden change? Especially with this highly charged and controversial piece, did the Italian language alter its perceived Germanness, and by extension, the German Nationalism?
This paper will examine the various forces (economic and cultural) that contributed to the Met’s decision to abandon the “German-only” seasons that had driven its initial success. Particularly at issue is the conflict between the ticket buying audiences (who preferred the German) and the wealthy members of Board (who preferred the Italian.) This conflict escalated resulting in a vituperative public clash further exacerbated by a New York press willing to fan the fires of controversy. The largely pro-Wagner New York Times sided with the German audiences while the contra-Wagner New York Herald sided with Met Board. This paper will consider these and other contributing factors to answer the ultimate question… is Die Meistersinger’s German-ness located in its language, or does language not matter?
What happens when “die heil’ge deutsche Kunst” becomes “l'arte sacra tedesca?” In 1891, New York’s Metropolitan Opera presented Richard Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg in Italian as I Maestri Cantori di Norimberga. This change came after six successful years of the work presented in its original German to highly favorable reviews and high profits. Why the sudden change? Especially with this highly charged and controversial piece, did the Italian language alter its perceived Germanness, and by extension, the German Nationalism?
This paper will examine the various forces (economic and cultural) that contributed to the Met’s decision to abandon the “German-only” seasons that had driven its initial success. Particularly at issue is the conflict between the ticket buying audiences (who preferred the German) and the wealthy members of Board (who preferred the Italian.) This conflict escalated resulting in a vituperative public clash further exacerbated by a New York press willing to fan the fires of controversy. The largely pro-Wagner New York Times sided with the German audiences while the contra-Wagner New York Herald sided with Met Board. This paper will consider these and other contributing factors to answer the ultimate question… is Die Meistersinger’s German-ness located in its language, or does language not matter?