Peter Moores Foundation - Chandos Opera in English - Wagner's Mastersingers conducted by Sir Reginald Goodall

‘Reginald Goodall's English-language performances in 1968 marked the start of a 15-year-long Wagnerian golden age, as far as Sadler's Wells (later English National) Opera was concerned… Goodall never lets us forget that Meistersinger is a parable of poetic creativity, and there is an overriding sense of metaphysical resonance and elation in his interpretation… Goodall's at times overwhelming performance is at once extremely slow and phenomenally intense… Bailey's nobly introverted Sachs has claim to being the most beautiful on disc, and few Walthers have ever matched Remedios in poetic fervour.’

The Sunday Times

‘The seeds of the conductor’s later Wagner style — grand, weighty, delighting in rich string sonorities and “singing” melodic lines in the orchestra, with an uncommon attention to instrumental detail — and ENO’s mostly home-grown Wagner ensemble were sown here. The performance is greater than the sum of its parts: individual roles may have been more lustrously sung on disc, but it is hard to think of a more satisfying team than Norman Bailey (a noble Sachs, earthy and poetic), Alberto Remedios (a liquidly sung, golden-toned Stolzing), Derek Hammond-Stroud, above (a pernickety, word-perfect Beckmesser), Margaret Curphey and Gregory Dempsey (a David who really sings the notes). Goodall’s towering achievement shines through.’

The Times ‘Compelling, joyous, often magnificent, Goodall displays a great sense for overall dramatic architecture and a spaciousness that highlights detail. The excellent ensemble cast includes transportive performances from Alberto Remedios as Walther, Margaret Curphy as the auctioned-off Eva and Norman Bailey, moving as the hero Hans Sachs.’		Music drama in three acts Libretto by the composer English translation by Frederick Jameson Revised by Norman Feasey and Gordon Kember The Cast Norman Bailey, bass-baritone - Hans Sachs, cobbler Noel Mangin, bass - Veit Pogner, goldsmith Derek Hammond-Stroud, baritone - Sixtus Beckmesser, town clerk David Bowman, bass - Fritz Kothner, baker John Brecknock, tenor - Balthasar Zorn, pewterer David Morton-Gray, tenor - Ulrich Eisslinger, grocer Dino Pardi, tenor - Augustin Moser, tailor James Singleton, bass - Hermann Ortel, soapmaker Gerwyn Morgan, bass - Hans Schwarz, stocking weaver Eric Stannard, bass - Hans Foltz, coppersmith Alberto Remedios, tenor - Walther von Stolzing Gregory Dempsey, tenor - David Margaret Curphey, soprano - Eva Ann Robson, mezzo-soprano - Magdalene Stafford Dean, bass - Nightwatchman Sadlers Wells Chorus Sadlers Wells Opera Orchestra Reginald Goodall - conductor Recorded in Sadler's Wells, Rosebery Avenue Theatre on 10 February 1968
The Guardian ‘Reginald Goodall's English-language performances in 1968 marked the start of a 15-year-long Wagnerian golden age, as far as Sadler's Wells (later English National) Opera was concerned… Goodall never lets us forget that Meistersinger is a parable of poetic creativity, and there is an overriding sense of metaphysical resonance and elation in his interpretation… Goodall's at times overwhelming performance is at once extremely slow and phenomenally intense… Bailey's nobly introverted Sachs has claim to being the most beautiful on disc, and few Walthers have ever matched Remedios in poetic fervour.’ The Sunday Times ‘The seeds of the conductor’s later Wagner style — grand, weighty, delighting in rich string sonorities and “singing” melodic lines in the orchestra, with an uncommon attention to instrumental detail — and ENO’s mostly home-grown Wagner ensemble were sown here. The performance is greater than the sum of its parts: individual roles may have been more lustrously sung on disc, but it is hard to think of a more satisfying team than Norman Bailey (a noble Sachs, earthy and poetic), Alberto Remedios (a liquidly sung, golden-toned Stolzing), Derek Hammond-Stroud, above (a pernickety, word-perfect Beckmesser), Margaret Curphey and Gregory Dempsey (a David who really sings the notes). Goodall’s towering achievement shines through.’