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.’
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.’
CHAN 3148
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
Mastersingers
3 December 2008
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