Wagner: Die Meistersinger

By Herbert Kupferberg

(1951 Bayreuth recording, Karajan conducting, Schwarzkopf as Eva, Edelmann as Sachs, Hopf as Walher; Seraphim IE-6030; five records with libretto). As a low-price reissue this has its points (Schwarzkopf is one of them), but the sound is variable and Hans Hopf’s tenorizing even more so. It may be a bargain, but just barely.