The young knight Walther falls in love with Eva, the beautiful daughter of the goldsmith Pogner. However, to win her hand, he must triumph in a singing contest bound by strict rules and defeat the guild masters. The town clerk Beckmesser, who steals Walther’s prepared song, is also competing for Eva. Only Hans Sachs can help the young couple, provided he can acknowledge that neither love nor art can be bound by rigid rules.

Wagner’s The Mastersingers of Nuremberg returns to the Brno stage after almost fifty years in an extraordinary production. French director Laurent Pelly will make his Czech debut, though he is renowned worldwide for his brilliant opera productions where humor often plays the leading role. In his rendition, the world of the master singers will surely be not only an intriguing sociological study but also spectacular entertainment. Few would associate Richard Wagner with comedy, yet with The Mastersingers of Nuremberg, the composer managed for once to break away from mythological themes, choosing a story based on the historical figure of the poet Hans Sachs and the Nuremberg guild of master singers from the 16th century. The result is an opera about ever-relevant social themes, such as tradition versus innovation, the fight for creative freedom, and the importance of true love and sincerity.

Starring Richard Švéda (Hans Sachs), Kateřina Kněžíková (Eva), Tadeáš Hoza (Beckmesser), and Daniel Matoušek (David).
The production will be presented in only five performances, accompanied by an additional supporting program.

Premiere: June 11, 2027, at the Janáček Theatre

Coproduction with Teatro Real Madrid and The Royal Danish Opera

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