In the previous production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg at the Bayreuther Festspiele, Barrie Kosky dived straight into Wagner’s own world. He portrayed Hans Sachs as Wagner himself and placed the other characters in Wagner’s inner circle, with the story beginning at Villa Wahnfried. Antisemitism was a central theme – Kosky ended the second act by blowing up an inflatable puppet head of a Jewish character, and concluded the opera in the Nuremberg courtroom where the 1945–46 Nuremberg Trials were held. I thought Kosky’s staging was a work of genius, and after seeing it in 2019, I wondered how anyone could match such a spectacle on the Green Hill.

This year’s new production by Matthias Davids (set design by Andrew D. Edwards) succeeds — in a completely different way. The focus this time is simply: Germany. The stage is filled with things you normally encounter when you live in the country — Fachwerkhäuser (half-timbered houses), Wurst (sausage), Lederhosen and Dirndl, the famously uncomfortable seats at the Festspielhaus, the yellow Bücherzelle (a phone booth turned into a public bookcase), and even a Mettigel (arguably the least appetising dish in German cuisine). The direction of the characters is consistent and thoughtful, and thanks to excellent singing actors, the concept comes across beautifully.

In the pit, Italian conductor Daniele Gatti shapes phrases carefully, brings out subtle details, and reaches the full depth of the score with a direct, open expression. The chorus delivers a superb performance as well. The cast is a well-balanced ensemble. Jongmin Park makes a fine Pogner, while Michael Nagy delivers an excellently sung, bitter portrayal of Beckmesser, yet still manages to win some sympathy. Christina Nilsson’s gives a beautifully resonant Eva with her clear, shining soprano, matched by Christa Mayer’s warm, sympathetic Magdalene.

As David and Walther von Stolzing, tenors Matthias Stier and Michael Spyres bring youthful energy and a pleasing vocal contrast. Spyres, who has been a bel canto specialist, brings lyrical beauty to Walther, not least in the third act’s Preislied. Georg Zeppenfeld’s Hans Sachs blends humility with authority, elegance with arrogance, humour with seriousness, and his warm, expressive bass possesses all the range and colour the role requires.

If you saw a picture of the final scene, you might think it was a children’s musical, with its extremely colourful set and a huge smiling cow balloon floating above. Too simple? Maybe. Superficial? Definitely not. At first glance, it might look kitschy, but it actually offers a sharp — if simplified — portrait of today’s German society: the clash between old traditions and modern trends, between conservative values and liberal reforms, between unsatisfied “old white men” and a diverse, non-meat-eating society (symbolised by the colourful, happy cow?). Beckmesser, dressed in traditional Janker and Lederhose, is defeated by Walther, who wears an alternative suit with a hoodie hat and a T-shirt under the jacket. Eva, in jeans and a yellow raincoat, takes Walther’s hand, and the two leave the stage together. Yet one question remains at the end of the spectacle: will the new generation preserve Germany’s status in the world as it has been for decades?