The Financial Times, September 3 2006

By Andrew Clark

Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Edinburgh, 2 September 2006

A fond farewell for McMaster's singers

Meistersinger was a roll-call of McMaster singers, including no less than two Tristans and a Wotan from his time at Welsh National Opera. Robert Holl's Sachs was in glorious voice, and Andrew Shore came hotfoot from Bayreuth to sing Beckmesser, a hugely promising role-debut. But it was the younger talents who stole the show, among them TobySpence's David and Matthew Rose's Pogner. Best of all was Jonas Kaufmann, who lent Stolzing's Prize Song the softness of a Liedersinger. McMaster's only questionable choice was the conductor. Ignoring close Wagnerian associates such as Donald Runnicles and Richard Armstrong, he settled for the bland David Robertson. But with the Edinburgh Festival Chorus and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra at their peak, this Meistersinger was a fitting farewell for McMaster.