# Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Corder)/Act I

Layout 2
THE MASTER SINGERS of NUREMBERG
ACT I.
(The scene represents the interior of St. Catherine's church, in oblique section; only the last few rows of pews in the nave are visible: the foreground is the open space before the choir; this is afterwards shut off by a black curtain from the nave.
As the curtain rises, the people are singing, to organ accompaniment, the last verse of a Chorale, which concludes afternoon service on the vigil of the Feast of St. John.)
Hymn of the People.
Interceder, Christ's preceder! Take us gently o'er Unto Jordan's shore.
(During the Chorale and its interludes the following dumb-show takes place, accompanied by the orchestra:—
In the last pew are seated Eva and Magdalena; Walter v. Stolzing is leaning against the pillar at a little distance, his eyes fixed on Eva. Eva turns repeatedly towards the knight and answers his now importunate, now tender glances of entreaty and passion, shyly and modestly, but tenderly and encouragingly. Magdalena often breaks off her singing to give Eva a reproving nudge. When the hymn is ended and while, during a long postlude on the organ, the congregation is gradually leaving by the principal door, Walter advances hastily towards Eva and her companion, who have also risen from their seats and turned to go.)
Walter (softly but ardently to Eva).
Eva (quickly turning to Magdalena).
Magdalena.
(goes back to the pew).
Walter.
Magdalena (returning).
Eva.
Magdalena.
(She goes back, searching on the ground.)
Walter.
Magdalena (returning again).
(goes back once more.)
Walter.
Magdalena (who has returned again, curtsies to Walter).
Walter (sorrowfully).
Magdalena.
Eva.
Magdalena (looking about apprehensively).
Walter.
Eva.
Magdalena.
David enters from the sacristy and busies himself with drawing together dark curtains which are so disposed as to close off the foreground of the stage from the nave.
Walter.
Eva (holding Magdalena).
Magdalena. (who has turned away, perceives David, pauses and calls tenderly aside).
Eva (urgently).
Magdalena. (distracted in her attention, looking around repeatedly at David).
Eva (quickly interrupting).
Magdalena.
Eva (as before).
Walter.
Eva. (timidly).
Walter.
Magdalena.
Walter.
Magdalena.
Walter.
Eva. (forgetting herself).
(Walter turns aside in great perturbation, pacing up and down).
Magdalena.
Eva.
Magdalena.
Eva.
Magdalena.
Eva.
Magdalena.
Eva.
Magdalena (sighing loudly).
David (who has gone out now returns with a rule stick in his girdle and swinging in his hand a large piece of chalk tied to a string).
Magdalena.
(aside.)
(aloud.)
David (tenderly to Magdalena).
Magdalena. (aside).
(aloud.)
David.
Magdalena.
David.
Magdalena.
Walter (quickly turning to them).
Magdalena.
(The Prentices enter bearing benches.)
Walter.
Magdalena.
(She hurries towards the door.)
Eva. (to Walter).
Walter (ardently).
Eva (with great warmth).
Magdalena.
David (measuring Walter).
(Magdalena pulls Eva quickly away through the curtains.)
Walter, disturbed and brooding, has thrown himself upon a raised ecclesiastical arm-chair which two Prentices had just moved away from the wall to the middle of the stage.
More Prentices enter; they bring and arrange benches and prepare everything (during the following dialogue) for the sitting of the Master Singers.
First Prentice.
Second Prentice.
Third Prentice.
David.
Second Prentice.
Third Prentice.
First Prentice.
Third Prentice.
Second Prentice.
First Prentice.
Third Prentice. (with expressive gesture).
(They pursue their work, laughing.)
David. (after observing the meditating knight awhile, calls loudly):
Walter (looking up, surprised.)
David (still louder).
Walter.
David.
Walter.
David.
Walter.
David.
Walter.
David.
Walter.
David.
Walter.
David.
Walter.
David.
Walter.
David.
Walter.
David.
Walter (quickly).
David (turning to the Prentices).
(The Prentices, who were preparing to erect a large platform hung with curtains in the middle of the stage, put this away, by David's direction, and build ​instead a smaller platform of boards; on this they place a seat with a little desk before it, near this a large blackboard to which they hang a piece of chalk by a string; round this erection are hung black curtains, which are drawn round the back and sides and then over the front.)
Prentices.
(they laugh.)
David.
(turning to Walter.)
The Prentices (who have closed the Marker's place, take hands and dance in a ring round it.)
(The erection is now completed in the following manner:—at the side, covered benches are placed. At the end of these in the middle of the stage is the Marker's place, as before described. The elevated seat (the "Singer's Seat") opposite to the benches. At back, against the large curtain is a long low bench for the Prentices.—Walter, vexed with the gibes of the boys, has seated himself on the front bench.
Pogner and Beckmesser enter from the sacristy, conversing; gradually the other Masters assemble. The Prentices on seeing the Masters enter disperse and wait respectfully by the back bench. Only David stands by the entrance to the sacristy.)
Pogner (to Beckmesser).
Beckmesser.
Pogner.
Beckmesser.
Pogner.
Beckmesser. (aside).
Walter (who, on perceiving Pogner, has risen and advanced to meet hiim now bows to him).
Pogner.
(They greet one another.)
Beckmesser. (still to himself).
Walter.
(Other Masters have entered and advanced.)
Pogner (to those near him).
(Greetings and introductions.)
Beckmesser (still aside).
(turns.)
Pogner. (to Walter).
Beckmesser (aside).
Pogner (continuing).
Beckmesser (as before).
Pogner (as before).
Beckmesser (as before).
Walter (to Pogner).
Beckmesser.
Pogner.
(The Master Singers have now all assembled, Sachs the last.)
Sachs.
Vogelgesang.
Beckmesser.
Nachtigal.
Fritz Kothner (produces a list, stands apart from the rest and calls):
Pogner.
(sits.)
Kothner.
Vogelgesang.
(sits.)
Kothner.
Ortel.
(sits.)
Kothner.
Zorn.
(sits.)
Kothner.
Nachtigal.
(sits.)
Kothner.
Moser.
(sits.)
Kothner.
A Prentice (jumping up from his seat at back).
Kothner.
All the Masters.
Prentice.
(sits down again.)
Kothner.
David (officiously rising).
Sachs (threatening David).
(sits.)
Kothner.
Beckmesser.
(sits close to Sachs, who laughs.)
Kothner.
Eisslinger?.
(sits.)
Kothner.
Foltz.
(sits.)
Kothner.
Schwarz.
(sits.)
Kothner
Vogelgesang.
Beckmesser (to Kothner).
Pogner.
(All the Masters rise and reseat themselves.)
Kothner.
Pogner.
The Masters (animatedly to one another).
Prentices (jumping up merrily).
Vogelgesang.
Sachs.
Nachtigal.
Pogner.
Beckmesser (to Kothner).
Kothner. (aloud).
Beckmesser.
Kothner.
Beckmesser.
Pogner.
Sachs.
The Masters (uneasily amongst themselves).
Nachtigal.
Sachs.
(The Prentices jump up and rub their hands.)
Beckmesser.
Sachs (earnestly continuing).
Vogelgesang.
Kothner.
Nachtigal.
Kothner.
Beckmesser.
Pogner.
(The Masters rise assentingly.)
Sachs.
Beckmesser (aside).
Kothner.
Beckmesser.
Sachs.
Beckmesser.
Kothner.
Pogner.
(Walter advances and makes obeisance.)
Beckmesser (aside).
(aloud.)
The Masters (to one another).
Kothner.
Pogner.
Beckmesser (to his neighbor).
Nachtigal (aloud).
Sachs.
Kothner.
Walter.
Sachs.
Beckmesser.
Kothner.
Walter.
Beckmesser.
Vogelgesang.
Beckmesser.
Kothner (aside to the Masters).
Sachs.
Kothner.
Walter.
Beckmesser.
Vogelgesang.
Nachtigal.
Kothner.
Walter.
Kothner.
Beckmesser (rising and going, as if reluctantly, to the Marker's box.)
(He has seated himself in the box and with the last words stretched his head out with a scornfully familiar nod, then pulls to the front curtains, which a Prentice has opened for him, so that he becomes invisible.)
Kothner (taking down the "Leges Tabulaturae," which the Prentices had hung upon the wall).
(reads.)
Walter.
Kothner.
Walter. (mounting the stool, with dissatisfaction).
Kothner (loudly).
Beckmesser (from his box, very harshly).
Walter. (after a short consideration).
(During this, repeated groans of discouragement and scratchings of the chalk are heard from the Marker. Walter hears them also, and after a momentary pause of discomposure, continues.)
(Rising from the stool in displeasure.)
Beckmesser (who has grown still more restive, tears open the curtains).
Walter.
Beckmesser (holding out the slate completely covered with chalk marks).
(The Masters cannot restrain their laughter).
Walter.
Beckmesser (leaving his box).
(The Masters are in a commotion.)
Walter.
Pogner.
Beckmesser.
Several Masters.
Beckmesser.
Kothner.
Beckmesser.
Several Masters (to one another).
Kothner.
Beckmesser
Sachs. (who listened to Walter from the first with serious interest).
Beckmesser.
Sachs.
Beckmesser.
Sachs.
(Walter flames up.)
Nachtigal.
Kothner.
Pogner (to the Masters).
Beckmesser.
Sachs (scratching his head).
(Walter much put out, remounts the Singer's seat.)
The Masters.
Sachs (to Walter).
Beckmesser (as Walter recommences, fetches out his board from the box and shows it, during the following, first to one and then to another, to convince the Masters, whom he at last gathers into a circle round him while he continues to exhibit his slate).
The Masters.
Pogner (aside).
Walter. (in wild and desperate enthusiasm, standing erect in the singer's seat and looking down on the commotion of the Masters).
(With a gesture of proud contempt he leaves the Singer's seat and quits the building.)
Sachs (following Walter's song).
The Prentices. (who have been rubbing their hands in glee and jumping up from their bench, towards the end, take hands and dance in a ring round the Marker's box).
Beckmesser.
(Most of them hold up their hands.)
All the Masters.
(General confusion, augmented by the Prentices, who shoulder the benches and Marker's box, causing hindrance and disorder to the Masters who are crowding to the door. Sachs remains alone in front, looking pensively at the empty seat; when the boys remove this too, he turns away with a humorous gesture of discouragement, and the curtain falls.)