Schenkian Prolongation: Edward A. and Paula M. Bortnichak enjoy the Met’s latest ‘Meistersinger’ revival despite the veteran production’s lack of insight

Beginning in 1886, and with regular appearances in the repertoire ever since, the Metropolitan Opera has enjoyed an especially long and distinguished history with Wagner’s sublime comedy, but never more so than with this brilliant revival of the classic Otto Schenk/Günther Schneider-Siemssen production which premiered in 1993 and was last on the boards in 2014. It was meant to have been retired, and Stefan Herheim’s thought-provoking staging, first seen at the Salzburg Festival in 2013, was scheduled for the 2019/20 season. But, following a disagreement between Herheim and that production’s designer, Heike Scheele, the Met has again revived Schenk’s.