from Act III, Scene 1 of the German opera
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg by Richard Wagner
Libretto: Richard Wagner
Role: Hans Sachs, a cobbler
Voice Part: baritone Fach: dramatic baritone
Setting: the workshop of Sachs, Nuremburg, Germany, mid-sixteenth century
Synopsis: Brooding over the riot of the previous night in which his apprentice David was involved, Sachs philosophizes over the madness that is rampant throughout the world. He tries to figure out how the madness that causes such things as war and riots can instead be harnessed to produce good things.