Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" dress rehearsal

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Walther von Stolzing (Brandon Jovanovich) tries to win over the heart of Eva (Rachel Willis-Sorensen) during Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" dress rehearsal at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)

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Walther von Stolzing (Brandon Jovanovich) follows Eva to church during Act I of the dress rehearsal of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. San Francisco Opera is producing the more than five hour opera sung in German with English supertitles. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)

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Sir Mark Elder is the conductor at the dress rehearsal of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. San Francisco Opera is producing the more than five-hour opera sung in German with English supertitles. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)

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In her San Francisco Opera debut, Eva, Rachel Willis-Sorensen, playing Eva, second from left, is aglow as Walther von Stolzing follows her to church during Act I of the dress rehearsal of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. San Francisco Opera is producing the more than five-hour opera sung in German with English supertitles. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)

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Magdalene (Sasha Cooke), center, explains that Eva (Rachel Wiollis-Sorensen), right, is betrothed to whoever wins the Mastersinging contest at the festival where Walther von Stolzing (Brandon Jovanovich), left, will be competing during the dress rehearsal of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)

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David (Alek Shrader). right, explains the rules of Mastersong to Walther von Stolzing (Brandon Jovanovich) during a dress rehearsal of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)

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Townspeople rejoice as the Mastersong competition is about to begin during Act I of the dress rehearsal of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)

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The wealthy goldsmith Veit Pogner (Ain Anger) shares the rules of Mastersong, where the victor will win his daughter's hand in marriage, during Act I of the dress rehearsal of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. Anger makes his San Francisco Opera debut in this production. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)

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The Mastersong competion begins as Walther von Stolzing (Brandon Jovanovich) begins his song of love and springtime to win his true love during the dress rehearsal of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)

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The cobbler Hans Sachs (James Rutherford), right, suggests Sixtus Beckmesser (Martin Gantner) has ulterior motives to score Walther von Stolzing low during the Mastersong competition in Act I of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. Beckmesser was indeed scoring Walther low so he could compete and win Eva's hand in marriage. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)

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Walther von Stolzing (Brandon Jovanovich) sings his heart out at the Mastersong competition in order to win his true love during the dress rehearsal of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. The cobbler Hans Sachs (James Rutherford), center, supports the young man's different style while Sixtus Beckmesser (Martin Gantner) shows all the marks against the young singer on his chalkboard. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)

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Act II opens on a street scene late in the day where David (Alek Shrader) is caught up in a colorful crowd during the dress rehearsal of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)

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When Eva (Rachel Willis-Sorensen), right, discovers that Beckmesser intends to serenade her that night, she proposes that Magdalene (Sasha Cooke), left, appear in her place during Act II of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" dress rehearsal at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)

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After Walther's singing does not admit him into the guild, cobbler Hans Sachs (James Rutherford), right, agrees to help the young lovers as Eva (Rachel Willis-Sorensen) goes to Hans for help during Act II of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" dress rehearsal at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)

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Dressed as Magdalene, Eva (Rachel Willis-Sorensen) hides in the shadows with her lover Walther von Stolzing (Brandon Jovanovich) while nearby Sixtus serenades who he believes to be Eva but is really Magdalene during Act II of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" dress rehearsal at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. The young couple contemplate eloping. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)

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When cobbler Hans Sachs (James Rutherford), right, messes up Sixtus Beckmesser's serenading with all of his hammering, Beckmesser (Martin Gantner) grabs his hammer in frustration during Act II of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" dress rehearsal at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)

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Townspeople awake with all the commotion when David (Alek Shrader) goes after Sixtus Beckmesser who serenades Magdalene thinking she is Eva while cobbler Hans Sachs disturbs the music with his shoemaking hammering during Act II of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" dress rehearsal at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)

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Magdalene, played by Sasha Cooke, dresses up as Eva to fool Sixtus Beckmesser as he serenades her from below during Act II of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" dress rehearsal at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)

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A defeated Sixtus Beckmesser leaves the scene when his serenading goes awry as the night watchman played by Andrea Silvestrelli checks that all is well during Act II of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" dress rehearsal at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)

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Cobbler Hans Sachs (James Rutherford), a widower, right, offers advice to Walther von Stolzing (Brandon Jovanovich), who is trying to win the love of hiss life Eva, during Act III of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)

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Sixtus Beckmesser (Martin Gantner), left, listens to Hans Sachs' (James Rutherford) plan for him to sing Sach's song during the competition of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" dress rehearsal at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. Sachs song is riddled with confusion. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)

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The celebration begins as townspeople gather for the festivities and songs during Act II of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)

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The festivities begin as people gather to celebrate St. John's Day during Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" dress rehearsal at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)

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Jugglers entertain the crowd before the singing begins during Act II of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" dress rehearsal at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)

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Walther von Stolzing (Brandon Jovanovich) wins over the heart of Eva (Rachel Willis-Sorensen) after he sings for her during Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" dress rehearsal at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Bay Area News Group)