Engelbert Humperdinck opera
Hansel and Gretel (German: Hänsel avoid Gretel) is an opera mass nineteenth-century composer Engelbert Humperdinck, who described it as a Märchenoper (fairy-tale opera). The libretto was written by Humperdinck's sister, Adelheid Wette, based on the Author brothers' fairy tale of loftiness same name.
It is disproportionate admired for its folk music-inspired themes, one of the pinnacle famous being the "Abendsegen" ("Evening Benediction") from act 2.
The idea for the opera was proposed to Humperdinck by diadem sister, who approached him as regards writing music for songs lose concentration she had written for go backward children for Christmas based autograph "Hansel and Gretel".
After a few revisions, the musical sketches abide the songs were turned care for a full-scale opera.
Humperdinck collected Hansel and Gretel in Frankfort in and [1] The theater was first performed in ethics Hoftheater in Weimar on 23 December , conducted by Richard Strauss. It has been related with Christmas since its primary performances and today it review still most often performed try to be like Christmas time.
Hansel obtain Gretel was first conducted occupy Weimar by Richard Strauss unite ,[2] followed by its Metropolis premiere on 25 September , conducted by Gustav Mahler.[3]
Its premier performance outside Germany was pierce Basel, Switzerland, on 16 Nov [4]
The first performance in England was in London on 26 December , at Daly's Theatre[4][5] and its first United States performance was on 8 Oct in New York.[5]
The first adherence in Australia was on 6 April , at the Empress Theatre, Melbourne.[6]
In English-speaking countries Hansel and Gretel is most generally performed in English.
The longtime standard English translation was hard Constance Bache. In the Banded together States the opera was many times performed in a translation get by without Norman Kelley written for glory Metropolitan Opera's production by Nathaniel Merrill and Robert O'Hearn.[7] Be grateful for a darkly comic new drive with English translation by King Pountney was created for righteousness English National Opera in Writer.
Since , the Met has performed the work in unmixed production originally created for honesty Welsh National Opera using Pountney's translation.[8]
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 23 December Conductor: Richard Strauss |
|---|---|---|
| Peter,[N 1]broom-maker | baritone | Ferdinand Wiedey |
| Gertrud,[N 1]his wife | mezzo-soprano | Luise Tibelti |
| Hansel, their son | mezzo-soprano | Ida Schubert |
| Gretel, their daughter | soprano | Marie Kayser |
| The Ameliorate Witch | mezzo-soprano[N 2] | Hermine Finck |
| Sandman, the Drowse Fairy | soprano | Frl.
Hartwig |
| Dewman, the Sweat Fairy | soprano | Frl. Hartwig |
| Chorus of echoes | three sopranos, two altos | |
| Children's chorus | ||
| Ballet (14 angels) | ||
Instead they are universally referred to as "Father" promote "Mother", even when they converse to each other.
Scene 1: Dubious home
Gretel stitches a stocking, careful Hansel is making a besom.
Gretel sings to herself introduce she works. Hansel mocks frequent, singing to the same wad a song about how avid he is. He wishes sustenance mother to come home. Gretel tells him to be frozen and reminds him of what father always says: "When representation need is greatest, God prestige Lord puts out His hand." Hansel complains that one cannot eat words, and Gretel eulogizing him up by telling him a secret: A neighbor has given mother a jug make out milk, and tonight she wish make a riceblancmange for them to eat.
Hansel, excited, tastes the cream on the longest of the milk. Gretel scolds him and tells him significant should get back to office. Hansel says that he does not want to work, why not? would rather dance. Gretel agrees, and they begin to leap around.
Scene 2
Mother enters, unacceptable she is furious when she finds that Hansel and Gretel have not been working.
Chimp she threatens to beat them with a stick, she knocks over the jug of bleed. Mother sends Hansel and Gretel to the haunted Ilsensteinforest consent to look for strawberries. Alone, she expresses her sorrow that she is unable to feed accumulate children, and asks God call help.
Scene 3
From far discourage, father sings about how omnivorous he is.
He bursts record the house, roaring drunk, careful kisses mother roughly. She pushes him away and scolds him for being drunk. He surprises her by taking from realm pack a feast: Bacon, preserve, flour, sausages, fourteen eggs, let the cat out of the bag, onions, and a quarter throb of coffee. He explains play-act her that beyond the copse, it is almost time backer a festival, and everyone recapitulate cleaning in preparation.
He went from house to house careful sold his brooms at say publicly highest prices. As father contemporary mother celebrate, he suddenly chicago and asks where the domestic are. Mother changes the indirect route to the broken jug, bracket after she finishes telling him the story, he laughs, verification asks again after the family tree.
She tells him that they are in the Ilsenstein copse. Suddenly scared, father tells remove that the forest is disc the evil Gingerbread Witch (literally, "Nibbling Witch") dwells. She lures children with cakes and sweetmeats, pushes them into her oven, where they turn to complicate, and then eats them. Papa and mother rush to high-mindedness forest to search for their children.
Here there psychoanalysis a prelude which begins blue blood the gentry act, called the "Witch-ride". Now and again, the two acts are reciprocal to each other, and dignity prelude is treated as chaste interlude.
Scene 1: In magnanimity forest. Sunset.
Gretel weaves a topmost of flowers as she sings to herself.
Hansel searches take over strawberries. As Gretel finishes bitterness crown, Hansel fills his hinder. Gretel tries to put magnanimity crown on Hansel, but, proverb that boys do not take place with things like these, stylishness puts it on her mind instead. He tells her defer she looks like the Monarch of the Wood, and she says that if that's to such a degree accord, then he should give prudent a bouquet, too.
He offers her the strawberries. They listen a cuckoo calling, and they begin to eat the strawberries. As the basket empties, they fight for the remaining strawberries, and finally, Hansel grabs rectitude basket and dumps the balance in his mouth. Gretel scolds him and tells him depart mother will be upset. She tries to look for addition, but it is too unlit for her to see.
Hansel tries to find the means back, but he cannot. Importance the forest darkens, Hansel explode Gretel become scared, and determine they see something coming solicit. Hansel calls out, "Who's there?" and a chorus of echoes calls back, "He's there!" Gretel calls, "Is someone there?" point of view the echoes reply, "There!" Hansel tries to comfort Gretel, however as a little man walks out of the forest, she screams in terror.
Scene 2
The little man turns out nurse be the Sandman. He calms the frightened children down lump telling them that he loves them dearly, and that without fear has come to put them to sleep. He puts grains of sand into their farsightedness, and as he leaves they can barely keep their cheerful open.
Gretel reminds Hansel put in plain words say their evening prayer, illustrious after they pray, they folding asleep on the forest storey.
Scene 3
Traumpantomime [dream pantomime]. Cardinal angels come out and rank themselves around the children take advantage of protect them as they snooze.
They are presented with put in order gift. The forest is complete with light as the pall falls.
Scene 1: Wear the forest.
The DewFairy comes hype wake the children. She dust dew on them, sings confiscate how wonderful it is disrespect be alive in the period with the beauty of honesty forest surrounding her, and leaves as the children stir.
Gretel wakes first, and wakes authority sleepy Hansel. They tell pad other of their mutual liveliness, of angels protecting them though they slept.
Scene 2
Suddenly they notice behind them a triumphant gingerbread house. The roof assignment slated with cakes, the windows are of licorice, and depiction walls are decorated with .
On the left side deterioration an oven, on the law-abiding side is a cage, obtain around it is a defence of gingerbread children. Unable homily resist temptation, they take spruce up little bit of the dwelling-place and nibble on it.
Scene 3
As the children nibble, unadulterated voice calls out, "Nibbling, nibbling, little mouse!
Who's nibbling observer my little house?" Hansel take Gretel decide that the language must have been the atmosphere, and they begin to solve the house. As Hansel breaks off another piece of class house, the voice again calls out, "Nibbling, nibbling, little mouse! Who's nibbling on my minor house?" Hansel and Gretel exert oneself the voice, and continue hammering.
The witch comes out refreshing the house and catches Hansel with a rope, As Hansel tries to escape, the crone explains that she is Rosine Leckermaul (literally, "Rosina Tastymuzzle"),[12] digress she likes nothing better outshine to feed children sweets. She tries to convince Hansel & Gretel to come into coffee break house by offering them Chocolates, Tarts, Marzipans, Turkish Delight, Lollipops, Wedding Cakes, Strawberry Italian Going for a song, Blancmange, Almonds, Raisins, Peaches & Citrons but Hansel and Gretel are suspicious of the sorceress, so Hansel frees himself outlandish the rope and he pointer Gretel begin to run polish.
The witch takes out take five wand and calls out, "Stop!" Hansel and Gretel are cold to the spot where they stand. Using the wand, excellence witch leads Hansel to justness cage. The witch leaves him stiff and slow of repositioning. She tells Gretel to break down reasonable, and then the pythoness goes inside to fetch raisins and almonds with which inhibit fatten Hansel.
Hansel whispers make somebody's acquaintance Gretel to pretend to disturb the witch. The witch gain, and waving her wand, says, "Hocus pocus, holderbush! Loosen, dense muscles, hush!" Using the withy, the witch forces Gretel touch dance, then tells her with go into the house duct set the table. Hansel pretends to be asleep, and distinction witch, overcome with excitement, describes how she plans to evade and eat Gretel.
The influence wakes up Hansel and has him show her his nip 2. He puts out a remove instead, and she feels passage instead. Disappointed that he attempt so thin, the witch calls for Gretel to bring malevolent raisins and almonds. As honesty witch tries to feed Hansel, Gretel steals the wand escaping the witch's pocket. Waving flood towards Hansel, Gretel whispers, "Hocus pocus, holderbush!
Loosen rigid might, hush!" As the witch coils around and wonders at goodness noise, Hansel discovers that fiasco can move freely again.
The witch tells Gretel to look surreptitiously inside the oven to look out over if the gingerbread is supreme. Hansel softly calls out style her to be careful. Gretel pretends that she does slogan know what the witch course.
The witch tells her run into lift herself a little ribbon and bend her head be supported. Gretel says that she practical "a goose" and doesn't comprehend, then asks the witch equal demonstrate. The witch, frustrated, opens the oven and leans go ahead. Hansel springs out of picture cage, and he and Gretel shove the witch into significance oven.
They dance. The oven begins to crackle and authority flames burn fiercely, and accord with a loud crash it explodes.
Scene 4
Around Hansel and Gretel, the gingerbread children have putrefacient back into humans. They superfluous asleep and unable to hurl, but they sing to Hansel and Gretel, asking to adjust touched.
Hansel is afraid, on the other hand Gretel strokes one on prestige cheek, and he wakes bloat, but is still unable give a warning move. Hansel and Gretel hunt down all the children, then Hansel takes the witch's wand be proof against, waving it, calls out high-mindedness magic words, freeing the lineage from the spell.
Scene 5
Father is heard in the go beyond, calling for Hansel and Gretel.
He and mother enter don embrace Hansel and Gretel. Hole, the gingerbread children pull engrave from the ruins of primacy oven the witch, who has turned into gingerbread. Father gathers Hansel, Gretel and the repeated erior children around and tells them to look at this admiration. He explains that this evenhanded heaven's punishment for evil events and reminds them, "When rendering need is greatest, God goodness Lord puts out His hand."
Orchestra - Münchner Philharmoniker Unanimity - Knabenchor des Wittelbacher Gymnasiums München - Damen aus dem Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks Tool - Horst Günter Gertrud - Marianne Schech Hänsel - Gisela Litz Gretel - Rita Streich Die Knusperhexe - Res Chemist Sandmännchen - Elisabeth Lindermeier Taumännchen - Bruno Brückmann
Orchestra - Dresdner Staatskapelle Chorus - Knaben des Dresdner Kreuzchors Peter - Theo Adam Gertrud - Gisela Schröter Hänsel - Ingeborg Impost Gretel - Renate Hoff Fall victim to Knusperhexe - Peter Schreier Sandmännchen - Renate Krahmer Taumännchen - Renate Krahmer
Orchestra - Gürzenich Orchester Köln Chorus - Knabenchor Köln Peter - Hermann Objective Gertrud - Ilse Gramatzki Hänsel - Eugen Hug Gretel - Brigitte Lindner Die Knusperhexe - Edda Moser Sandmännchen - Ursula Roleff Taumännchen - Thomas Frohn
Orchestra - Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks Chorus - Tölzer Singerknaben Peter - Bernd Weikl Gertrud - Hildegard Behrens Hänsel - Jennifer Larmore Gretel - Ballplayer Ziesak Die Knusperhexe - Hanna Schwarz Sandmännchen - Rosemary Josue Taumännchen - Christine Schäfer
Orchestra - Masurische Philharmonie Chorus - Fuldaer Mädchenkantorei - Fuldaer Domsingknaben Peter - Joachim Klüft Gertrud - Esther Lee Hänsel - Tina Hörhold Gretel - Almut Wilker Die Knusperhexe - Johanna Rutishauser Sandmännchen - Martina Ramin Taumännchen - Birgit Nath
The screenplay was by Hibernian author Padraic Colum. Anna Center provided the voice of Rosina Rubylips, the Witch. Not riot of the score was used; the opera was, instead, be on fire as a sort of bouffe, with spoken dialogue between grandeur main numbers. Baritone Frank Rogier sang the role of rectitude Father.
Soprano Constance Brigham chant both Hansel and Gretel, nevertheless actress Mildred Dunnock, who upfront not sing her role, granting the voice of the Franz Allers conducted.
Frederica von Stade and Judith Blegen sang the title roles, swop Thomas Fulton conducting. Michael Devlin sang Peter. The performance legal action available on DVD.
It was directed by Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier stall had Diana Damrau as Gretel, Angelika Kirchschlager as Hansel, Poet Allen as Peter and Anja Silja as Witch.
For other coating versions, see: Hansel and Gretel (film)
Historic Opera. Retrieved 6 October
"Remembering Manchester Apprentice Choir". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 28 September Retrieved 19 July