HĂ€nsel and Gretel
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What is the opera 'HĂ€nsel and Gretel' about?
Engelbert Humperdinck's opera HĂ€nsel and Gretel tells the story of two hungry children who live with their parents, Peter and Gertrude, in a cottage near a forest. After the children spill the milk, their mother orders them to pick strawberries.
While in the forest, they get lost and are guarded by 14 angels as they sleep. A Dew Fairy wakes them and they discover a gingerbread house. They begin to eat the house until a witch appears, who intends to eat them. The siblings outsmart the witch by shoving her into an oven. Ultimately, HĂ€nsel and Gretel are reunited with their parents, and all the witchâs gingerbread victims turn back into real children.
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Who was Engelbert Humperdinck, the composer of this opera?
Engelbert Humperdinck (1854â1921) was a German composer known for his opera HĂ€nsel und Gretel, which premiered in Weimar, Germany, on December 23, 1893. The libretto was written by Humperdinck's sister, Adelheid Wette, and was based on the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. Richard Strauss, a friend of Humperdinck, conducted the first performance of HĂ€nsel and Gretel, which was an immediate success. Humperdinck adapted Richard Wagner's harmonic techniques, but with a lighter approach that was appropriate for the fairy-tale subject matter.
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What fairy tale inspired the opera 'HĂ€nsel and Gretel'?
The opera HĂ€nsel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck was inspired by the fairy tale "Hansel and Gretel" by the Brothers Grimm. Humperdinck's sister, Adelheid Wette, wrote the libretto in German.
In 1890, Humperdinck's sister requested he set four songs from the fairy tale to music for her children. He then expanded the piece into a singspiel and eventually a full opera. The opera softens the original Grimms' tale, with the mother only ordering the children to pick strawberries rather than abandoning them. The opera also adds characters such as the Sandman, the Dew Fairy, and 14 angels.
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When and where was 'HĂ€nsel and Gretel' first performed?
HĂ€nsel and Gretel premiered in Weimar, Germany, under the baton of Richard Strauss during the Christmas season. Initially conceived as a set of songs for Engelbert Humperdinck's sister's children, it evolved into a singspiel and then a full opera.
A premiere was planned for Munich, but it was canceled due to a singer's illness. HĂ€nsel and Gretel softens the original Grimms' fairy tale, with the children merely sent to pick strawberries rather than being abandoned to die. Humperdinck also enriched the narrative with characters such as the Sandman, the Dew Fairy, and 14 angels. The opera was an instant triumph and was staged in numerous German theaters within its first year.
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What are some famous musical parts or songs from the opera?
HĂ€nsel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck is known for incorporating Wagnerian harmonies with a lighter touch suitable for a fairy tale.
Some of the famous parts include:
- "BrĂŒderchen, komm tanzâ mit mir" is a children's dance.
- The woodland scene at twilight.
- The episode of the broken milk jug.
The opera also features the Sandman, the Dew Fairy, and 14 angels. The roles of Gretel and HĂ€nsel are sung, respectively, by an adult soprano and an adult mezzo-soprano.
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How has 'HĂ€nsel and Gretel' influenced opera and popular culture?
HĂ€nsel and Gretel, an opera by Engelbert Humperdinck, has significantly impacted both opera and popular culture since its premiere in 1893. Rooted in the Brothers Grimm' fairy tale, the opera's adaptation by Humperdinck and his sister, Adelheid Wette, softens the original story, adding elements like the Sandman, Dew Fairy, and guardian angels.
Humperdinck, who had worked with Richard Wagner, employed Wagner's harmonic techniques, tailoring them to suit the fairy-tale's lighter themes. The opera was an instant triumph, celebrated for its insight into the child's perspective, poetic sensibility, and musical sophistication. Its success paved the way for numerous adaptations across various media, including print, theater, and film, securing its place in popular culture.
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HĂ€nsel and Gretel, opera by the German composer Engelbert Humperdinck (with a German libretto by his sister, Adelheid Wette) that premiered in Weimar, Germany, on December 23, 1893.
Background and context
Humperdinck, who began his career as an assistant to Richard Wagner, used Wagnerâs harmonic techniques, although with a lighter touch suitable for the fairy-tale subject matter he adapted. The roles of Gretel and HĂ€nsel are sung, respectively, by an adult soprano and an adult mezzo-soprano.
Humperdinck began work on HĂ€nsel and Gretel in 1890 when his sister requested a set of four songs based on the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm for her children to perform. From that set of songs Humperdinck expanded the piece to a singspiel and then ultimately to a full opera. Humperdinck and Wette presented a softer and lighter version of the story: HĂ€nsel and Gretelâs mother, rather than sending the children off to die as she does in the Grimmsâ original, only orders them to go outside and pick strawberries to keep them from causing trouble in the house. Friendly new charactersâincluding the Sandman, the Dew Fairy, and 14 angels who guard the children while they sleepâwere added to the story, as were pious pronouncements concerning prayer.
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A premiere was arranged for Munich late in 1893. However, a singerâs illness forced the cancellation of that production, so the first performance fell to Richard Strauss, who, as the composerâs friend, had already planned to conduct HĂ€nsel and Gretel in a Christmas-season run in Weimar. The opera was an immediate success. In its first year alone, it was presented in dozens of German theaters.
Cast and vocal parts
- HĂ€nsel, a boy (mezzo-soprano)
- Gretel, his sister (soprano)
- Peter, their father, a broom maker (baritone)
- Gertrude, their mother (mezzo-soprano)
- The Witch (mezzo-soprano or tenor)
- The Sandman (soprano)
- The Dew Fairy (soprano)
- Angels, gingerbread children, chorus of echoes.
Setting and story summary
Act I
A poor cottage at the edge of a forest.
Once upon a time, a brother and sister named HĂ€nsel and Gretel lived with their father and mother, Peter and Gertrude, at the edge of a huge forest. When the story opens, they are alone in their poor cottage, hard at work at their chores, and quite hungry. Gretel teases HĂ€nsel for being a grump and promises to tell him a secret if he will cheer up: there is milk in the jug and their mother will make them a nice pudding when she comes home. HĂ€nsel sneaks a taste of the milk, but Gretel warns him that their mother will be angry if they do not get back to work. HĂ€nsel refuses; he prefers to dance. Gretel is infected with her brotherâs high spirits, and both begin to dance (âBrĂŒderchen, komm tanzâ mit mirâ).
In the middle of all the fun, Gertrude comes home in a very bad mood, angry at them for not having finished their work. She gets a stick to hit them, and, as they escape, she accidentally knocks over the jug, spilling all the milk. She furiously orders them out of the house to pick strawberries. Then she despairs and begs God for help in feeding her children. Exhausted, she falls asleep.
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Peter is heard singing in the distance. He reels into the house and gives Gertrude a big kiss. She is not amused and accuses him of being drunk. He ignores her nagging and playfully asks for supper. She tells him that they have nothing to eat. To her surprise, he pulls out a sackful of food. He reports that he had gone to town to sell his brooms, and because he happened upon a festival, he managed to make a huge profit. Gertrude toasts his success, and, as they begin to dig into the food, he realizes that the children are absent. Gertrude reports that HĂ€nsel and Gretel were misbehaving and that she broke the milk jug trying to punish them. Peter laughs heartily at this, and Gertrude cannot help joining in. He asks again where they are, and she replies, âFor all I know, at the Ilsenstein.â Peter is struck with horror, for the Ilsenstein is the mountain abode of a horrible witch who rides on a broomstick, lures children to her gingerbread house, and bakes them into gingerbread. The two rush out of the house in search of the children.