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How did Richard Wagner influence Engelbert Humperdinck’s music?
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Hänsel and Gretel
Poster for a Federal Theatre Project presentation of Engelbert Humperdinck's opera Hänsel and Gretel at the Beaux Arts Theatre in Los Angeles, c. 1936–41.
Engelbert Humperdinck’s musical style was significantly shaped by his professional relationship with Richard Wagner, whom he served as an assistant during the production of Parsifal at Bayreuth.1
This influence is most evident in Humperdinck’s use of Wagnerian harmonic techniques. However, in his opera Hänsel and Gretel, Humperdinck adapted these complex harmonic structures with a lighter, more delicate touch that was better suited to the fairy-tale subject matter. Alongside these sophisticated harmonies, his work is characterized by simple, folk-like melodies and resourceful orchestration, which together maintain a high level of musical interest.21