Hansel and Gretel
OPERA @ A GLANCE
LANGUAGE
English with English subtitles
FIRST PERFORMED
Dec. 23, 1893
in Weimar, Germany
COMPOSER
Engelbert Humperdinck
(1854–1921) was a German composer. Humperdinck’s sister, Adelheid Wette, wrote the original libretto and asked him to create the musical composition. The opera is based on the Brothers Grimm’s folktale. Hansel and Gretel was the first complete opera written by Humperdinck, and it is his most famous work.
LIBRETTO
Ben Robinson
LENGTH 3 ACTS 90 minutes
CHARACTERS
THEMES family responsibility greed
SETTING
a modern cottage with woods nearby, likely 1980s
SYNOPSIS
Hansel (mezzo-soprano), a young boy who is often hungry; the brother of Gretel Gretel (soprano), a young girl who likes to dance; the sister of Hansel Mother (soprano), the frazzled mother of Hansel & Gretel; she sends the kids to the woods Father (baritone), the father of Hansel & Gretel; he tells the story of the Witch
The Witch (mezzo-soprano), a TV-chef who lives in a house of sweets in the woods; she tries to cook Hansel & Gretel
The Sandman (mezzo-soprano), a mysterious enchanter who puts the children to sleep with fairy dust
The Dew Fairy (soprano), a kind and magical person who sprinkles morning dew on the children to wake them up
This 2021 production is a contemporary adaptation featuring a new translation by director Ben Robinson. The classic folktale is reimagined – Hansel and Gretel watch TV, the Mother stresses about an instant pudding mix, and the Witch is a celebrity pastry-chef. The story begins with Hansel and Gretel at home. Rather than doing their chores, Hansel and Gretel sing and dance. When the Mother returns home, frazzled from work and the messy house, she sends the two children to pick berries in the woods.
Hansel and Gretel get lost and fall asleep surrounded by the trees. They wake up the next morning and find a television set complete with a gingerbread house! Hansel and Gretel soon find themselves in trouble when the Witch reveals they are guest stars on her TV show and that Hansel is the main ingredient in her “kinderroast.” The children trick the Witch into climbing into her oven and break the spell the Witch had placed on the TV crew. Hansel and Gretel’s parents find them, and everyone shares a chocolate cake.
Listening Guide
“Hansel, come and dance with me”
Gretel shows Hansel how to dance in this charming song. In this duet, we get to see how well the siblings get along. Gretel is the leader and Hansel follows, giving most of the duet a call-and-response structure in which Hansel repeats what Gretel sings. Listen for this duet’s melody again in the opera’s finale.
8:11–10:30
12:56–16:22
“Ra la la la”
Father dreams of food just like his children do. He worries that his hard work still doesn’t earn him enough to keep his family fed. Instead of complaining, he tries to keep up a cheerful refrain, “bringing happiness and cheer.” The Mother, forgetting she is angry with the children, joins in his fun when she sees the food he has brought home.
HANSEL AND GRETEL 1.
2.
Check out these significant musical moments in Hansel and Gretel! Each song helps tell the story and gives us insight into how the characters are feeling.
The video can be viewed at vimeo.com/838434537; password: gingerbread or by scanning the QR code.
This production is from Opera Ithaca in collaboration with PhotoSynthesis Productions, Resonance Works Pittsburgh, Raylynmor Opera, and the Pittsburgh Youth Chorus.
This original film production premiered at Cinemapolis in December 2021.
“It’s just the Sandman calling” and “Evening Prayer”
The magical Sandman calms down the frightened children by singing them to sleep. Hansel and Gretel calm down and sing their evening prayer before drifting off. They imagine that they are being watched over by angels in this beautiful duet, which is one of the most famous pieces of music from this opera. 31:37–36:15
“The Oven’s Hot So Grab Your Pot”
In this short aria, the Witch, who in this production is a television chef, prepares to roast Hansel! Her excitement is shown by her laughter and the strong dance rhythms of her music. If you listen to the orchestra, you’ll hear some musical phrases with quick groups of notes getting higher and higher. These phrases make it sound like the Witch is taking off on a broom, as she often does at this point in more traditional productions of this opera.
1:09:00–1:12:00 3. 4.
OPERA VOCABULARY
Act the main sections of a play or opera
Baritone the second lowest voice part, slightly higher than bass
Countertenor the fourth highest voice part, similar range to a contralto or mezzo-soprano
Crew a group of technicians who work backstage on the set, props, costumes, lights, and sound
Props objects used in a play or opera
Rehearsal a private performance or practice session for the company of a play or opera
Bass the lowest voice part
Cast a group of performers who play characters on stage in a play or opera
Chorus the name of a group of singers in an opera
Dramaturg a specialist in drama, especially one who works with a theater company
Duet a song performed by two singers
Scene a small section of a play or opera where there is no change in place or time
Score the written music of an opera or other musical work
Company a group of cast and crew who produce plays and/or operas
Composer a person who writes music
Libretto the text or words in an opera
Setting the time and place of the action of a story
Soprano the highest voice part
Conductor a person who leads the orchestra
Mezzo-Soprano the second highest voice part, slightly lower than soprano
Tenor the third lowest voice part, slightly lower than countertenor
Contralto the third highest voice part, lower than soprano and mezzo-soprano
Orchestra a group of musicians who play together on various instruments
Overture a piece of instrumental music played at the beginning that sets the mood for the opera
Test
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