Hänsel und Gretel

[uffeviking]

Pleasant change in subject: A children's Fairy Tale set to lovely, lively, sweet and dramatic music by Engelbert Humberdinck. - No, not that good-looking hunk! The one who lived from 1854 to 1921. - I knew the opera was available on DVD, but wasn't too interested in it, after all, I had seen it many times when I was a child and still afraid of witches and believing in angels. Then I mentioned the terrific young conductor Michael Hofstetter, who had impressed me with his great performance during the 2006 Salzburg Mozart Festival and our friend T.C. pointed out to me Hofstetter conducting the Semper Oper production of Hänsel und Gretel. - Thank you, T.C., - Hofstetter is a maestro to keep an eye on. He is good. Conducting the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden has to be a special joy for any conductor, brilliant musicians all.

The direction by Katharina Thalbach is charming and innovative from beginning to end; not a disappointing scene from the beginning Schattenspiele - Shadow plays? - to the emotional reunion of the parents and their two children, who had been lost in an enchanted forest and visited by lovely little and big creature; plus being protected by those 14 angels watching over their sleep. We are all familiar with the story of course. But how about a witch dressed in a slinky, tight fitting sexy red dress and flowing red hair? Antigone Papoulkas Hänsel and Anna Gabler, Gretel had lovely voices and their acting perfectly portraying two youngsters. I thoroughly enjoyed almost two hours of great entertainment.

And so did the many children in the audience! The camera included shots of the very young, none of them older than maybe 4, on the laps of their parents and sitting there spellbound, open-eyed and open-mouthed and at the end clapping enthusiastically too. I didn't see one toddler sleeping. I didn't sleep either! 

[MishaK]

Hänsel und Gretel is an underrated gem of German romanticism. The kids' bedtime prayer "Abends will ich schlafen geh'n" is on a par with some of Mozart's parts for Sarastro and the priests in Zauberflöte in terms of genuine, heartfelt solemnity, if I can put it that way. It is an opera that is often used for kids as an introduction to opera, yet it is a real grown up romantic opera in every way. It's sad that it's rarely performed this side of the Atlantic. I must have seen countless performaces as a kid in Germany. There was one at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Duisburg in the late 80s/early 90s that in my mind is still unsurpassed. All the stars somehow aligned that evening and even all members of the orchestra were aglow. I think both leads were American singers (I want to say, Hansel was someone named Evans) and the witch must have been the tenor Udo Holdorf. If only I could remember the conductor. I'll have to go through my piles of old programs next time I'm at my parents' house.

[uffeviking]

Now I don't feel so lonesome! I give most of the credit for the beautiful performance to the conductor and the Dresdner musicians. Hofstetter emphasized parts of the composition that I had either overlooked or forgotten. I don't recall ever having heard a more rousing, joyous 'Die Hex ist tot!' There were a few camera shots of Hofstetter and some musicians and everybody was smiling. Well, not everybody, not easy to smile with a clarinet in your mouth, but all the others exchanged big smiles with their conductor.

The Sandman was sitting on swing, high up against a Mirò blue sky, singing 'his' song in a flawless high soprano and strewing golden sand upon the children. Enchanting! 

[knight66]

Rather oddly on Amazon they only carry it via their marketplace. There it stipulates that it is a Region 1 disc only. They have it at a tempting price from one seller. Oh, well, I wil keep my eyes out for it in the UK.

As I am indicating, you have made it sound like a winner.....and I do like a winner.

Mike

[lesroches]

Mike, the new Hansel & Gretel DVD is listed as Region 0 and at a pre-order price of $22.99.  Your search must've taken you to another H&G DVD listing, because this one doesn't yet list any marketplace sellers.  Try this link:
http://www.amazon.com/Humperdinck-Hansel-Gretel-Iris-Vermillon/dp/B000NOIWNA/ref=sr_1_16/102-7860344-2288960

Lis, I hadn't planned on buying this, but after reading your praises I may just have to reconsider. 


LR

[Siedler]

Who are you, LesRosches? 

[stingo]

They're putting on a production of H&G in Philadelphia this coming year (Opera Company of Philadelphia) for anyone who's interested in seeing it live.

[knight66]

LesRosches, Thanks, I used Amazon UK and it is the same set...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Humperdinck-Hansel-Gretel-Hofstetter-REGION/dp/B000NOIWNA/ref=sr_1_23/026-2800580-8030813?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1176222049&sr=1-23

It does not indicate that it has not yet been released, I tend not to order from outside the European Community as I have been whacked for import duty and handling fees in such a way as to make it uneconomic.

I will keep my eye on this one. Again, thanks.

Mike

[lesroches]

Sorry, Mike, I hadn't noticed the earlier reference to the UK in your earlier post and had assumed you were referring to the US Amazon.  My bad 

MDT.co.uk indicate the DVD to be a Region 0 coding and perhaps have it in stock:
http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/product//2055888.htm

LR

[bhodges]

They're putting on a production of H&G in Philadelphia this coming year (Opera Company of Philadelphia) for anyone who's interested in seeing it live.

And the Met is also doing it, starting Dec. 24 with the following cast:

Conductor: Vladimir Jurowski
Gretel: Christine Schäfer
Hansel: Alice Coote
Gertrude: Rosalind Plowright
The Witch: Philip Langridge
Peter: Alan Held

--Bruce

[uffeviking]

Surprising great news from the Met is about Hänsel und Gretel on their schedule, hoping that we'll be able to see it also on a DVD. Three outstanding artists: Schäfer, Langridge and the conductor Jurowski, what a treat!

[knight66]

Sorry, Mike, I hadn't noticed the earlier reference to the UK in your earlier post and had assumed you were referring to the US Amazon.  My bad 

MDT.co.uk indicate the DVD to be a Region 0 coding and perhaps have it in stock:
http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/product//2055888.htm

LR

Don't worry in the least, it is just nice when people want to be of help and.....frankly, I often need to be corrected. Thanks for the further connection....I am going to order it,

Cheers,

Mike

[Anne]

I really like Solti's Hansel und Gretel with Wiener Philharmoniker.  Singers are Fassbaender, Gruberova, Prey, Dernesch, Jurinac.

The orchestral part when the angels descend is gorgeous (good old Wiener Phil!).

I also like the fact that the cameras show the young children in the audience watching with rapt attention just as my own grandchildren did.  One of my grandchildren would one day be diagnosed with ADD.  At 4 years old when he watched this Hansel und Gretel, he never moved for two hours and the next day asked to watch it again.  It was a miracle.

[uffeviking]

It really is amazing how those tykes get involved in the opera. Those young Dresdners were more quiet than the audience in the NY Met usually is! The camera showed one baby with a pacifier in it's mouth, not moving, eyes glued to the stage. Maybe instead of opera houses endlessly featuring The Nutcracker every holiday season, they'll switch to Humperdinck's fairy tale opera! 

[jochanaan]

The Evening Prayer and Dream was one of the first pieces I ever played with an orchestra, at age 16--more than thirty years ago now.

[bhodges]

Looks like I'm going to see the Met's Hansel and Gretel on Jan. 4, and looking forward to it.  The set is made up of kitchens, three different ones, and looks quite interesting, and the cast could hardly be any better. 

--Bruce 

[knight66]

I got home to discover that my order for the new Mackerras version n English has arrived. I will report back when I get a chance.

Mike

[bhodges]

Please!  I don't know the opera at all, and it sounds like I might want a recording afterward. 

--Bruce

[knight66]

I have now listened twice to the new Chandos set; what a real joy it has been. Humperdinck supplies such a beautiful tone palate, lots of intrusions of nature. As you might expect from Mackerras, he relishes all these evocations of woodland and the sounds of birds. He makes the orchestra glow.

It is in English, for once that did not bother me in the least. All the cast is first rate. Jennifer Laramore only yields to Fassbaender as Hansel. Rebecca Evans is girlish without being over sweet; only one hardened and shrill phrase in the whole role. The witch of Jane Henschel is properly sung, well characterised and not overdone.

The opening scenes are especially interesting here, more than a warm-up for the kids getting lost, the singers display the plight of a family in poverty. What a superb piece this is and so well performed.

90 or so minutes goes by very quickly indeed.

Mike

[M forever]

I really like Solti's Hansel und Gretel with Wiener Philharmoniker.  Singers are Fassbaender, Gruberova, Prey, Dernesch, Jurinac.

The orchestral part when the angels descend is gorgeous (good old Wiener Phil!).

There is also a nice studio recording with Solti and the WP on Decca (with Fassbaender, Popp, Berry, and others).

Like O Mensch said, that opera is played basically everywhere in Germany around Christmas, but also regularly during other times of the year, and it is the first occasion on which many young people get dragged into the opera house (same for me, I think I saw it the first time when I was 6 or 7 or so).

During my years as a student, I played it many times in the German National Theater in Weimar which is also where Hänsel und Gretel was first performed in 1893, under the direction of Richard Strauss who liked it very much and had a lot of praise for Humperdinck and his work, especially his masterful orchestration.
Mahler also totally dug it, no wonder with all the fairy tale and demonic stuff, that was what Mahler was really into. I think he also conducted it in Vienna.
I wonder if Dvořák knew the opera, but it is rather likely and it seems that his fairy tale tone poems which were composed only 3-4 years later were to a certain degree influenced by it - or maybe it was Humprdinck who took some inspiration from Dvořák and Smetana who had created a distinct folk tale/fairy tale sound of which I find some echoes in this opera. But there is certainly also a strong element of Weber and other romantic composers, especially Wagner, in there. Strange that Humperdinck's other works never became even remotely as well known, there is some nice music in Dornröschen and Die Königskinder.