Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel Name: _______________________________
Comprehension Quiz
Fill in the black with the correct answer. If true or false, circle the correct answer.
1) Where are Hansel and Gretel when the audience first sees them? _____________________________
2) What are Hansel and Gretel watching on TV? ____________________________________________
3) Hansel and Gretel fall asleep watching TV. true false
4) What does Hansel accidentally spill on the floor? _________________________________________
5) Hansel and Gretel’s mother is happy when she comes home. true false
6) Hansel and Gretel’s family makes a lot of money. true false
7) Who is the Father afraid of?
8) The man Gretel tells her doll about wears a yellow suit. true false
9) Write an adjective to describe the Dew Fairy who wakes Hansel and Gretel: ____________________
10) The Witch uses a wooden spoon to cast spells. true false
11) Who does the Witch want to put in the oven? _________________________________
12) The Witch’s television crew were children under a spell. true false
13) Write an adjective to describe the parents at the end of the opera: __
14) What did the Mother pull out of the oven for everyone to enjoy? ____________________________
15) Write one thing you enjoyed about the opera: __________
Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel
History of Opera Review
Name: ___________________________
Read this excerpt from “A Brief History of Opera” (Opera Philadelphia’s A Beginner’s Guide to Opera) and answer the following questions.
The oldest opera still performed today is Claudio Monteverdi's L'Orfeo , written in 1607. During the Baroque period from 1600-1750, Italian aristocracy wanted to recreate the great classical dramas from ancient Greece and Rome. Such stories provided the ruling elite with a strong connection to the supernatural. When asked to write an opera for Grand Duke
Vincenzo Gonzaga of Mantua, Monteverdi thought that Orpheus, the Greek hero of music, would be of great interest to his audience. Monteverdi's opera brought to life Orpheus's dramatic journey to the underworld in an effort to save his love, Euridice. The premiere of L'Orfeowas a great success, and Monteverdi emerged as someone who could use music to not only propel a narrative but also deeply affect an audience.
What inspired the Italian aristocracy’s creation of opera?
(A) the Age of Enlightenment poets
(B) ancient Greek and Roman dramas
(C) the politics in Baroque Italy
(D) American folk songs
The premiere of Claude Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo was __________.
(A) not very popular
(B) only good at propelling a narrative
(C) a great success
(D) too expensive
Who is Orpheus?
(A) the Greek hero of music
(B) the Roman god of the sea
(C) an Italian opera composer
(D) the Grand Duke of Mantua
After his first opera, Monteverdi emerged as someone who ____________.
(A) designed beautiful costumes
(B) could use music to deeply affect an audience
(C) composed simplistic music
(D) wrote operas for children
Read this excerpt from “A Brief History of Opera” (Opera Philadelphia’s A Beginner’s Guide to Opera) and write a short reflection.
Today, opera continues to grow and expand. Opera Philadelphia helps to shape the future of opera by producing important new works like Daniel Bernard Roumain and Marc Bamuthi Joseph’s 2017 opera, WeShallNotBeMoved , a story about Philadelphia youth and many issues facing society today. In October 2017, the opera went on to be performed at the famous Apollo Theater in Harlem.
If you were to write an opera today, what story would you tell? Why do you think opera is still performed? [3-5 sentences]
. . . .
Reading Music Assignment
Fill in the blanks with the letter note:
Act 1. Scene 1. Gretel.
The geese are running barefoot because they’ve no shoes!
Circle the correct word.
Act 2. Scene 1. Woodwinds.
The p indicates that it should be played (softly / loudly).
The is a (decrescendo / crescendo). It means the music is getting (softer / louder).
The f indicates that is should be played (softly / loudly).
The is a (decrescendo / crescendo). It means the music is getting (softer / louder).
Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel Name: _______________________________
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
Fill in the blanks with the name of the rhythm note:
Act 3. Scene 2. The Witch.
Word Bank
quarter note
eighth note
sixteenth note
dotted eighth note
quarter rest
eighth rest
_________ ________ ________ _________ _________ ________ ________
You’ve come to quarter _________ _________ ________ ________ rest _________ _________ ________ ________ visit me, _________
_________ _________ ________ ________ _________ _________ ________ ________
that is sweet!
Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel
Vocabulary Quiz
Match the word to the definition:
_____ Act
_____ Chorus
_____ Company
_____ Conductor
_____ Dramaturg
_____ Duet
_____ Libretto
_____ Overture
_____ Score
_____ Setting
A) the text or words in an opera
Name: _______________________________
B) the written music of an opera or other musical work
C) a group of cast and crew who produce plays and/or operas
D) the main sections of a play or opera
E) a person who leads the orchestra
F) a piece of instrumental music played at the beginning that sets the mood for the opera
G) the time and place of the action of a story
H) a specialist in drama, especially one who works with a theater company
I) the name of a group of singers in an opera
J) a song performed by two singers
List the voice parts from highest to lowest: tenor, soprano, contralto, bass, mezzo-soprano, countertenor, baritone
Fill in the blanks with the vocabulary words. Each word will only be used once.
Cast Rehearsal Composer Crew
Scene
Props
Orchestra
The curtain opened when the ______________________________ started playing the overture.
I want to join the ____________________ so I can paint sets.
My friend has _______________________________ on Tuesday evenings.
Engelbert Humperdinck is the ___________________________________ of Hansel and Gretel.
Gretel’s doll and the Witch’s wooden spoon are examples of ______________________ .
I like the _______________________ where Hansel and Gretel are dancing in the living room.
He got autographs from the ___________________ after the show.
