o tt e r Lib
NEWS from BEHIND the BLUE CURTAIN SUMMER 2026 | ISSUE 166
PRODUCTION SPOTLIGHT
Hansel and Gretel: A Fairy Tale on a Grand Operatic Scale BY RICHARD RUSSELL hen Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel appears on an opera season, it is sometimes assumed to be a work intended primarily for children. The association with the Grimm Brothers fairy tale can obscure the fact that this opera is one of the most musically sophisticated and richly orchestrated works regularly performed in the repertoire. While the story is certainly family friendly, the score is anything but childlike. From its first measures, Hansel and Gretel reveals a lush, expansive musical world. The orchestra is large and opulent, and Humperdinck makes full use of its expressive power. Extended orchestral interludes are so fully developed that they function almost as an additional
character, deepening the emotional and dramatic landscape of the opera. This is music written on a symphonic scale, demanding both technical precision and interpretive depth. The opera’s stature was recognized immediately at its premiere in Berlin, which was conducted by Richard Strauss, a close friend and admirer of Humperdinck. Gustav Mahler led the Vienna premiere, and Arturo Toscanini later conducted performances during his tenure at La Scala. Such champions are not incidental footnotes; they signal the seriousness with which the work was regarded by the leading musical minds of its time. Humperdinck’s own musical pedigree further explains the opera’s richness. Although his parents hoped he would pursue architecture, he studied composition with Ferdinand Hiller and Franz Lachner before encountering Richard Wagner in Italy. Wagner was so impressed by the young composer that he invited Humperdinck to assist with the first production of Parsifal at Bayreuth and to tutor his son Siegfried. Immersion in Wagner’s musical language left a clear imprint on Humperdinck’s style. In Hansel and Gretel, Humperdinck blends this Wagnerian influence with melodies
From its first measures, Hansel and Gretel reveals a lush, expansive musical world. ~ RICHARD RUSSELL
inspired by folk song, creating a sound world that is both immediately accessible and harmonically complex. The orchestration is often contrapuntal, with melodic lines weaving in and out of one another, producing a dense and glowing texture. Wagner’s presence is especially evident in the orchestral interludes, most notably The Witch’s Ride between Acts I and II, whose surging energy and vivid orchestral color unmistakably recall The Ride of the Valkyries. Here, the orchestra CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
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