Hans and Gretel
Orchestration
The opening night directed by Richard Strauss in Weimar on the 23 December 1893 was unsurpassed. Performances in Karlsruhe and other German cities quickly followed suit and “Hans and Gretel” made its way to the Lindenoper in Berlin. From 1894 to 1964 they performed Hans and Gretel 425 times. It has been translated into 17 languages and it became widely popular all over the continents, from Africa to the Americas and as far as Australia. It even reached the Far East, in Tokyo. The Vienna boys’ choir and the Regensburger Domespatzen adopted the piece into their repertoire.
Hansel and Gretel
The main aim was to create a fairytale environment which could draw both children and adults alike. The feedback given by the audience proved that the balance struck was a success. Both adults and children were equally spell bound by the magical forest. The nicest complement was paid by a ten year old girl who convinced her grandmother to give her a present of the orchestrated music. It is a testimony that children’s ears can appreciate this demanding piece of music which reminds one of Wagner.
Dates
Engelbert Humperdinck
Fairytale Opera in three Acts
Libretto: Adelheid Wette
Duration: 130 Minute incl. Pause
Production Team
Puppet Manufacturing: Bernhard Leismüller
Puppet’s heads: Sebastian Demmel
Costumes: Bernhard Leismüller
Stage: Bernhard Leismüller
Stage Manager: Bernhard Leismüller & Ralf Hechelmann