Hänsel and Gretel: A Fairy Opera in Three Acts

About

Humperdinck's 1893 opera, with libretto by his sister Adelaide Wette based on the Brothers Grimm tale, became one of the most beloved works in the German operatic repertoire almost immediately after its premiere — Richard Strauss conducted the premiere and called it a masterpiece. The fairy-tale story of Hänsel and Gretel, lost in the forest and imprisoned by the witch, is rendered in music of warmth and considerable sophistication. As a libretto, the text reads beautifully aloud and works well as a staged reading even without the music, particularly with younger audiences.