Hansel and Gretel by Humperdinck, From (2024/2024), Directed by Katharina Thalbach,, Conductor John Fiore, Semperoper, Dresden, Germany

In the fairytale forest, we encounter the familiar figures of the poor siblings who have lost their way as well as the Gingerbread Witch. The story comes to a head in the famous edible house, which is sweet on the outside but a death trap within. In 1893 Engelbert Humperdinck transformed the tale by the Brothers Grimm into a work which is probably the most famous fairy-tale opera in the repertoire. In this production by Katharina Thalbach, the action is enlivened by additional figures from Grimms’ fairy tales to create a brilliant show for the whole family. Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White and the Big Bad Wolf take children and adults on a musical journey that ends with the fall of the Witch’s realm and the victory of good over evil, proclaimed by the gingerbread children: »We’re saved, we’re freed, for ever more«.