Hansel and Gretel by Humperdinck, Thu 26 Dec 2024, From (2024/2024), Directed by Andreas Homoki, Conductor Friedrich Praetorius, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Berlin, Germany

For over a century Engelbert Humperdinck’s HANSEL AND GRETEL has enjoyed a reputation as one of the most popular operas for all the family. Humperdinck could not resist rendering the story – a dramatic tale for children and adults alike – as a piece of musical theatre, a two-hour symphonic masterpiece peppered with hummable tunes. Translated into over twenty languages, the work remains the first contact for many children with the world of opera. The score does not conceal its debt to Wagner but does not rely on his aura in attracting the uninitiated either. Evergreen numbers of the likes of “Ein Männlein steht im Walde”, “Abends wenn ich schlafen geh’, vierzehn Englein um mich stehn” or “Der kleine Sandmann bin ich” guide audiences through the exposition and remain lodged in the memory long after the auditorium has emptied. Andreas Homoki and set designer Wolfgang Gussmann take a linear, child-friendly approach to the story, bringing a levity and poetic imagery to the opulent music that are best exemplified in the nocturnal woodland scenes. There is no shortage of excitement and spine-chilling moments, and the dramatic appearance of the witch, eagerly awaited by younger audience members in particular, includes a humorous touch. Children aged 8 and upwards can enjoy Humperdinck’s tale of good triumphing over evil, in which Gretel und Hansel, by virtue of pluck and imagination, free not only themselves but all the other kids from the clutches of the witch. “Director Andreas Homoki is not about to exploit the opera to make precious psychological points or send ideological messages. He just wants to mount a musical play for kids. And that’s what he sets about doing – intelligently and playfully …” [DeutschlandRadio Köln]