07.03.2013
Fairytale opera “Hansel and Gretel”
„Hansel and Gretel“ is a world-famous opera for children based on the Grimm brothers’ fairy tale. For the last 120 years this opera has been considered one of the hits of the family theatre repertoire and an ideal occasion for an introduction to opera. German composer Engelbert Humperdinck, Wagner’s student and assistant, conceived it as a musical gift to his nephews, but the opera has gone far beyond the family circle, winning the professional stage.
The premiere was held in Weimar on the Christmas week of 1893 under the baton of Richard Strauss. In Russia this opera was first performed in 1895 under the title „Vanya and Masha“. Now „Hansel and Gretel“ is regularly staged in theaters in Germany and other countries; in particular, the performance of the Metropolitan Opera is widely known: funny and realistic, with fabulous events put into a modern context, with spinning blenders and mixers instead of brooms on the stage.
The Mikhailovsky Theatre is preparing a chamber production of the opera as a part of the „Backstage Story“ subscription. Stage Director Darya Panteleyeva and Art Director Diana Tarasenko, for both of whom this work will be a professional debut, have chosen the traditional conventional fabled stylistics for this small format show. Children don’t separate reality and fiction, and they for sure will heartily sympathize the young characters, all the more that the audiences are situated on the stage during the performance, at arm’s length from the actors. Hansel and Gretel, children of a poor handicraftsman, sent to the forest in the twilight: the family doesn’t have anything for dinner, and they have to collect the berries — get lost and get to the Witch. Her house with the walls of gingerbread and windows of sugar, becomes a trap for the children, and only through a trickery can Hansel and Gretel get out, ambushing the witch into the oven, where she turns into a „good sweet cake“. Young spectators will certainly picture themselves as the quick-witted and amicable brother and sister, like the Sandman and the Dewman, fantastic characters who represent sleeping and waking. Even the Witch won’t scare them, as it is „not quite evil“. At last, her Black Cat (this role is entrusted to a ballet dancer) may become a general favorite.
Musicologists see a lot of similarity to the Wagnerian musical principles in the score and even try to compare the episode „The Leap of the Witch“ to „The Ride of the Valkyries“, but this doesn’t mean that the music is difficult to perceive. The opera includes many authentic folk children songs and catchy tunes, and the audiences, including the little ones, may think that they’ve heard this music before and know it very well.
The premiere was held in Weimar on the Christmas week of 1893 under the baton of Richard Strauss. In Russia this opera was first performed in 1895 under the title „Vanya and Masha“. Now „Hansel and Gretel“ is regularly staged in theaters in Germany and other countries; in particular, the performance of the Metropolitan Opera is widely known: funny and realistic, with fabulous events put into a modern context, with spinning blenders and mixers instead of brooms on the stage.
The Mikhailovsky Theatre is preparing a chamber production of the opera as a part of the „Backstage Story“ subscription. Stage Director Darya Panteleyeva and Art Director Diana Tarasenko, for both of whom this work will be a professional debut, have chosen the traditional conventional fabled stylistics for this small format show. Children don’t separate reality and fiction, and they for sure will heartily sympathize the young characters, all the more that the audiences are situated on the stage during the performance, at arm’s length from the actors. Hansel and Gretel, children of a poor handicraftsman, sent to the forest in the twilight: the family doesn’t have anything for dinner, and they have to collect the berries — get lost and get to the Witch. Her house with the walls of gingerbread and windows of sugar, becomes a trap for the children, and only through a trickery can Hansel and Gretel get out, ambushing the witch into the oven, where she turns into a „good sweet cake“. Young spectators will certainly picture themselves as the quick-witted and amicable brother and sister, like the Sandman and the Dewman, fantastic characters who represent sleeping and waking. Even the Witch won’t scare them, as it is „not quite evil“. At last, her Black Cat (this role is entrusted to a ballet dancer) may become a general favorite.
Musicologists see a lot of similarity to the Wagnerian musical principles in the score and even try to compare the episode „The Leap of the Witch“ to „The Ride of the Valkyries“, but this doesn’t mean that the music is difficult to perceive. The opera includes many authentic folk children songs and catchy tunes, and the audiences, including the little ones, may think that they’ve heard this music before and know it very well.
