Hansel and Gretel by Humperdinck, Od (2022/2022), Režija: Steffen Piontek,, Dirigent Diego Martin-Etxebarria, Ewa Strusińska, Opernhaus Chemnitz, Chemnitz, Germany

Steffen Piontek's production of the fairytale opera Hansel and Gretel has been part of the Christmas program for many Chemnitz families since 1991. Again and again one trembles with Hansel and Gretel when the mother, when she returns from the hard day's work, finds instead of supper only an empty pot and instead of the work done two children dancing. You hope with them that they will find their way out of the spooky forest with will-o'-the-wisp and twinkle-eyed owl, and you're happy about the angel pyramid that guards the children's sleep, about the fragrant gingerbread house and about the burnt witch's butt. The composer Engelbert Humperdinck lived from 1854 to 1921. He studied in Cologne and Munich and then worked, among other things, as an assistant to Richard Wagner in Bayreuth. He has composed instrumental music, pieces for voice and of course operas. The best known today is Hansel and Gretel . The text comes from Humperdinck's sister Adelheid Wette. She regularly wrote small fairy tale plays based on motifs from famous storytellers for performances in the family circle. Her version of Hansel and Gretel on the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, inspired Engelbert Humperdinck to make a real opera out of it. He sometimes used well-known folk songs such as Suse,liebe Suse and Ein Mannlein ist im Walde , but also wrote music himself that is now in every children's song book, such as Brüderchen,komm, tanz mit mir . Hansel and Gretel was first performed in Weimar in 1893. The musical director was none other than Richard Strauss.