Kirill Petrenko conducts “Hansel and Gretel”

Two brave children use their wits to escape the clutches of a witch – Engelbert Humperdinck turned the popular fairy tale Hansel and Gretel into an opera that continues to enchant audiences of all ages to this day. The blend of folk-song-like melodies and an orchestral sound inspired by Richard Wagner is unique. The colourful staged performance to mark the 25th anniversary of the Education Programme is conducted by Kirill Petrenko.

For over 100 years, Hansel and Gretel has been one of the most popular operas for the whole family. The work has been translated into over twenty languages and, even today, remains for many young people their first introduction to classical music and the world of opera. For its composer, Engelbert Humperdinck, Hansel and Gretel was his greatest success. The late Romantic composer wrote the piece based on a libretto by his sister, Adelheid Wette, which is inspired by the Brothers Grimm’s Children’s and Household Tales. What began as a project with a few children’s songs proved so popular within the family circle that Humperdinck eventually transformed the exciting story, complete with its happy ending, into a full-length opera – featuring skilfully placed German folk songs such as “Ein Männlein steht im Walde” and “Brüderchen, komm tanz mit mir”.

The result is an extraordinarily colourful musical setting of the well-known fairy tale about the brother and sister who fall under the spell of the wicked witch deep in the forest (and manage to rid themselves of her through a clever trick). None other than Richard Strauss gave an enthusiastic review: “What heart-warming humour, what delightfully naïve melodies, what artistry and subtlety in the orchestration, what perfection in the overall composition, what brilliant invention, what magnificent polyphony – and all of it original”. Little wonder that the success of Hansel and Gretel has been unbroken since its spectacular premiere on 23 December 1893. As Kirill Petrenko revealed at the press conference at the start of the season, the performance with the Berliner Philharmoniker marks the fulfilment of a very personal dream for the chief conductor.

Berliner Philharmoniker

Kirill Petrenko

Samantha Hankey

Elena Villalón

Alexandra Ionis

Wolfgang Koch

Gerhard Siegel

Serafina Starke

Shannon Keegan

Vocal Heroes

Matthew Davids

Andrew D. Edwards