Hänsel and Gretel: A Fairy Opera in Three Acts

"Hänsel and Gretel: A Fairy Opera in Three Acts" by Adelheid Wette and with music by Engelbert Humperdinck is a late 19th-century opera that brings a classic fairy tale to life through music and story. It follows the journey of Hänsel and Gretel, two children who, driven by hunger and sent into the woods by their parents, encounter a blend of magic and danger. The tale introduces us to the children's poor home life and their parents' struggles, leading to the pivotal moment where they are dispatched to gather strawberries, an assignment that soon becomes a perilous adventure. As the children venture deeper, the opera hints at darker forces with their father talking about a dread Ilsenstein. The opera explores themes of childhood innocence clashing with the spooky elements and anticipation of challenges lurking in the enchanted forest.