“Hänsel und Gretel” Defies Fairy-Tale Expectations

Engelbert Humperdinck’s 19th-century opera “Hänsel und Gretel” is hardly the simple stuff of fairy tales.

That may seem like a contradiction for audience members taking in their first performance of the beloved opera based on the familiar folk tale. Like the well-known story, the opera follows the trials of two siblings who get lost in the woods and ultimately run afoul of a witch. Humperdinck, the German composer of the opera (who just happens to share a name with the British pop singer who achieved fame in the 1970s) described it himself as a “Märchenoper,” quite literally a “fairy tale opera.”

But those attending the Eklund Opera Program’s performance of the opera may be surprised. According to Leigh Holman, stage director for the production and director of the Eklund Opera Program, the piece defies expectations.

“If someone has never seen it before, they might think it’s a children’s composition with sing-songy pieces,” Holman says. “Humperdinck’s musical idol was Richard Wagner, who’s known for big, sweeping orchestral arrangements and themes that recur. That’s all to give the idea of the sumptuousness of the piece, the variety of the piece, the depth of it.”

“It’s a lot more glorious than we might think,” Holman adds.

The opera’s scope, scale and ambition are part of what’s made it a perennial favorite among operagoers of all backgrounds for more than a century. With its demanding and evocative music shared by the lead mezzo soprano and high soprano (Hänsel and Gretel, respectively), and the witch’s score sung by a mezzo soprano or a tenor, the opera offers a blend of voices that truly summons character and conflict.

The vocals find a complement in the lush orchestration of the piece, as well as the dynamic staging—from a ballet featuring 14 dancers representing angels to a final, dramatic conflict with the witch, “Hänsel und Gretel” offers plenty in the way of stagecraft.

All of this is to say that the opera has long encapsulated the most grandiose elements of opera—the larger-than-life music, costumes, sets and action. This makes it ideal for audiences, and for relatively new performers taking their first steps in the world of opera.

“Our orchestra is made up of students. To be able to work on a piece like this that is so grand—it’s difficult, but our students are up for it, for sure,” Holman says, adding that the piece is a favorite of Music Director Nicholas Carthy. “The major roles are all done by grad students. It requires large voices and people who are adept at reading challenging music.”

For its impressive scope, the piece also holds an allure to modern audiences of all backgrounds and ages. At a running time of a little more than two hours with intermission, it’s an ideal length for children, teens and first-time operagoers. The libretto, penned by Humperdinck’s sister, is entirely in German, but the production in Macky Auditorium will include supertitles in English for an accessible story.

That combination of accessibility and sheer scope is part of what has made “Hänsel und Gretel” a favorite for more than a century for both audiences and artists alike; it’s also what’s bound to defy the expectations of those who only know a simple, straightforward version of the old story.

Eklund Opera performs Hänsel und Gretel at Macky Auditorium Oct. 25 and 27, 2024.