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Humperdinck: Hänsel und Gretel

Antigone Papoulkas, Anna Gabler, Hans-Joachim Ketelsen, Irmgard Vilsmaier, Iris Vermillon | Directed for stage by Katharina Thalbach | Stage Design &amp | Costumes by Ezio Toffolutti
Frauen- und Kinderchor der Sächsischen Staatsoper Dresden; Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden
Michael Hofstetter

First staged at the Weimar Court Theatre under the baton of Richard Strauss in 1893, who hailed it as “a masterpiece of the highest quality”, Humperdinck's debut opera Hänsel und Gretel has remained a solid favourite since its 1893 première. Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921) transformed Grimm’s beloved fairy tale “Hänsel und Gretel” into opera entertainment for everyone from young children to the serious music lover; this DVD is a tumultuous and joyful production for both children and adults. Director Katharina Thalbach cheerfully evokes a magic world of woodland sprites and candy dreams and creates an enchanting fantasy world filled with high spirits, fairytale fantasy and genial comedy. Recorded live at the world-famous Dresden Semperoper in December 2006, the production is also musically of the highest rank, with international soloists in the main roles, accompanied by the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden under Michael Hofstetter. The state-of-the-art recording features a booklet with an informative essay on the composition and the production as well as a synopsis of the opera plot.

Repertoire

Engelbert Humperdinck: Hänsel und Gretel

Facts DVD

Item number
2055888
UPC number
880242558886
Region code
0
Picture format
NTSC 16:9
Sound format
PCM Stereo
Dolby Digital 5.1
dts 5.1
Release
Total running time
108 mins
Subtitles
English, French, German, Spanish
Booklet notes
English, French, German
No. of discs
1
Recording
2006