[DOWNLOAD] Hänsel und Gretel

Hänsel und Gretel is a Märchenoper (fairy-tale opera) composed by German composer, Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921) and premiered in 1893. While the original story is a famous Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Humperdinck's sister wrote the libretto and rendered the harsh narrative less cruel and more child-friendly. The opera was first performed on 23 December 1893, conducted by Richard Strauss. It has been associated with Christmas since its earliest performances and today it is still most often performed at Christmas time.

Humperdinck assisted in the production of Parsifal by Richard Wagner. The music of Hänsel und Gretel shows the influence of Wagner, such as heavy orchestration, harmony and light motifs. However, there is no such "difficulty" as with Wagner, and it is full of beautiful and familiar melodies to be enjoyed by children.

The Story:

In a deep forest in Germany, lived a poor broom-maker couple and two children, Hänsel and Gretel. The children went into the forest after being chased out of the house for bothering their mother. In their quest to pick and gather berries, the children become lost in the woods, known for being the home of an evil Witch who eats children. After meeting some magical characters, the children come across a delicious gingerbread house where a kind old woman lives. They are invited inside to enjoy a smorgasbord of sweets and treats, only to discover that their host is the evil Witch. She puts a spell on the children, making them eat until they are plump so that she can cook them to perfection. The children manage to overcome the Witch, and their parents find them, and all celebrate their freedom.

This band arrangement was commissioned by Shiki Junior High School (Saitama, Japan) in 2019.
The excerpts include:
- Overture
- Act III: So hopp hopp hopp, galopp lopp lopp
- Act II: A dwarf stood in the forest
- Act I: Prelude to Act II: the Wiches'Ride
- Act II: Pantomime
- Act III: Father! Mother!

(Makoto Onodera)