25 December 2018 (Tue), 18:00 Moscow theatre "New Opera" - Opera E. Humperdinck "Gingerbread house, or Hansel and Gretel" Opera for children and adults in two acts
Performed in ItalianThe performance will have synchronised Russian and supertitles
Premiere of this production: 8 October 2017
Engelbert Humperdinck
Music Director and Conductor Andrey Lebedev
Stage Director Ekaterina Odegova
Designers Etel Ioshpa, Anna Kostrikova
Choirmaster Yulia Senyukova
Lighting Designer Timofey Ermolin
Drama Advisor Mikhail Muginshtein
For children of any age
One of the best world operas for children is at the Novaya Opera now!
Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel was premiered in the Weimar court theatre in 1893 and was conducted by Richard Strauss. After less than a year it was conducted by Gustav Mahler in Hamburg. The libretto based on the Grimm brothers' fairy tale was written by Humperdinck's sister Adelheid Wette. In Moscow this amazing fairy opera is known as The Gingerbread House or Hänsel und Gretel.
Stage director Ekaterina Odegova calls her production an all-family show. Transcending the boundaries of the children’s theatre, the production team has filled the performance with bright costumes and sets, interactive and funny stage scenes (for children) and overtones and cultural allusions (for their parents).
Mikhail Muginstein:
“Let’s recall one of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s most popular quotes: “All grown-ups were once children… but only few of them remember it (The Little Prince). It is sad, because children are in many ways another universe, sincere and pure. The child’s soul addresses the best we have.
The opera Hänsel und Gretel excites by the recovery of memories and expectation of a miracle. To find oneself and each other one has to go through trials: to travel through a forest and to conquer evil. This is the only way for people to magically regenerate: Humperdinck’s opera is an example of late Romanticism with its idea of transformation. The central points are romantic bi-worldness, reality and fantasy with the anxiety and divination of the forest. Here is the final of the forest poetry by Weber, Mendelssohn, Schubert and Wagner, who had major influence on Humperdinck. Hänsel und Gretel charms with the orchestra’s intensive life with an extensive system of leitmotifs. This “mini-Wagner” piece is a poetic sketch of the German forest after Wagner’s Siegfried. The most successful musical interpretation of the Grimm brothers’ great fairy-tale Hänsel und Gretel crowns a whole musical subgenre in Germany in the 19th century, the fairylike opera (Märchenoper). Humperdinck skillfully combined the innovations of Wagner’s mythological drama with the rich life of German tradition. Like Hänsel and Gretel, the poetic unit of folklore and fantasy found its niche without losing its way in the forest of mythology with its tasty-looking but dangerous gingerbreads.
It is probably the best opera for children (it is produced all over the world!); the fairy-tale is certainly meant for both children and adults. It takes place on Christmas Eve, when the miracle comes to the world and brings harmony. It is achieved through the children’s deeds: they atone for an evil that infects the adults. Children are better than us. Together with them we can feel the special happiness of the world’s harmony and direct our eyes to God”.
Synopsis
FIRST ACT
First scene
Following a beautiful unknown girl, whom he accidentally had met in Madrid,
the Count Almaviva arrived in Seville under a name of Lindoro. His servant
Fiorello managed to find out the girl’s address. To entice Rosina from the house
the Count sings her a serenade at night, but all his efforts are in vain… The
Count pays off musicians.
The barber Figaro recently moved in Siviglia, enjoying wide popularity here.
By chance he is brought together with his former master – Almaviva. Fortunately
to the Barber the Count, as it turned out, is in love with Dr. Bartolo’s ward –
Rosina, and in this situation a person who can enter Doctor’s house may be
extremely useful!
Meanwhile Bartolo is away for a short while. A new serenade by “Lindoro”
turns out to be more successful than the first one. The Count demands from
Figaro to bring him in to Bartolo’s house. To this the Barber suggests him to
pretend to be a drunken soldier. After that he gives a long and confused
explanation about his address in Seville, but without success, as it seems.
Sums, promised by the Count for his service, makes Figaro to give himself up to
rosy dreams… Second scene
Rosina is ready to run away with a splendid “Lindoro”, but how to do that? To
write a letter! Figaro, as usual, comes to offer his services to Rosina, but she
has no time to say a word about the letter as he disappears, hearing Doctor’s
steps.
Bartolo suspects that Figaro has come on purpose. He has heard that his ward
is noticed by the Count Almaviva and intends without delay to make Rosina his
wife tonight. A patient, that has come to him, a military musician Don Basilio,
works up a strategy of the battle: first, to defame an enemy spitefully, second,
immediately to make a marriage contract between Rosina and Bartolo. Their
conversation is overheard by Figaro: the girl should hurry up, if she does not
like to marry her guardian! Rosina gives the letter to the Barber, but Dr
Bartolo is already here and sets a trap to her, trying to catch her. The Count
disguised as a drunken soldier bursts into the house and tries to hand a letter
to Rosina. A fight begins between the Count and Bartolo. A noise draws attention
of a military patrol. After hearing to confused explanations from all who are
present, the Officer takes a decision to arrest the “soldier”. After a short
talk with a perspective prisoner tкteatкte, he changes his decision.
Nobody understands anything.
SECOND ACT
First scene
The Count again penetrates Bartolo’s house under a new mask to find a way to
Rosina’s heart. Disguised as Don Alonso, a faithful pupil of supposedly ill Don
Basilio, he gives the girl a singing lesson. Rosina performs an aria from a
popular opera “La Fille mal gardйe”. Old Bartolo does not approve of modern
music.
Figaro comes to shave the Doctor so that the lovers could talk without
trouble. Suddenly Don Basilio comes… A sum of money helps to diagnose scarlatina
with him and to suggest an idea to him to return home and receive medical
treatment. Rosina is going to escape with Almaviva at midnight, but Bartolo
again suspects of something and casts reproaches upon her. The servant Berta,
who has got tired of strange quarrels and shouts, dreams about
love… Second scene
Dr. Bartolo and Don Basilio work up a plot: it’s necessary to convince
Rosina, that Lindoro has another lover and he is an agent sent to kidnap the
girl for the Count Almaviva. Rosina agrees to the immediate marriage to Bartolo.
At midnight sharp the Count appears, but Rosina meets her “Lindoro” not the way
that he has expected. To become reconciled with the girl Almaviva is forced to
reveal his real name. The time for escape is missed; Basilio, the Notary and
then Bartolo appear. Rosina’s kidnapping is cancelled. The Count has at once to
marry lawfully in presence of all witnesses.
E. Humperdinck "Gingerbread house, or Hansel and Gretel" Opera for children and adults in two acts - Novaya Opera
About This Video
01:29
One of the best world operas for children is at the Novaya Opera now!
Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel was premiered in the Weimar court theatre in 1893 and was conducted by Richard Strauss.
Feedback
If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
Our Help pages often contain the answers to your questions. If it don't answer your question, please fill in brief form below.