Search - Raimund Herincx, Engelbert [Classical] Humperdinck, Richard [Classical] Wagner :: Humperdinck: Hansel and Gretel

An Operatic Treasure

Walter P. Sheppard | Arlington, VA United States | 01/06/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are some splendid recordings of this opera in the original German, especially the one conducted by Kurt Eichhorn, but this one is treasurable in its own right. Conductor Mario Bernardi shares with Eichhorn the true measure of how the score should go. They both lead this delightful work better than any of the more famous maestros who lead it in other recordings. Originating in a 1963 production by the Sadler's Wells Opera, it is sung in English. This is a strong plus for me, since I learned from Boris Goldovsky to approach opera as drama, not as a concert, and audience appreciation of opera as drama starts with understanding the text as its sung, not from following a printed translation. The Constance Bache translation used here is sometimes criticized as old fashioned, but I think it's far more agreeable than one using contemporary colloquialisms or slang would be. It can even be heard as "distancing" the proceedings slightly, which is appropriate for a fairytale. (It's worth noting that, in his oft-quoted description of opera as "exotic and irrational," Dr. Johnson was not referring to opera as a whole, but to opera sung in Italian to English-speaking audiences in London; those who quote him seldom make that clear.)

The Sadler's Wells cast is very fine. As Hansel and Gretel, Patricia Kern and Margaret Neville are lively and involved in the drama, and they don't make the mistake of adopting any of the vocal mannerisms sometimes used by others in these roles to try to sound like children. (It never works because the music wasn't composed for children to sing.) Rita Hunter and Raimund Herincx as the young parents show the solid qualities of singing and interpretation that earned them international admiration later in their careers.

The Witch offers the widest range of possibilities for interpretation. She can begin harmlessly and turn terrifying abruptly. She can begin by insinuating herself slyly with the children and slowly turn menacing. She can start out as a doddering grandma and slip into nastiness once the children are where she wants them. There is even a tradition in Europe to cast a tenor singing falsetto, which can work on stage; Nathaniel Merrill followed the tradition successfully in his production at the Metropolitan years ago.

In this recording Ann Howard takes a straightforward approach. She manages the change from elderly innocence into a monster nicely with vocal coloration and attention to the words. She delivers some effective cackles and threatening whispers, but young listeners probably wouldn't find her very frightening. (The only truly scary Witch I've heard is Marjana Lipovsek in the recording led by Jeffrey Tate.)

This recording got a national endorsement of sorts years ago when live Met broadcasts could not start on schedule because of a strike. The sponsor went ahead with the broadcast series using commercial recordings, including the original LP release of this one.

Wagner's "Siegfried Idyll" conducted by Sir Colin Davis fills out the second disc. The choice is not as odd as it might at first seem. Humperdinck was strongly influenced by Wagner (he worked at Bayreuth), and Wagner's piece was written as a serenade to his wife on the birth of their son, Siegfried. The performance is nothing special, but it's a nice added sweetmeat."

Finally! The Classic Sadler's Wells Opera Remastered

Phillip B. Tursky | Lucerne, Ca. United States | 11/20/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This recording is THE DEFINITIVE version of Engelbert Humperdinck's Opera Hansel and Gretel. Sung in English Recorded by EMI in 1964, and released in the US as a Capitol Records Classical Recording. I owned Two copies one in Mono and One In Stereo, and with fondness I recall how as a youngster I was drawn into the world of Grand Opera through this recording. This performance not only musically but theatrically captures the dynamics of the music/subject matter.
The performers don't merely sing their performance but act with such depth that you close your eyes and are swept away to that place that good theatre, and opera takes us to. I get the sense when listening that these artists loved what they did. The libretto is a translation that is very BRITISH, and you don't hear in more modern versions. I find Constance Bach's adaptation charming, and when listening to any other version be it in Enlgish, or in German I hear the Constance Bach libretto.
EMI's reissue was inevitable, but only through contiually checking periodically over the 20 years since digital recording and remastering came to consumers, did I find out that these were available... and all sources except for amazon marketplace couldn't guarantee a copy. The job that was done remastering is very impressive. I have over the years used my cassette copy, and with de-hiss processors made a recording that was listenable...(my lp's were destroyed in a flood), but nothing could prepare me for the richness especially in the bass and it also reduced the harshness of the upper winds. Some analog anomolies still exist on this recording, but to say the least I am quite pleased. This is a must listen to to anyone into opera."

Good Enlish language performance

Gary Paul Johnson | Los Angeles, CA United States | 04/30/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Like the Magic Flute, Hansel and Gretel seems to translate well into English (unlike many operas which tend to come out sounding a little like Gilbert and Sullivan). This is an exceptionally fine translation that most of my 12 year old students had no probably following. Though I must admit that I had also transcribed the text for them (only a synopsis is included with this CD). This was in anticipation of taking them to an actual performance (in German) and for all of them it was their first live opera performance. When polled most of my "kids" felt that opera was good and wanted to learn more. Of course I don't expect them to be giving away their Hanna Montana CD's any time in the near future, it does show them the variety of musical experiances to be enjoyed.



As for the performance itself, Colin Davis conducts a strong Wagnerian performance, with the highlight being the witches ride. And while the leads may not sound appropriately childlike, they have a clear enunciation, as well as a sense of performance. Ann Howard is a crackling good witch, and the wonderful Rita Hunter portrays the mothers realizations touchingly. As a recording it will never displace the Karajan/ Schwarzkopf collaboration, it is a fine alterative for those wishing an english translation."