Normally, one warns one’s children vehemently against addiction of any kind. However, the sweetly intoxicating poison of opera is a different matter altogether. This can not be administered early enough, especially in these days of constant “bombardment” of music. And the perfect “gateway” drug for music theatre is, to be precise: Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel. In fact, this fairy-tale opera is an excellent choice for the first joint operatic experience of parents with children – precisely because it deals with a well-known plot that does not demand any extensive explanation.
A plot that basically reflects the age-old conflict between good and evil, and (naturally) concludes with a happy ending, as is customary in a fairy tale: for music that is simultaneously poetically childlike and powerfully dramatic is absolutely enchanting. Engelbert Humperdinck’s first stagework was destined to become his most successful – and at the same time, to remain a one-hit wonder.