Hansel and Gretel - Fairy-Tale Opera by Engelbert Humperdinck

A fairy-tale opera in three acts by Engelbert Humperdinck, libretto by Adelheid Wette. Duration: 130 minutes including intermission. In German with supertitles in German and English.

Direction and dramaturgy by Bernhard Leismüller and Ralf Hechelmann; puppet construction, puppet heads (Sebastian Demmel), costumes and set design all from the company's own workshop. The production appeals equally to children and adults.

The world premiere took place on 23 December 1893 in Weimar under Richard Strauss's direction. Following early performances in Karlsruhe and Munich, the work spread rapidly: Berlin's Lindenoper alone staged it 425 times through 1964. Translated into 17 languages, "Hansel and Gretel" reached Africa, North and South America, Australia and Japan (1961 in Tokyo). Boy choirs including the Vienna Boys' Choir and the Regensburger Domspatzen added it to their repertoire.