About the opera
- Run time: 2hrs 05min, 1 intermission
- Sung in: German
- Subtitles: English, German
- Opera house: Vienna State Opera
Christmas in Vienna is not complete without this sumptuous musical retelling of the classic fairy tale, replete with guardian angels, a sandman, dew fairy, and, of course, a witch and her enticing gingerbread house.
Originally conceived as a small-scale vocal entertainment for children, Hansel and Gretel resonates with both adults and children, and has become one of the most successful fairy-tale operas ever created. The composer, Engelbert Humperdinck, was a protégé of Richard Wagner's, and the opera’s score is flavored with the sophisticated musical lessons he learned from his idol while maintaining a charm and a light touch that were entirely Humperdinck’s own. The opera acknowledges the darker features present in the Brothers Grimm version of the familiar folk tale, yet presents them within a frame of grace and humour.
Ticket information
- Select a date an book
- E-Ticket (Print@home)
Vienna State Opera
Opernring 2, 1010 Vienna View in Google Maps
How to get there:
Subway: U1, U2, U4 to Karlsplatz
Trams: 1, 2, D, 62, 71 to Opernring
Creators
German composer Engelbert Humperdinck (1854 –1921) is best known for his opera Hansel and Gretel (1893). His other compositions include six more operas, incidental music for the theatre, songs, choral pieces, a piano quintet, a string quartet and Moorish Rhapsody for orchestra.
The libretto, by the composer’s sister Adelheid Wette (1858–1916), was based on the folktale made familiar by the brothers Grimm.
