Humperdinck - Hansel und Gretel (1981) | Edita Gruberova, Brigitte Fassbaender

Humperdinck - Hansel und Gretel (1981) | Edita Gruberova, Brigitte Fassbaender | Music Education

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	Humperdinck - Hansel und Gretel (1981) Edita Gruberova, Brigitte Fassbaender Deutsche Grammophon, 2006 average customer review:based on 10 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Enchanting

Before watching this, put aside your critical eye and relax so you can be carried along with the magic. It is, as the other reviewers have said, beautifully done. But you watch this opera to be enchanted - let it happen. It starts with the overture - the camera takes you to the beautiful opera house, past the poster announcing the opera and sweeps you along with the children who are flooding into the hall. Then Georg Solti is seen closeup conducting the orchestra and then the scene shifts to the beginning of the opera. Throughout there are occasional cuts to the children's faces so you can see they are as transfixed as you - if you will just relax and let it happen as a child does. Scene changes are done magically without pause in the music. You will be moved emotionally when the fourteen angels appear as Hansel and Gretel sleep in the forest. The forest is just scary enough to send shivers through small bodies but not so frightening they will not want to watch. The witch is bad but not the kind of bad that makes for nightmares in children. Unless, of course, the watching child is sweet and plump enough to make good gingerbread. The language is a problem at first because it is so NOT like children would talk - ever. But - remember it's opera, remember it's translated from German, remember it's supposed to be a little high falutin' and remember - most important - remember you are watching this opera because you decided to be enchanted. Just let it carry you and you'll be happy. It'a beautifully staged, beautifully costumed, beautifully sung, beautifully played and utterly enchanting. "mousy, mousy, who's nibbling on my housy?" says the gingerbread making witch as Hansel tears off parts of the roof. It's for kids. All of us kids.

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Music Education

I used this CD to teach 1st -8th graders a German Opera. The kids loved the story and the Nibblewitch slowly transforms right before your eyes so the scare is minimal. The subtitles also rhyme so it is fun to read in English.

Musically perfect

This is a fantastic video. Great orchestra and a wonderful cast, all conducted with great energy. These performers understand and interpret the music exactly right--perfectly within a great tradition, but not jaded by it. There are more radical productions out there (which some might translate as "interesting," or "imaginative"), but there isn't a better one.

Highest recommendations!

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Hansel & Gretel

Pleasantly surprised with Humperkinck's music. The dvd is a movie, not a stage production, but a movie can make the fantasy more believable. Wonderful voices and acting. It was interesting to see children in the audience, along with their reactions to the movie/opera. Again, the music makes the entire production most enjoyable. I cetrainly look forward to viewing it again soon.

Nicely Done, but

I had seen this production on PBS years ago. Its a nicely staged production, but I had forgotten how annoying it was when the camera would move from the action on stage to pan the faces of children in the audience. Its like someone throwing a bucket of water on you while you're in the middle of a nice dream.

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reviews: page 1, 2

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