One of my first operas alongside La Boheme and La Traviata, I can't help but have a lot of fondness for Hansel Und Gretel. The story and characters are wonderful, as is the folksy and sometimes Wagnerian-sounding music. If introducing opera to younger audiences, Hansel Und Gretel is a good introduction I think, Die Zauberflote(The Magic Flute, if done in a way to accommodate them) is another as well. The story is one that I imagine most of us know, and there are at least two tunes that you will remember(Evening Prayer, the tap-tap-tap-clap-clap-clap duet).
When it comes to productions, I do consider the 1981 Vienna, with Brigitte Fassbaender and Edita Gruberova, and 1982 Met, with Federica Von Stade and Judith Blegen, productions even better than this one from the Royal Opera House. All three are leagues above the 2007 Met production directed by Richard Jones with Alice Coote and Christine Schaefer. Diverting attention back to this production, this I found to thoroughly enjoyable.
From a visual standpoint, I did like how it was part-basic traditional and part-modern twist. The traditional elements, especially the wondrously-rendered woodland setting and the animal angels, are enough to enchant, while the more modern ones are imaginative without being perplexedly weird like the 2007 production. Some may find the stage a bit sparse at times, but I for one found it colourful and in some scenes like in the Forrester's cottage it was appropriate to the story. The forest has a utilitarian feel which is very effective. The staging is very like the production values, imaginative without ever cheapening the story. The opening scene is charming and beautifully evoked and the final one clever and almost frightening. People will question the idea of the Witch using a Zimmer frame, but while I wasn't sure whether it was entirely needed considering the type of opera and story we are seeing it worked well within the production anyhow.
Musically, as you'd expect from most if almost all opera productions, the production is outstanding. The orchestral playing is lush and stylish, with Evening Prayer accompanied with a sensitive lilt and the music of the Witch making its mark also on the other side of the spectrum without being overly-obvious. The chorus blend beautifully and are wonderfully joyous in the rousing final chorus, as they should be. The authoritative and highly musical conducting from Colin Davies helps to keep everything together and does so splendidly.
Angelika Kirchschlager and Diana Damrau are wonderfully matched. There are no issues with their blending together, though generally they have done different repertoires to one another, and they are instantly appealing. Their tap-tap-tap-clap-clap-clap duet is full of charm and the Evening Prayer is very touching. I've read a couple of comments saying that the video directing betrays the fact that close up they don't look believable as children(I must say that Kirchsclager does convince as a boy). Maybe so, but you forget when their performances are so good, and besides I personally cannot see children singing these roles, the music is actually harder than it sounds. Thomas Allen lends his sonorous voice and characterful yet sympathetic acting to his role as Peter, the father figure. His description of the witch is incredibly vivid.
Elizabeth Connell is firm and believable as the tired and overworked mother Gertrude, and sings with firmly produced and fruity vocal production. Anja Silja's vibrato is rather too wide at the top and she is vocally past her best here, but she evidently is enjoying her role as the Witch and plays her with evil relish and wicked sense of comedy. The Sandman and the Dew Fairy are beautifully sung and characterised, especially the sandman further advantaged by a mini-masterpiece of a costume. The picture quality is crisp and the sound is always clear and captures the orchestra and singers equally. In conclusion, I enjoyed it enormously even if I don't quite consider it the best production of Hansel Und Gretel around. 9/10 Bethany Cox
When it comes to productions, I do consider the 1981 Vienna, with Brigitte Fassbaender and Edita Gruberova, and 1982 Met, with Federica Von Stade and Judith Blegen, productions even better than this one from the Royal Opera House. All three are leagues above the 2007 Met production directed by Richard Jones with Alice Coote and Christine Schaefer. Diverting attention back to this production, this I found to thoroughly enjoyable.
From a visual standpoint, I did like how it was part-basic traditional and part-modern twist. The traditional elements, especially the wondrously-rendered woodland setting and the animal angels, are enough to enchant, while the more modern ones are imaginative without being perplexedly weird like the 2007 production. Some may find the stage a bit sparse at times, but I for one found it colourful and in some scenes like in the Forrester's cottage it was appropriate to the story. The forest has a utilitarian feel which is very effective. The staging is very like the production values, imaginative without ever cheapening the story. The opening scene is charming and beautifully evoked and the final one clever and almost frightening. People will question the idea of the Witch using a Zimmer frame, but while I wasn't sure whether it was entirely needed considering the type of opera and story we are seeing it worked well within the production anyhow.
Musically, as you'd expect from most if almost all opera productions, the production is outstanding. The orchestral playing is lush and stylish, with Evening Prayer accompanied with a sensitive lilt and the music of the Witch making its mark also on the other side of the spectrum without being overly-obvious. The chorus blend beautifully and are wonderfully joyous in the rousing final chorus, as they should be. The authoritative and highly musical conducting from Colin Davies helps to keep everything together and does so splendidly.
Angelika Kirchschlager and Diana Damrau are wonderfully matched. There are no issues with their blending together, though generally they have done different repertoires to one another, and they are instantly appealing. Their tap-tap-tap-clap-clap-clap duet is full of charm and the Evening Prayer is very touching. I've read a couple of comments saying that the video directing betrays the fact that close up they don't look believable as children(I must say that Kirchsclager does convince as a boy). Maybe so, but you forget when their performances are so good, and besides I personally cannot see children singing these roles, the music is actually harder than it sounds. Thomas Allen lends his sonorous voice and characterful yet sympathetic acting to his role as Peter, the father figure. His description of the witch is incredibly vivid.
Elizabeth Connell is firm and believable as the tired and overworked mother Gertrude, and sings with firmly produced and fruity vocal production. Anja Silja's vibrato is rather too wide at the top and she is vocally past her best here, but she evidently is enjoying her role as the Witch and plays her with evil relish and wicked sense of comedy. The Sandman and the Dew Fairy are beautifully sung and characterised, especially the sandman further advantaged by a mini-masterpiece of a costume. The picture quality is crisp and the sound is always clear and captures the orchestra and singers equally. In conclusion, I enjoyed it enormously even if I don't quite consider it the best production of Hansel Und Gretel around. 9/10 Bethany Cox
