Humperdinck: HÄNSEL & GRETEL - Act 2 (4/4)

[mountblanck]

Probably it is part of all modern interpretations to ignore the orignial. In fact this interpretation looks quite funny on the first view but at a closer look the weaknesses are obvious: "little Sandman (Der kleine Sandmann)" cannot be transformed into the witch. It definitely breaks any part of the romantic idea behind. Maybe it is part of modern times that romantism is not wanted anymore and needs to be destroyed. It can be a lack of the interpreters of just having no idea about this feeling

[mountblanck]

@mountblanck Designing instead of the romantic night in the forest a dream to eat is fancy idea, but has nothing really to do with the original. Probably it comes from the "dreams" of overweight interpreters who think that this is a good dream.

About the music: A brilliant performance even from the singers, however especially in the romantic night music the tempi are too fast and the melodies are not guided at all and continute too quickly.

[mountblanck]

@mountblanck And finally one has to say, that it is a romantic opera for children. The final sciene implies quite canibalistic ideas which is to be expected from modern interpreters who think, without provocation they gain no attraction. However in the reality many theaters have lost a lot of their customers by it. Finally one should not forget that it is an opera for children!

[Natturs]

Beautiful.

[al1936ful]

When I see the Dream Pantomime from this opera, I want to see angels wearing beautiful costumes out of a storybook, not a bunch of chefs that look like Tweedledee and Tweedledum or worse yet, the Duchess with the baby that turns into a pig!

[Poet2916]

Where's Act I?

[Strollingplayer]

I loved this magical, moving, and beautifully designed, sung and acted production of Hansel and Gretel from the Met's 2007/8 Christmas season. I feel sorry for the opera nazis who are so blindly unaccepting of an wonderfully imaginative new production like this. It is charming, fresh, funny and a little bit frightening. The Met broadcasts this production to movie theaters around the Christmas holday. I highly recommend you check your local theaters and see it next Christmas!

[tomtolibi]

This scene made me cry. Although the angel pantomiming was elegant and magical, there is something so uniquely touching of this rendition. Two starving and lost children dreaming of finally having a chance to eat... think of all the children who die of starvation every year. This scene although absurd (a walking fish!) brings to life the reality of starvation. The angel is no longer some supernatural flying thing with wings, but one who feeds the starving child. We need more angels like these.

[DogwoodRicky049]

I guess angels might be too scary for young children, so instead let's have a dozen Jabba the Hutts masquerading as James Beard.

[thamestango]

I love it.. why can't we have different interpretations ? The fairy stories are full of scarey moments, and the monkeys in 'The Wizard of Oz' had me bawling as a child. If they're dreaming and they've been so hungry then it would be normal to dream about food!

[AndrewRudin]

The old production truly looked like a charming old German Story Book, and the pantomime scene with the angels moved me to tears. I hate the way this pseudo-sophisticated hip staging contradicts the sincere sweetness of the music.

[PrevitaliA]

They should oblige stage directors to take music lessons to limit damages done to greate operas! On the other hand, since this snobbish staging isn't meant for children, why sing it in English?

[ElvMorgan]

Hm. Einerseits eine wirklich komische Idee und auf ihre Art an sich gut, aber irgendwie finde ich diese Inszenierung grausam.

[TheContessa52]

WHERE ARE THE GUARDIAN ANGELS??? I SAW THIS IDIOTIC GARBAGE - THIS IS THE MET'S ANNUAL HOLIDAY TREAT FOR CHILDREN? REALLY? IT SEEMED MORE LIKE A PRODUCTION OF SWEENEY TODD AS PORTRAYED BY MICK JAGGAR. GARBAGE!

[al1936ful]

@TheContessa52 The 1982 Met production was beautiful. This one stinks!

[XmangooseE]

"Und ist es erst verhunzt,

dann ist es Kunst".

[MusicCapDude]

my dad's taking me to new york for 3 days to watch THIS BORING PIECE OF CRAP!!?? i could actually by having FUN!! >:|

[BesonXL]

Pure magic! Absolutely magic!

[SelinaCatwoman89]

I'm not sure, whether this stage setting is fitting for a children's opera.

It is really scaring for a little child....

[PrincipessaDellOpera]

@SelinaCatwoman89 I thought so too when I first saw it. But as an opera singer myself, I can appreciate the symbolism and abstractness of it. But I agree; I wouldn't let a child see this version of "Hansel und Gretel".

[nicosiv]

I so love Humperdinck. This wondrous music is perhaps my favorite ever composed, right up there with Mozart's requiem. I think Humperdinck must have been a man of great depth-of-soul to have composed it.

[doncsaul]

wow. tears and goosebumps. Words just couldn't describe my reaction.

[Sarajawea]

....soviel zu den Engeln, die um sie herum stehen :D

[NoodlesSF]

This is a brilliant production. I *love* Phillip Langridge (RIP) as the witch.

[Shekhina01]

I love this! It's very unusual, but it totally works! It's dark and nightmarish, but so is the story itself. I love it!

[CincyDude5]

While today's children dream about Nintendo and skateboards, these children, going to sleep hungry, are dreaming about, of all things, food. How terribly poignant. This is one of the most moving productions of any scene in opera I've seen. It makes me cry. So very sad. Brilliant.

[saunuolius]

Hello, how and where I could buy this performance in BlueRay? What is exactly its name and the year of issue? thaks

[NoodlesSF]

@saunuolius It's The Metropolitan Opera 2008 production. They have it for sale metoperashopdotorg :-)

[Sk1nnyV1nny22]

So beautiful. That final release of tension at 4:54 always makes me hold my breath...

[kurbiscremesuppe]

How amazingly thought about this, the hungry children, dreaming of a wonderful meal. Great slow movements with fantastic costumes, it perfectly suits this music. A truly wonderful fantasy world!

[LauraVirella]

@crumb185 & @scneecindy Why? The production was wonderful. Beautiful. My friends in the choir loved being in it. The people in the weird costumes are supers, not singers, and there was nothing out of the ordinary about the principals' costumes and staging...

[BreakDancer1973]

Über Geschmack lässt sich bekanntlich streiten - ich bevorzuge auch das klassische Bühnenbild. Engelbert Humperdinck hätte diese Aufführung höchstwahrscheinlich entsetzt abbrechen lassen...

Eins muss man aber sagen: die orchestrale und gesangsmäßige Umsetzung in dieser Auffuhrung waren Weltklasse. Outstanding performance.

[NiemandNY]

This was one of the most beautiful productions I've seen at the Met in years.

[Nightfighter74]

Die vierzehn Engel als Kohl-Karikaturen - so ein Schwachsinn.

[ApsisApocynthion]

This is amazing.

[jpon]

eine ganz ganz ganz furchtbare inszenierung!

[packatac10]

hysterically awesome.

[KnusperhexeRosmer]

...außerdem ist es geklaut aus dem Film "The little princess" mit Shirley Temple. Und genauso wirkt es: Wie eine Revue.

[crumb185]

poor singers that have to sing in this ... thing! poor humperdinck! OMG! terrible! john and richard should be fired!

[schneecindy]

@crumb185 You are absolutely right.