Hansel and Gretel Tacoma Opera presents - Study Materials - Teacher's Edition June, 2021

Tacoma Opera
              presents

Hansel and Gretel

  Study Materials - Teacher’s Edition
              June, 2021

Contents
From folktale to opera - The origins of Hansel and Gretel
    Folktales
    Grimm’s Fairy Tales
    Hansel and Gretel, the opera

About the creators
    The Brothers Grimm
    Adelheid Wette
    Engelbert Humperdinck

Synopsis of the Opera

Additional Resources

Discussion Questions

From Folk Tale to Opera
                The origins of Hansel and Gretel
Folktales
Folktales are stories that are passed from person to person. Because they are generally not written
down, the same story might exist in many different versions. These stories were especially popular
before most people were educated in how to read and write. But we still have different kinds of
folktales today, such as “urban legends.”

In time, many folktales were written down. Some of the earliest collections were made in France and
gave these stories the familiar name of fairy tales, because of the frequent presence of magical
beings in the stories. These stories were not originally told or written down for children. They
contained violence and descriptions of horrible people and their actions. But many of the authors
changed some of the traditional elements to make them more suitable for children.

Folktales were often built around individual story elements or events that could be pieced together to
make a new story. The original story of Hansel and Gretel probably started in the Medieval Ages
during a great famine, and various traditional elements were used to create the story. For example, in
the familiar Grimm version, Hansel and Gretel were able to find their way home by leaving a trail of
stones. When they meet the Witch, who wants to eat them, they trick her into falling into her own
oven. Finally, they are able to find their way home again with the help of a magic bird.

Many stories have some of these same elements. Stories of heroes leaving a trail so that they can
find their way out of a maze or a forest go back to ancient times. There are also stories that have an
evil witch or ogre who wishes to cook and eat the hero, only to be fooled into falling in the oven
themselves. And magic animals, who help the hero, are found in many fairy tales.

Grimm’s Fairy Tales
Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm were two brothers who had a great interest in German literature. They
began to collect German folk tales, which they eventually published in a book called, in German,
Children’s and Household Tales (1812). We know these stories as Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Although
called children’s tales, the stories were criticized for not being suitable for children. And so the
Grimms changed some of the elements in later editions. The brothers continued to add stories to their
collection and revise what they had written. The story of Hansel and Gretel was originally called
Little Brother and Little Sister. The children were only given names in later editions. The Grimms
may have first heard the story from a family friend, but it is clear that they pieced the story together
from various versions.

Hansel and Gretel, the opera
Perhaps because it combined so many traditional story elements, the story of Hansel and Gretel was
particularly popular and was adapted by many other storytellers. A woman named Adelheid Wette wrote
a play based on the story, which she intended for her children to perform for family and friends. She
asked her brother, the composer Engelbert Humperdinck to compose four or five songs to go into the
play. The play was so successful, that Wette and Humperdinck decided to add even more songs. This
created a type of opera called a Singspiel, or sing play. The Singspiel contained 16 songs, including, in
accordance with the folk origin of the story, four actual folk songs. Eventually, the Singspiel was turned
into a full-blown opera. This became the Hansel and Gretel (1893) opera that we know today.

Humperdinck was a protégé of the composer Richard Wagner. When composing his own massive
operas, Wagner used a system of what is called leitmotifs, literally “leading motifs”. A leitmotif is short
musical phrase used to represent a person, object, or idea. A leitmotif may appear when the person,
object, or idea is referenced in some way, frequently recombined with other leitmotifs or transformed in
various ways to create the musical tapestry. For example, in Act I of Hansel and Gretel, the Father tells
the Mother about a witch that lives in the woods. When we finally see the witch in Act III, the witch
motif first heard in Act I reappears. This kind of musical referencing is still used today, especially in film
scores. Film composers often create short themes for important characters and use those themes in
various ways throughout the film soundtrack.

Hansel and Gretel, the full opera, was first performed on December 23, 1893. It has often been
associated with Christmas ever since.

                                  About the creators
The Brothers Grimm
Jacob (1785-1863) and Wilhelm Grimm
(1786-1859) were two German brothers who
became some of the earliest and most important
collectors of folktales. Their father was a lawyer,
and in their youth, the family lived a pleasant
middle-class life. However, after the death of their
father, the family fell into poverty.

Eventually, the brothers were able to attend
university, where they initially studied law, to
follow in their father’s profession. However, they
soon turned their attention to German language and
literature. They became especially interested in the
collection of German folktales. They published
their first collection of stories in 1812, with a
second volume following in 1815. In German, these             Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm, 1847

were known as Children’s and Household Tales, though we know them as Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Over the
years, the collection went through numerous editions, with stories being added (and occasionally
removed). The original stories were also criticized for elements that were definitely not for children,
elements that were considerably softened in later editions. Among the stories collected are such familiar
favorites as Cinderella, The Frog Prince, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, Rumpelstiltskin, Snow
White, Sleeping Beauty, and, of course, Hansel and Gretel.

Although they were not the first collectors of German folktales, the Brothers Grimm were first to make a
systematic collection. They tried to collect the stories as they heard them, using the words and even the
dialects of the storytellers, though some scholars believe that they may have altered some stories to
make them seem more German than they were. Certainly, many stories have parallels in other cultures
and even appear in collections of stories in other languages. Part of the Grimms’ motivation for making
their collection was to help unite German-speaking people. At the time, what we call Germany was
composed of some 200 separate regions, many ruled by France.

But as well-known as their study of German folktales was, the Brothers Grimm were also very important
in the study of German language. At the time of their deaths, they were working on a German dictionary,
which also traced the historical usage of German words. Jacob Grimm is also credited for the discovery
of “Grimm’s Law”, which describes how the sounds of language change over time.

Adelheid Wette (1858-1916)
                                     Adelheid Wette was a German author and composer, best known
                                     for writing the libretto for the opera, Hansel and Gretel, composed
                                     by her brother, Engelbert Humperdinck. Wette enjoyed writing
                                     plays for her children to perform in the family puppet theater. One
                                     of her plays was based on the Grimm fairy tale, Snow White, and
                                     included songs composed by her brother. A couple years later, she
                                     wrote another play based on Hansel and Gretel. Again, she asked
                                     her brother to compose four or five songs to include. Being a
                                     composer herself, she was able to suggest exactly the kind of
                                     music she wanted. The play was a great success, and so the play
                                     was expanded to 16 songs with spoken dialog. Eventually, Wette
                                     and Humperdinck transformed the play into a full opera.

Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921)
Engelbert Humperdinck was a German composer best known for his
opera, Hansel and Gretel (1893). Although his parents wished him
to study architecture, Humperdinck took music classes at a local
conservatory. Soon, he began to win scholarships and awards. He
became acquainted with Richard Wagner, the most well-known and
influential composer of the day, and Wagner invited him to be his
assistant in Beyreuth, where he had built a theater dedicated to the
performance of his own works. Humperdinck picked up much of his
style from study of Wagner’s operas, including the use of a large
orchestra and employing leitmotivs. A leitmotiv is a short musical
phrase that refers to a particular person, thing, or idea. Whenever the
person, thing, or idea appears in the opera, the leitmotiv may appear
in the orchestra, often transformed in various ways or combined with
other leitmotivs to create a new musical texture.

Humperdinck composed a number of fairy tale operas, though Hansel and Gretel remained his most
successful.

                      Hansel and Gretel – Synopsis
Act I – Hansel and Gretel’s home
Scene 1
Gretel sings to herself while doing chores, but Hansel complains about how hungry he is. He wishes that
Mother would come home. Gretel tells him not to complain, and reminds him that Heaven will send
them help when they need it most. Hansel is not convinced, so Gretel tells him a secret to cheer him up.
The neighbor has given them a jug of milk, and when Mother comes home, she will make them custard
for supper. Hansel excitedly tastes the cream on the milk. Gretel chides him and orders him back to
work. But Hansel does not want to work. He would rather dance. Gretel agrees, and so they have a
rousing dance.

Scene 2
Their fun is interrupted when Mother returns. She is very angry that the chores have not been finished.
In the excitement, the jug of milk is knocked to the floor. Now they have nothing to eat, and so Mother
sends the children into the forest to gather strawberries for supper. Left alone, Mother laments that she
cannot feed her children, and prays for help.

Scene 3
In the distance, Father is heard singing. He bursts into the house, full of high spirits. He has returned
with bacon, sausages, eggs, and other good things to eat. The nearby village is preparing for a festival,
and he has sold all his wares at a very high price. But then he notices that the children are missing.

Mother tells him about the broken jug and sending the children into the forest to pick strawberries.
Horrified, Father tells her that the forest is home to the Gingerbread Witch, who lures children in with
cakes and sweets, then bakes the children into gingerbread to eat. Father and Mother rush out to search
for their children.

Act II – The forest

Scene 1
Gretel makes a crown of flowers while Hansel fills his basket with strawberries. Overcome with hunger,
they begin to eat the strawberries, though they know that Mother will be upset. But by now, it is getting
dark in the forest, and Hansel and Gretel realize that they are lost. They because frightened when they
see a little man coming out of the forest.

Scene 2
The little man tells them not to be afraid. He is not there to hurt them. He is the Sandman, and has only
come to put them to sleep. He sprinkles sand in their eyes, and they suddenly become very drowsy. But
they do not forget to say their evening prayers before falling asleep on the forest floor.

Scene 3
As they sleep, 14 angels come down and surround the children to protect them.

Act III – The Witch’s house
Scene 1
In the morning, the Dew Fairy comes to wake the children by sprinkling them with dew. She sings about
how beautiful the forest is in the morning. Hansel and Gretel tell each other about the strange dream of
the 14 angels that both of them had.

                            Scene 2
                            Just then, the children notice a wonderful house made of gingerbread and
                            decorated with cookies, cakes, and other sweets. Unable to resist, the
                            children begin to sample bits of the house.

                            Scene 3
                            As they nibble, they hear a faint voice. At first they think it is just the wind,
                            but soon they see that it is an old woman who has come out of the house. She
                            catches Hansel with a rope and tells Hansel and Gretel that she likes nothing
                            better than to feed sweets to little children. The children do not trust her, and
                            so they try to escape, but the old woman waves a wand and freezes them in
                            their tracks. With the wand, the Witch (for she is the Gingerbread Witch)
                            forces Hansel into a cage. She orders Gretel to help with the chores in the
                            house. While Hansel pretends to sleep in his cage, the Witch describes how
she intends to cook and eat them. The Witch wakes Hansel and asks him to show her his finger. But
Hansel sticks a bone through the bars. The Witch, who has very poor eyesight, thinks that Hansel is still
too skinny to eat. So she orders Gretel to bring
her more goodies to fatten Hansel up. While the
Witch feeds Hansel, Gretel steals her wand and
frees Hansel from the spell keeping him trapped.
The Witch orders Gretel to look into the oven to
see if the gingerbread is done. Gretel pretends to
be unable to understand, and asks the Witch to
show her how to check the oven. When the Witch
leans down to peer into the oven, Hansel breaks
from his cage, and with Gretel, they push the
Witch into the oven and slam the door. As they
dance in triumph, the oven starts to smoke and
explodes.

Scene 4
With the Witch dead, the children who had been baked into gingerbread begin to turn back into real
children. They are still unable to move, but with the Witch’s wand, Hansel frees them from their spell.

Scene 5
Just then, Hansel and Gretel hear Father in the distance. Father and Mother have found them at last. The
gingerbread children pull the Witch from the ruins of the oven. She has become a gingerbread herself.
Father says that this is Heaven’s punishment for evil deeds.

Additional Resources
From Tacoma Opera (available on our website - tacomaopera.com):
   • Hansel and Gretel: “Come and Dance with Me.” A video presentation of Act I, scene 1 of Hansel
      and Gretel, featuring puppeteers, Matthew Posner and Gina Wilhelm.
   • “Come and Dance with Me” scene translation.
   • “Pa-pa-pa-puppets” A brief scene from Mozart’s Magic Flute, also acted out by puppeteers,
      Matthew Posner and Gina Wilhelm.
   • For the more complete story of Papageno, featured in “Pa-pa-pa-puppets,” check out our video of
      “Papageno’s Story.”

Other sources:
   • Many other opera companies have their own educational outreach materials centered on Hansel
       and Gretel. A search for “Hansel and Gretel opera study guide” will bring up a number of links
       that may give you additional ideas for activities and study. Here is a link to Atlanta Opera’s
       materials: https://www.atlantaopera.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/
       StudyGuide_HanselGretel_FINAL.pdf
   • The story of Hansel and Gretel has been told many times and in many ways. Here is a link to a
       site that lists 15 different illustrated versions: https://teachingwithchildrensbooks.com/versions-
       of-hansel-and-gretel/

Class Discussion & Activities
Instructor: The items below are suggestions for class discussions and individual
assignments. Feel free to use them as appropriate for your particular class level and
needs.

Discussion Ideas
  •    How might this opera seem relevant to your own life?
  •    What is Gretel singing about at first? Does she seem happy? What about Hansel?
       How are their moods portrayed in the music?
  •    When they start to dance, could you tell that it was a dance if you didn’t know the
       words or didn’t see them? What in the music makes it feel like a dance?
  •    Hansel and Gretel tease each other a lot. Do you think they are being mean? Do
       you think they like other? How do they resolve their differences? Do you have a
       sibling? Do you tease each other or sometimes fight? How do you resolve your
       differences?
  •    The children get in trouble for not doing their chores and for spilling the milk?
       Was what they did so wrong? Why/why not? How does the mother feel? Has a
       parent or guardian ever been angry with you for something you did or did not do?
       Could you have acted differently? Tell the story from your parent/guardian’s point
       of view.

Activity Ideas
   •   Marketing: Create a poster advertising a performance of Hansel and Gretel.
   •   Composing: Choose a single line from the libretto for Hansel and Gretel.
       Compose a simple phrase to set that line of text.
   •   Reviewing: A review is made up of two parts – facts (what took place) and
       opinion (what the reviewer felt about what took place). Write a review about what
       you saw, describing the scene (the facts) and what you liked/disliked about it
       (your feelings).

Coming Soon!

More from Hansel and Gretel

            Act II
      Lost in the forest.

           Act III
  A meeting with the Witch.

Video Credits
Performers:
    Gretel (voice): Allison Pohl
    Gretel (puppet): Gina Wilhelm
    Hansel (voice): Erica Convery
    Hansel (puppet): Matthew Posner
    Piano: Sheila Bristow

Videography: Latona Arts
Translation and educational materials: Glenn Guhr
Puppets constructed by Matthew Posner

Produced by Tacoma Opera
Noel Koran, Artistic Director
Glenn Guhr, Production Manager