Opera at Home are presenting Hansel and Gretel, one of the most famous operas for children. The idea for the opera came about when Humperdinck’s sister asked him to write some music for Christmas songs she had written for her children based on the story of Hänsel and Gretel. After several revisions, the musical sketches and the songs were turned into a full-scale opera.

Humperdinck describes the opera as a Märchenoper (fairy tale opera). The libretto based on the Grimm brothers’ Hänsel and Gretel and the performance includes an original arrangement for Chamber ensemble. The performance has a narrative in English and all the human characters are singing in English as well, but the magical creatures singing in the original German

“Hansel and Gretel is a wonderful opera for children. It has lovely music, beautiful singing, and fun costumes and sets. We especially like the Wicked Witch!” – Lucy Cameron, Year 4, Primary School, Islington