BaL 30.01.21 - Humperdinck: Hansel and Gretel

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30 Building a Library
Nigel Simeone chooses his favourite recording of Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera Hansel and Gretel.

Admired and conducted by Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler, no less, Humperdinck’s fairy tale opera has never been out of the repertoire since its 1893 premiere. The story may be Grimm but Humperdinck’s perfectly crafted, post-Wagnerian music (which never takes itself too seriously) effortlessly evokes the careless joys and dreams of childhood, as well as the sinister darkness of the forest and the forces of evil (but not too frighteningly so). In fact, as eight decades of recordings demonstrate, it provides the ideal vehicle for starry ensemble casts, top-notch orchestras and classy conductors.



Available versions:-


Ann Murray, Edita Gruberova, Christa Ludwig, Gwyneth Jones, Barbara Bonney , Christiane Oelze, Staatskapelle Dresden, Colin Davis *

Angelika Kirchschlager, Diana Damrau, Elizabeth Connell, Thomas Allen, Anja Silja, Pumeza Matshikiza, Anita Watson, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Colin Davis (DVD/Blu-ray)

Heidi Grant Murphy, Suzanne Mentzer, Judith Forst, Janice Taylor, Robert Orth, Anna Christy, Milwaukee Children’s Choir, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Andreas Delfs

Helen Donath, Anna Moffat, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Charlotte Berthold, Arlene Auger, Christa Ludwig, Lucia Popp, Muncher Rundfunkorchester, Kurt Eichhorn *

Sabine Noack, Cornelia Marschall, Alexandra Petersamer, Ludmil Kuntschew, Viktorija Kaminskaite, Anhaltische Philharmonie Dessau & Kinderchor Des Anhaltischen Theater Dessau, Markus L. Frank (DVD/Blu-ray)

Judith Blegen, Frederica von Stade, Rosalind Elias, Jean Kraft, Michael Devlin, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Chorus and Ballet, Thomas Fulton (DVD)

Sayaka Shigeshima , Elisabeth Wimmer, Uwe Schenker-Primus, Rebecca Teem , Alexander Günther, Catherina Maier, Hyunjin Park, Staatskapelle Weimar, Martin Hoff (SACD)

Ricarda Merbeth, Albert Dohmen, Christian Elsner, Katrin Wundsam, Alexandra Hutton, Annika Gerhards, Alexandra Steiner, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Kinderchor Staatsoper Berlin, Marek Janowski (SACD)

Elisabeth Grümmer, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Josef Metternich, Maria von Ilosvay, Else Schürhoff, Anny Felbermayer, Loughton High School for Girls Choir, Bancroft’s School Choir, Philharmonia Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan

Sena Jurinac, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Vittoria Palombini, Bruna Ronchini, Rolando Panerai, Rita Streich, RAI Roma, Herbert von Karajan

Gisela Litz, Rita Streich, Marianne Schech, Horst Günter, Res Fischer, Elisabeth Lindermeier, Bruno Brückmann, Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks & Münchner Philharmoniker, Fritz Lehmann

Rebecca Evans, Jennifer Larmore, Jane Henschel, Rosalind Plowright, Robert Hayward, Sarah Tynan, Diana Montague, Sarah Coppen, Philharmonia Orchestra & New London Children’s Choir, Sir Charles Mackerras

Marie-Luise Schilp, Erna Berger, Margarethe Arndt-Ober, Berlin RSO, Artur Rother *

Rosemary Joshua, Christine Schäfer, Jennifer Larmore, Bernd Weikl, Ruth Ziesak, Hanna Schwarz, Hildegard Behrens, Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Donald Runnicles *

Gisela Pohl, Barbara Scherler, Marcel Cordes, Gertrud Burgstheler-Schuster, Lilian Benningsen, Gisela Knabba , Oda Balsborg, NDR Sinfonieorchester, -Chor, -Kinderchor and -Knabenchor, Carl Schuricht

Edita Gruberova, Brigitte Fassbaender, Hermann Prey, Helga Dernesch, Sena Jurinac, Norma Burrowes, Elfriede Hobarth, Wiener Philharmoniker, Sir Georg Solti (DVD)

Brigitte Fassbaender, Lucia Popp, Walter Berry, Julia Hamari, Anny Schlemm, Norma Burrowes, Edita Gruberova, Wiener Sängerknaben & Wiener Philharmoniker, Sir Georg Solti *

Ingeborg Springer, Renate Hoff, Theo Adam, Gisela Schröter, Peter Schreier Renate Krahmer, Staatskapelle Dresden, Otmar Suitner

von Otter, Bonney, Lipovsek, Schwarz, Schmidt, Hendricks, Lind, Tolzer Knabenchor, Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Jeffrey Tate *

Adrian Eröd, Janina Baechle, Daniela Sindram, Ileana Tonca, Michaela Schuster, Annika Gerhards, Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper & Bühnenorchester der Wiener Staatsoper, Christian Thielemann (DVD/Blu-ray)

Alice Coote, Lydia Teuscher, Irmgard Vilsmaier, William Dazeley, Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke, Tara Erraught, Ida Falk Winland, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Robin Ticciati

Birigitte Lindner, Eugen Hug, Ilse Gramatsky, Hermann Prey, Edda Moser, Ursula Roleff, Thomas Frohn, Kolner Kinderchor & Gurzenich-Orchester Koln, Heinz Wallberg

Alfred Muff , Gabriele Lechner, Liliana Nikiteanu, Marlin Hartelius, Volker Vogel, Zurich Opera House, Franz Welser-Möst (DVD/Blu-ray)

(* = downdload only)

[makropulos]

Could I just add one more to your excellent list? This is currently a download only:
Anna Moffo, Helen Donath, Christa Ludwig, Charlotte Berthold, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Arleen Augér, Munich Radio Orchestra, Kurt Eichhorn. Link to a download here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/HANSEL-GRETEL-Humperdinck/dp/B005JBNUKW

It seems the Eurodisc version (above) is available as a download but the RCA issue of the same performance is not available in the UK.

To avoid disappointment –and repetitive arguments about same –I should say that we will not be talking about any of the DVD versions, just audio CDs/downloads.

One other thing to add. The various unofficial releases of the Schuricht 1962 broadcast need to be treated with caution. At least one (on Archipel) has an absolutely awful moment during the last sung phrase of the whole opera where half a bar disappears. The version on vocal-classics.com has no such problems. Since this is essentially a bootleg recording, we're not going to be talking about it in the BAL except in passing –but it is a superbly conducted performance, with Schuricht (who had known Humperdinck in the 1900s) sounding extremely sprightly in his 80s.

[Goon525]

Can I just say what a continuing delight it is to have you amongst us, Nigel.

[makropulos]

Well that's very kind of you. A pleasure to be here!

[Pulcinella]

I wonder which witch will be despatched first?

My problem with this opera (as with Ravel's L'enfant) is that I want the children to sound convincingly young.
A dear friend gave me his well-played EMI GROC Karajan version when he replaced it with the (sonically much improved, apparently) Naxos remastering/reissue.
I confess that I haven't played it, but perhaps our good friend makropulos will be able to persuade me to give it a spin!
At least the plot is a bit easier to follow than that of this morning's Tamerlano.

[Wolfram]

[QUOTE=makropulos;829150]Could I just add one more to your excellent list? This is currently a download only:
Anna Moffo, Helen Donath, Christa Ludwig, Charlotte Berthold, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Arleen Augér, Munich Radio Orchestra, Kurt Eichhorn. Link to a download here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/HANSEL-GRETEL-Humperdinck/dp/B005JBNUKW

I'm glad that the Eichhorn is still available, I'm quite fond of it.

[makropulos]

I wonder which witch will be despatched first?

My problem with this opera (as with Ravel's L'enfant) is that I want the children to sound convincingly young.
A dear friend gave me his well-played EMI GROC Karajan version when he replaced it with the (sonically much improved, apparently) Naxos remastering/reissue.
I confess that I haven't played it, but perhaps our good friend makropulos will be able to persuade me to give it a spin!
At least the plot is a bit easier to follow than that of this morning's Tamerlano.

I hope I might be able to persuade you to play the opera, in one recording or another...!
By the way, one version we're not going to be talking about (so I hope it's fair enough to mention it here) is the Wallberg/EMI [Warner] recording which uses actual children as H and G. They're certainly convincingly young and rather charming in places. The trouble is, that recording also proves beyond a doubt that while they need to sound youthful, the music absolutely demands adult voices. There's no recording yet of the original H&G Liederspiel (four numbers composed in 1890, first published in 2018) which was written for Humperdinck's nieces to sing at home with piano. I'm sure that would sound enchanting with the right children's voices.

[Pulcinella]

I hope I might be able to persuade you to play the opera, in one recording or another...!
By the way, one version we're not going to be talking about (so I hope it's fair enough to mention it here) is the Wallberg/EMI [Warner] recording which uses actual children as H and G. They're certainly convincingly young and rather charming in places. The trouble is, that recording also proves beyond a doubt that while they need to sound youthful, the music absolutely demands adult voices. There's no recording yet of the original H&G Liederspiel (four numbers composed in 1890, first published in 2018) which was written for Humperdinck's nieces to sing at home with piano. I'm sure that would sound enchanting with the right children's voices.

Genuine question: Does Britten, then, for example, not write such demanding music for Miles and Flora in The turn of the screw?
In that instance, though, they're not on stage/singing as much, I suppose, which must contribute to the feasibility of using children.

PS: The box set has come off the shelves, and I was reading Richard Osborne's notes in the booklet, and looking at the libretto, yesterday, so it's part way to the CD player.

[mikealdren]

Looks like the Pritchard is NLA, a shame, not a first choice but it has a great cast.

[makropulos]

Genuine question: Does Britten, then, for example, not write such demanding music for Miles and Flora in The turn of the screw?
In that instance, though, they're not on stage/singing as much, I suppose, which must contribute to the feasibility of using children.

PS: The box set has come off the shelves, and I was reading Richard Osborne's notes in the booklet, and looking at the libretto, yesterday, so it's part way to the CD player.

Great point about Britten. Above all, what BB does not require is his young voices to be heard over a large symphony orchestra! Certainly Miles and Flora have some difficult music, but it doesn't need the kind of vocal lustre that Humperdinck demands. Also: Humperdinck never, ever intended the voice parts he wrote for the opera to be sung by anyone other than adults, whereas BB did.

[Pulcinella]

Great point about Britten. Above all, what BB does not require is his young voices to be heard over a large symphony orchestra! Certainly Miles and Flora have some difficult music, but it doesn't need the kind of vocal lustre that Humperdinck demands. Also: Humperdinck never, ever intended the voice parts he wrote for the opera to be sung by anyone other than adults, whereas BB did.

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

[verismissimo]

Aside from the Karajan, which I've had for several decades, I also have (not in Alpie's list):

Irmgard Seefried, Anneliese Rothenberger, Grace Hoffman, Elisabeth Höngen, Walter Berry, Liselotte Maikl, VPO, André Cluytens

And, probably never available in Blighty, live in English:

Christine Douglas, Suzanne Johnson, Elizabeth Campbell, Malcolm Donnelly, Gail Robertson, Australian Opera, Johannes Fritzsch

[Pianoman]

Tate for me, mainly for the aforementioned ‘youthfulness’ of the ‘children’, in this case Bonney and Von Otter. Superb conducting and playing also help somewhat...

[CallMePaul]

I saw thew Opera North production in Leeds a few years ago. The singing was fine but the production, even by modern standards, was wierd in the extreme. Perhaps it is as well that DVD recordings are not being discussed!

From the list and casts given, the one that stands out for me would be the Runnicles, but its download only availability rules it out for me. When will record companies ever learn that there is an ongoing demand for CDs?

[LHC]

I've got Davis and Pritchard on CD, which are both very good. I also have Davis at the Opera House on blu ray and a DVD from Dresden conducted by Hofstetter, which I assume is no longer available, as well as a recording of the wonderful ENO production conducted by Mark Elder, with Cathryn Pope, Norman Bailey and Felicity Palmer from when it was shown on TV, and a performance from the Met conducted by Vladimir Jurowski with Alice Coote, Christine Schafer and Philip Langridge as the Witch.

I've never warmed to Elizabeth Scwarzkopf, so haven't got the Karajan.