Hansel and Gretel (opera) After several revisions, the musical sketches and the songs were turned into a full-scale opera. Humperdinck composed "Hansel and Gretel" in Frankfurt in 1891 and 1892. The opera was first performed in Hoftheater in Weimar on 23 December 1893, conducted by Richard Strauss. It has been associated with Christmas since its earliest performances and today it is still most often performed at Christmas time. "Hansel and Gretel" was first conducted in Weimar by Richard Strauss in 1893, followed by its Hamburg premiere on 25 September 1894, conducted by Gustav Mahler. Its first performance outside Germany was in Basel, Switzerland, on
Gretel II yacht "Australia" won the right to challenge but lost to the Americans. Decades later, after falling into disrepair, "Gretel II" was restored by a group of yachting enthusiasts in 2009. She is currently in a private marina at Pyrmont, Sydney, Australia. Gretel II Gretel II (KA-3) is an Australian International 12-metre class racing yacht built for the America's Cup challenge series in 1970. She was designed by Alan Payne and built by W.H. Barnett for Australian media tycoon Sir Frank Packer. Packer had first challenged for the America's Cup in 1962 with the yacht "Gretel", which was named after his