Hansel and Gretel (opera) ruins of the oven the witch, who has turned into gingerbread. Father gathers Hansel, Gretel and the other children around and tells them to look at this miracle. He explains that this is heaven's punishment for evil deeds and reminds them, "When the need is greatest, God the Lord puts out His hand." For other film versions, see: "Hansel and Gretel (film)" Hansel and Gretel (opera) Hansel and Gretel (German: ) is an opera by nineteenth-century composer Engelbert Humperdinck, who described it as a "" (fairy-tale opera). The libretto was written by Humperdinck's sister, Adelheid Wette, based on the Grimm
Wilhelm Busch unknown artist without regular income. In his early Munich years Busch's attempts to write libretti, which are almost forgotten today, were unsuccessful. Up to 1863 he worked on two or three major works; the third was composed by Georg Kremplsetzer. Busch's "Liebestreu und Grausamkeit", a romantic opera in three acts, "Hansel und Gretel" and "Der Vetter auf Besuch", an opera buffa of sorts, were not particularly successful. There was a dispute between Busch and Kremplsetzer during the staging of "Der Vetter auf Besuch", leading to the removal of Busch's name from the production; the piece was renamed "Singspiel von Georg