Hansel and Gretel (opera) 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 brothers' fairy tale "Hansel and Gretel". It is much admired for its folk music-inspired themes, one of the most famous being the "" ("Evening Benediction") from act 2. The idea for the opera was proposed to Humperdinck by his sister, who approached him about writing music for songs that she had written for her children for Christmas based on "Hansel and Gretel".
Rosalind Plowright of "Hansel and Gretel". Other recordings include "Maria Stuarda", "Otello", "Aida" and "Hänsel und Gretel", all for the Opera in English series for Chandos Records, "Elijah" also for Chandos, "La vestale" for Orfeo, "Les contes d'Hoffmann" for EMI, and "Il trovatore", "La forza del destino" and Mahler's "2nd Symphony" for Deutsche Grammophon. "La Belle Dame sans Merci" for Romeo Records – Release date 6 May 2014. Suor Angelica "Suor Angelica", "Il Trittico" from La Scala, Milan. Leonora "Il Trovatore" from L'Arena di Verona. Gertrude "Hänsel und Gretel" from The Metropolitan Opera, La Contessa di Coigny / Madelon "Andrea Chenier" from