Description
Engelbert Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel – A Magical Opera Experience 2 DVD Set
UPC: 0809478010111
Product Details:
- Format: 2 DVD Set
- Composer: Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921)
- Title: Hänsel und Gretel
- Artists:Orchestra: The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
- Hänsel: Angelika Kirchschlager
- Gretel: Diana Damrau
- Gertrud (Mother): Elizabeth Connell
- Peter (Father): Thomas Allen
- Witch: Anja Silja
- Sandman: Pumeza Matshikiza
- Dew Fairy: Anita Watson
- Conductor: Sir Colin Davis
- Stage Directors: Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier
- Costume Designer: Agostino Cavalca
- Lighting Designer: Christophe Forey
- Chorus: Tiffin Boys' Choir and Children's ChorusRecording: Live at the Royal Opera House, 2008
- Director of Music: Simon Toyne
- Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian
- Extras:Running Time: Approx. 130 minutes
- Illustrated synopsis
- Animated cast gallery
- Interview with Colin Davis
- Fairytales feature
- Cinema trailer
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Anamorphic
- Sound: DTS Surround Sound, Stereo
- Region: All regions
- Format: NTSC
- Language: Sung in German
- Filmed in High Definition and recorded in full Surround Sound
- Publisher: Opus Arte (2009)
- Website: www.opusarte.com
Product Features
- Star-Studded Cast: Featuring acclaimed mezzo-soprano Angelika Kirchschlager as Hänsel and soprano Diana Damrau as Gretel.
- Renowned Conductor: Sir Colin Davis leads the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House with exceptional musical insight.
- Innovative Direction: Directed by Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier, blending wit and dark comedy with fairytale charm.
- High-Quality Production: Filmed in High Definition with full Surround Sound for an immersive viewing experience.
- Bonus Features: Includes illustrated synopsis, cast gallery, interviews, and more for a deeper understanding of the opera.
- Multi-language Subtitles: Available in English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian for international audiences.
- All-Region DVD: Compatible with DVD players worldwide.
Overview
Experience the enchanting world of Engelbert Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel in this captivating 2 DVD set from the Royal Opera House. This acclaimed 2008 production brings to life the beloved Grimm brothers' fairytale with a stellar cast and creative staging. Mezzo-soprano Angelika Kirchschlager and soprano Diana Damrau shine as the titular siblings, delivering performances that are both heartfelt and exhilarating.
Under the baton of the eminent conductor Sir Colin Davis, the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House brings Humperdinck's lush, Wagner-inspired score to vibrant life. Directors Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier infuse the production with characteristic wit and a touch of dark comedy, adding depth to the fairytale's charm. The result is an opera that is as musically memorable as it is visually delightful, blending catchy folk-like melodies with sumptuous orchestration.
This production is further enriched by its high-definition filming and full Surround Sound recording, ensuring an immersive experience. The included bonus features, such as interviews and behind-the-scenes content, offer valuable insights into the making of this magical opera.
Diana Damrau and Angelika Kirchschlager star in the acclaimed 2008 production of Humperdinck's famous fairytale opera, in the company of two of Britain's most revered musical figures: Thomas Allen, playing the role of the Father, and the legendary conductor Colin Davis. Directors Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser combine their characteristic wit and a dash of deliciously dark comedy with the opera's fairytale charm. Humperdinck's music mixes catchy folk-like songs with sumptuous instrumental colour, making the result as tunefully approachable, musically memorable and visually delightful as opera gets. Filmed in High Definition and recorded in full Surround Sound.Press Reviews
"Angelika Kirchschlager's tousled, boyish Hänsel and Diana Damrau's Gretel are dramatically convincing and vocally superb, while their parents, excellently sung and played by Elizabeth Connell and Thomas Allen, earn our sympathy as well as our censure. Pumeza Matshikiza's goblin-like Sandman is truly magical and Anita Watson's feather-dusting Dew Fairy another amusing creation. Colin Davis, unafraid to relish the icing on the cake, draws a warm, effulgent sound from the orchestra." (The Evening Standard)
"Not only was the production a great one to attend as a first opera, but the DVD is perhaps as good an introduction to opera as one could hope for, a success on almost every front." (Musicweb International)
Disc Information
Catalogue Number: OA1011D
Date of Performance: 2008
Running Time: 138 minutes
Sound: 5.1 DTS Surround; PCM Stereo
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Anamorphic
Subtitles: EN, FR, DE, ES, IT
Label: Opus Arte
Interesting Facts
- Fairytale Origins: Hänsel und Gretel is based on the classic German fairytale by the Brothers Grimm, first published in 1812.
- Humperdinck's Masterpiece: Although Engelbert Humperdinck composed other works, Hänsel und Gretel remains his most famous and enduring opera.
- Influence of Wagner: Humperdinck was a protégé of Richard Wagner, and his influence is evident in the rich orchestration and leitmotifs used throughout the opera.
- Premiered on Christmas Eve: The opera premiered on December 23, 1893, in Weimar, Germany, conducted by Richard Strauss.
- Family Affair: Humperdinck's sister, Adelheid Wette, wrote the libretto, adapting the Grimm fairytale into an opera suitable for family audiences.
- Acclaimed Performances: Both Angelika Kirchschlager and Diana Damrau are internationally renowned artists, celebrated for their operatic versatility and expressive performances.
- Role of the Children's Chorus: The inclusion of the Tiffin Boys' Choir and Children's Chorus adds authenticity and charm, especially in scenes involving the gingerbread children.
Publishers
- DVD Producers: Angela Alvarez Rilla & James Whitbourn
- Film & DVD Executive Producer: Hans Petri
- Co-production: Royal Opera House Covent Garden and Opus Arte, in association with NHK/BBC
- Publisher: Opus Arte (2009)
- Website: www.opusarte.com
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