Biography
Engelbert Humperdinck was born in 1854 in Siegburg near Bonn and created with Hänsel and Gretel the most beloved German opera after Wagner. The work, premiered in 1893 in Weimar under Richard Strauss, after the Brothers Grimm's fairy tale, combines Wagnerian orchestral artistry with the simplicity of folk song. Humperdinck studied in Cologne and Munich and was temporarily Richard Wagner's assistant at the Bayreuth Festival. His orchestral mastery shows in the refined instrumentation that congenially captures the fairy-tale character of the plot. Although he composed further operas like Königskinder and Dornröschen, none of these works could repeat the success of Hänsel and Gretel. The opera became a Christmas tradition and is performed in this season at countless stages. Humperdinck died in 1921 in Neustrelitz.
On Stagelog
Loading stats...