Hansel and Gretel has become one of the most successful fairy-tale operas, as it resonates with both adults and children alike. The composer, Engelbert Humperdinck, was a protégé of the great Richard Wagner’s, and the opera’s score is flavored with the sophisticated musical ideas he learned from his idol while still maintaining a charm and a light touch that were entirely Humperdinck’s own. The opera acknowledges the darker features present in the Brothers Grimm version of the familiar folk tale yet presents them within a frame of grace and humor that communicates universal-ly to everyone!