The New Neo

I love the opera “Hansel and Gretel,” by Engelbert Humperdinck (no, not that Humperdinck or this one; this one). His name may be a yuk, but the music he composed is among the masterpieces of opera, soaring and sonorous, tuneful and moving, and altogether delightful.

“Hansel and Gretel” is often performed at Christmastime, being suitable for children. The original German is rarely used in this country, and there are various well-known and well-loved English translations. When I read that the Metropolitan Opera of NY was doing the work this December and January, I thought of going down to see it, because it’s such a favorite of mine even though I haven’t yet got a grandkid to take in tow.

And then I checked out the Met’s website, and watched a video there of the current production. My ears were not offended; the voices, as expected, are great. But I could hardly believe my eyes.

First, in order for you to understand why, let me set the scene, directly following the famous Prayer Song which occurs after the children have discovered themselves lost in the dark and dangerous forest and the Sandman has come to help them sleep by placing sand in their eyes. The German libretto has Gretel then singing that it’s time to say their evening prayers, and the words of the prayer song that follows are very specific in describing a religious image of comfort and protection: fourteen angels will surround the children to guard them from harm while they sleep.

Most stagings—in fact, all stagings I had ever seen until now—follow what are really very clear instructions in the libretto when they set up the scene that directly follows, in which the music of the Prayer Song is expanded, rising and swelling as the children fall asleep with visions of these angels (or perhaps actual angels) guarding them. It’s an exceptionally beautiful and inspirational image.

Well, here we have the Met’s new, improved version (for those unfamiliar with the opera, don’t be surprised at the fact that Hansel is always sung by a woman in drag):

Dream Pantomime from Hansel and Gretel at the Metropolitan Opera from Larry Murray on Vimeo.

The original setting has turned into a Sendak-esque, vaguely threatening scene in which the fourteen angels have become chefs In the Night Kitchen. I believe it’s no accident that the unabashedly religious aspect of the opera has been turned into secular emptiness (although perhaps “emptiness” is not the best word, since this is about food). And this staging is not just wrong (and offensive) because it represents a change from the traditional, or because it’s not religious; it’s wrong because it goes against the fact that the music itself expresses holiness and serenity. One might even say that it’s celestial. So the concept behind the staging goes against the music as well.

In case you want an antidote, here’s the old Met production, before angels feared to tread there. I have kept the Prayer Song because it’s so beautiful, too; it constitutes the first two minutes, and is sung here in an English translation that is inferior to the one I know best, which explicitly describes the fourteen angels and their relative positioning in the tableau, and is also a better rendition of the original German:

Merry Christmas!

[ADDENDUM: For those of you who didn’t follow the link above to “the one I know best,” here it is:

When at night I go to sleep,
Fourteen angels watch do keep.
Two my head are guarding:
Two my feet are guiding:
Two are on my right hand;
Two are on my left hand;
Two who warmly cover;
Two who o’er me hover;
Two to whom ’tis given
To guide my steps to Heaven. ]