Hansel and Gretel flourishes

When thinking of opera, the name Engelbert Humperdinck is probably not the first composer to spring to mind, and this would be with adequate cause, as the 19th century German composer had only one particularly popular opera, Hansel and Gretel, adapted from the well-known Brothers Grimm tale. The Atlanta Opera now brings this opera to the stage, adding a new twist to the classic that showcases one of Atlanta's burgeoning art forms: puppetry.

With Germany's long tradition of puppetry, this interesting addition to the opera never seems that foreign. And with the choice to hire a young director, Basil Twist, steeped in a rich puppetry background, it's obvious the Atlanta Opera was looking for this type of reinvention.

Indeed, the puppetry takes center stage in this opera, sometimes even overshadowing the vocals as well as the orchestra. Seemingly slight and minor animal puppets in the background often steal the stage, as a cat, moved by two black-gloved hands, dances merrily in the window sill or a strange vulture-like scavenger, suspended by strings, swoops continuously overhead.

Humperdinck, while apprenticed under Richard Wagner for a time, is simply no Wagner. His composition lacks the cohesiveness and structure of Wagner's, while the vocals and orchestra often mesh poorly and meander monotonously along.

Humperdinck chose to compose his libretto in Sprechgesang, a vocal technique straddling singing and speaking, and it quickly becomes obvious that this was a huge mistake. While perhaps working better in his native language of German, though doubtful, translated into English, the vocals sound jagged and humdrum. Humperdinck's idea was to combine traditional opera with a heavy dose of German folk, but unfortunately, it fails at both. The composition is lackluster, in every way contrasted to Wagner's transcendental movements, and the folk is deficient in the bravado and bombast for which the Germans are known.

The vocals hover around the same range, not impressing in many respects at all. Though, the performers can hardly be blamed, as the composer created a piece where the vocals are overshadowed by nearly everything, including a thoroughly mediocre orchestra composition.

However, a few of the songs are striking, especially a prayer sung as a duet between Hansel and Gretel just before the first act ends. Their voices are pitch-perfect, harmonizing with a soprano and mezzo-soprano that rise into the shifting night like the angels that hover above their prone figures.

In addition, the puppetry is truly mesmerizing. Of particular magnificence was the movement of the Witch's forest.

Unlike in most theatre, here, we see the trees and forest shifting around Hansel and Gretel as they become lost in the woods. Our characters don't simply move through a two-dimensional set; instead, the world pivots around them, bending and rushing across the stage to depict their desperation.

The Witch herself is a massive, awe-inspiring puppet, standing approximately 20 ft. tall with the singer in her upper half of the figure and several puppeteers controlling the lower half. She commands the stage with her fluid movement and relinquishes it only after she is tricked into her own expanding fireplace.

Baring the deficiencies of Humperdinck's composition skills, Hansel and Gretel continues to entertain, owing to the innovative puppetry and often playful dialogue. It's apparent that the magic here is maintained not by the original opera, but instead by the unique layers of motion that have been laid on top of it.