Germany Humperdinck, Hänsel und Gretel: Oldenburg State Theatre Soloists. Children’s & Youth Chorus, Oldenburg State Orchestra / Eric Staiger (conductor). Oldenburg, 27.12.2024. (DM-D)
Production:
Director – Michael Moxham
Set and costume design – Jason Southgate
Lighting – Steff Flächsenhaar
Dramaturgy – Annbelle Köhler
Revival director – Felix Schrödinger
Cast:
Gretel – Martyna Cymerman
Hansel – Dorothee Bienert
Gertrud – Bea Robein
Peter – KS Paul Brady
Witch – Seumas Begg
Sandman – Xueli Zhou
Dew Fairy – Charlotte Rabbels
New productions or revivals of Hänsel und Gretel abound in German opera houses around Christmas (as do Die Zauberflöte and La bohème). The production in Oldenburg was first seen in 2015. For the overture, and the subsequent scene changes, characters from the forthcoming scenes would walk slowly, as if in slow motion, across the stage behind a white screen; they were lit from behind, thus revealing them in silhouette. The children’s home showed signs of the parents’ poverty but was well-kept. The parents were run-down with worry. The siblings tried to make their lives as fun as possible. They were clearly afraid of the unfamiliar environment of the woods, represented by an arrangement of pale green, thin wooden planks, but developed strong coping mechanisms based on their being together. The Sandman and Dew Fairy were such strange creatures to look at that only their comforting singing eased the tension for Hänsel and Gretel. The Witch manipulated the gingerbread house, not by magic but visibly using mechanical devices. When the house appeared, a strong smell of gingerbread filled the theatre auditorium, which the children in the audience noticed immediately and commented upon.
Eric Staiger, the new Second Kapellmeister at Oldenburg State Theatre, conducted the music with great care and attention to detail. He may not yet have developed a full awareness of and feeling for the acoustics of the comparatively small theatre space. As a result, the orchestra’s volume drowned out a good amount of the singing. Dorothee Bienert sang a hearty Hänsel, Martyna Cymerman sounded fresh and lively as Gretel. Dramatic soprano Bea Robein gave Gertrud’s suffering strong vocal shape, KS Paul Brady was equally efficient as Peter. Chorus member Yueli Zhou and visiting artist Charlotte Rabbels were the children’s favourites as the Sandman and the Dew Fairy. Seumas Begg was cast as the Witch. He demonstrated excellent acting skills. In terms of singing, he was halfway between the approach of beautiful singing (although the Witch is a nasty character) and that of expressing nastiness not only by virtue of his acting but also by making the voice sound unpleasant.
Daniel Meyer-Dinkgräfe