Run time: Approx. 8 minutes

Engelbert Humperdinck is not a name that would appear today on a list of best-known composers. He did not cultivate a large compositional output, instead devoting much of his life to teaching, and as a result, Hänsel und Gretel stands somewhat alone in his legacy, making him a bit of a compositional one-hit wonder.

Though the majority of his small catalog missed out on lasting acclaim, Hänsel und Gretel has carved out a place as a beloved staple in the operatic repertoire. Its success and charm are perhaps a result of the unexpected combination of the whimsical fairytale and the very obvious influence of his idol and mentor, Richard Wagner.

If you’re not familiar with Wagner, there’s much to be said about his impact on theater and the scope of musical drama, but to keep this brief, let’s go with an image: conjure in your mind the most stereotypical picture of opera. Is it a robust woman wearing that quintessential horned helmet? Is she perhaps holding a spear? That unshakable image has come to caricaturize opera thanks to a costume from Wagner’s Ring Cycle. While grandeur is certainly a large part of the composer’s legacy, his most significant contribution lies in the craft of musical storytelling.

Wagner’s fingerprints are apparent in the shape of Humperdinck’s phrases—in the way they seem to go on forever, one connecting seamlessly to the next—the expansive layering of his textures, and, perhaps most importantly, in Humperdinck’s use of leitmotif, a technique Wagner invented to ensure thematic cohesion throughout his stories, even across multiple operas.

Leitmotif, which literally translates to “leading” or “guiding” motive, is a short musical idea that represents a person, place, or theme. One of the elements that makes the film scores of John Williams so effective, for example, is his use of leitmotif. Think of Darth Vader’s ominous march, or those menacing two notes that instantly signal Jaws, or the majestic Force theme that symbolizes Luke Skywalker’s destiny.

The prelude begins with one of the opera’s most significant leitmotifs, the evening prayer music. The wistful chorale appears throughout the opera, most prominently in the aria where the children say their bedtime prayers. It symbolizes the innocence of the children, protected by God.

The prayer is then interrupted by the witch’s theme, sounded in the trumpet with a cackling herald. Afterwards comes a gently meandering melody representing Hansel and Gretel’s journey through the woods and their accidental snacking on the witch’s candy house before they realize what trouble they’re in. Finally, there is the triumphant march heard when the children doom their evil captor to her broiled demise.

Humperdinck deftly weaves all of these themes together, at times layering all four atop one another and creating a delightfully complex musical palette—a masterful tribute to his mentor.