Transcriber's Note:
Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully aspossible. Some changes have been made. They are listed at the end ofthe text.
Grand Opera
UNDER THE DIRECTION OF
Mr. Heinrich Conried
Libretto
THE ORIGINAL ITALIAN, FRENCH OR GERMAN LIBRETTO WITH A CORRECT ENGLISH TRANSLATION.
Hänsel und Gretel
Published by
F. RULLMAN.
THEATRE TICKET OFFICE.
111 BROADWAY, NEW YORK.
TRINITY BUILDING (REAR ARCADE)
THE ONLY CORRECT AND AUTHORIZED EDITION.
HÄNSEL AND GRETEL
A FAIRY OPERA IN THREE ACTS
BY
Adelheid Wette
The Music by Engelbert Humperdinck
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1905, by F. RULLMAN, at the office of the
Librarian of Congress at Washington.
Published by F. RULLMAN
AT THE THEATRE TICKET OFFICE, 111 BROADWAY
NEW YORK
ARGUMENT.
Hänsel and Gretel is an opera in three acts, the music by Engelbert Humperdinckand the libretto by Adelheid Wette. It is the German version of the oldnursery legend—Babes in the Wood.
The first scene discloses a wretched homestead. The two children, Hänseland Gretel, are at work—the boy making brooms and the girl knitting stockings.They both complain of feeling very hungry, and there isn't a thing in the house.Yes, there's a jug of milk that will make nice blanc-mange when mother comeshome. Hänsel tastes it and Gretel raps his fingers. He says he won't work anymore and proposes they dance instead. Gretel is delighted. He is very awkwardat first but she teaches him the steps and they are getting along so famously thatthey whirl around the room and fall exhausted on the floor. At this moment themother enters and she is so angry at seeing them do no work that she boxes theirears for it. In her excitement she gives the milk pitcher a push. It falls off thetable, breaks in pieces, and spills all the milk. At this she is beside herself andseizes a basket and tells the children to go to the wood and pick strawberries.They must not come home till the basket is full. They run off while she, wearyof life, sits sobbing herself to sleep.
The father is heard in the distance with a joyous song and enters in a joyfulmood. He wakes up his unhappy wife to tell that he has sold all his brooms at thefair for splendid prices and he shows his basket full of provisions. Both are thusin fine humor when he asks where the children are. She says she sent them awayin disgrace to the Ilsenstein. The Ilsenstein! he exclaims, where the witches rideon broomsticks and devour little children. Exclaiming "Oh horror!" she runsout of the house, he after her, to find Hänsel and Gretel.
The second act shows a forest. Gretel is making a garland of wild roses whileHänsel is looking for strawberries. In the background is the Ilsenstein. It is sunset.Hänsel crowns Gretel queen of the wood and she allows him to taste a strawberry.He g