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Hansel & Gretel:Opera Fantasy
 
 
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Hansel & Gretel:Opera Fantasy

Rated: Unrated | Format: VHS Tape
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

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Video Details

Hansel and Gretel came to life in 1954 as never before, in this kinemin animated feature set to Englebert Humperdinck's classic 1893 opera. Sung by some of the most acclaimed performers of the day, this score was nominated for a Grammy Award. With brilliant imagination and unprecedented technical wizardry-comparable only to Walt Disney's Fantasia-this production uses 35 hand-sculpted dolls and lavish sets to create a fantasy land of unearthly beauty, inhabited by characters of unparalleled charm.

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Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews
A Saturday Matinee Classic Sep 27 2000
I can remember seeing usually in December at the local movie theater in my hometown with my older sisters It was a big hit with us then and still is a big hit around our house. Anna Russell's performance is a classic and the way the original opera is presented makes it a little bit easier for the young ones to enjoy it. Sure this is not the sort of thing you would see at the Metropolitan Opera House, but it is a lot of fun. And this Video brings back a number of good memories!
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Not the Real Thing Jan 9 2000
Purchasers who are looking for the "real" Hansel and Gretel by Humperdinck should NOT by this video. This video is an adaptation which uses MOST of the music from the original but not all of it; and what IS used is not always used in the original order. This results in some sections being recast in different keys; unexpected cuts; and other anomalies (including some new vocal lines where there was previously just orchestra).

The text is sung in English and the translation is very good (almost word for word); but the concept is all wrong. Very little is actually sung: Hansel and Gretel sing about 50% of their material; the Mother sings none of it. Major set pieces like the "Children's Prayer" are spoken through with words that have nothing to do with the original.

The casting and scripting suffer from their 1950s/60s style. The worst offender in this is Constance Brigham's dual role as Hansel and Gretel. Gretel is portrayed as an airheaded giggler who is prissy, reacts to all adversity by crying, and has no control over her emotions. Hansel is rude, treats adults with disdain and his sister with contempt. (Just watch any of the classic TV sitcoms produced around this time and you'll see the same thing). The fact that the father sings all of his lines (and sings them well) and the mother speaks hers (when she isn't gasping or crying out "oh") only further adds to the incongruity.

The only thing that saves this performance from total disaster is the performance of Anna Russell as the Witch. Even with all of the impediments previously mentioned, this is the best performance of this role I have ever heard. I almost hate to say this, but the film is worth watching for her performance alone.

But for those looking for an introduction to opera or those familiar with it, be aware that this is a good film of its genre, but opera it is NOT.

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Outstanding Intro. to Opera, Good Music! Dec 12 1999
This version of the opera of Hansel and Gretel is accessible to children of all ages because it is visually intriguing. Animated puppets, called the Kinemins by the producer back in 1954, are believable even though they lack the sophistication of the movement seen in Toy Story. The settings, colorful, sometime frightening, and always imaginative, are perfectly matched to the symphonic score of the opera and to the fanciful nature of the story. Of course, the witch is the centerpiece of the story, and Anna Russell's incomparable interpretation of the witch both unnerves and entertains at the same time. She is obviously having fun--as is the witch herself until her untimely demise in the oven. I saw this film in a theatre when I was only five years old, fell in love with the score as a result, and have loved classical music ever since--thanks to Hansel and Gretel. I still cherise this film and recommend it to anyone with children. Actually, this film is delightful entertainment for people of all ages.
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