Humperdinck Christmas

Snowflakes in the air, the crunch of snow beneath your feet, the smell of chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Freezing outside, the warm glow of the fireplace within. The bustle of Christmas markets and the sound of merry carollers in the street. The celestial sound of choirs and teh healing scent of incense drifting through a little church or mighty cathedral. Imagine all these and you begin to form a picture of Christmas in Vienna.

Hänsel und Gretel is a fairy-tale opera (Märchenspiel) by Engelbert Humperdinck to a libretto by his sister Adelheid Wette. The idea for the opera was proposed to Humperdinck by his sister, who approached him about writing music for songs that she had written for her children for Christmas based on „Hänsel and Gretel.“ After several revisions, the musical sketches and the songs were turned into a full-scale opera. Hänsel und Gretel has been associated with Christmas since its earliest performances, and it is often performed at Christmas time. It is much admired for its folk music-inspired themes, one of the most famous being the prayer from act II. A family classic, it grew out of a set of incidental music and, written between 1890 and 1893, it was first performed on 23 December 1893 under Richard Strauss in Weimar.

For many people Christmas time has come when the broadcasting stations start playing the specific music everybody knows and hears each year. However, not always music performed around Christmas has originally been composed for Christmas too. Especially our earliest and therefore most emotional memories are closely related to this festivity. The music we associate with these emotions does not necessarily have to be Christmassy, but should intensify and reflect those feelings.

Horn player Felix Klieser loves snow and the freezing cold, even if he doesn't get much of it at home in Hanover. Ever since he was a child, winter has been his favorite season of the year - and not just for climatic reasons: "Even today, I'm an absolute Christmas fan and can't imagine anything better than coming back from a walk in the snow to a warm house and slowly warming up again with a cup of hot chocolate. Little lights, trays full of cookies, a visit to the Christmas market - this time is definitely my highlight of the year!" says the horn player enthusiastically.