Evening Prayer from Hansel and Gretel for Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano and Piano Cover Image

Evening Prayer from Hansel and Gretel for Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano and Piano: Vocal Duets/Trios

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$12.95 USD
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Evening Prayer from Hansel and Gretel for Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano and Piano Cover Image
Evening Prayer from Hansel and Gretel for Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano and Piano: Vocal Duets/Trios

Evening Prayer from Hansel and Gretel for Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano and Piano: Vocal Duets/Trios

Edited by Roger Nichols

By Engelbert Humperdinck / ed. Roger Nichols

Item: 98-EP7695
$12.95
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Description

A firm favourite with singers of all ages, this simple but moving duet is now attractively presented in this new edition.

Hansel and Gretel is one of the most-performed operas ever written - within a year of its premiere in Weimar in 1893 it had been performed 50 times in Germany alone.

The story

In Act I Hansel and Gretel have annoyed their Mother by dancing when they should have been making brooms and knitting. In her anger the Mother knocks over the jug of milk, the only food in the house. She sends the children out into the nearby forest to pick strawberries, but when the Father returns he is horrified, because this is where the Witch lives in her gingerbread cottage.

He and the Mother go out to find their Children. In Act II, after the children have picked and then eaten the strawberries, a mist arises and, when it clears, there is the Sandman, a smallgrey figure with a sack on his back. He throws sand in their eyes and, after they saytheir evening prayer, they fall asleep in each other's arms. After the prayer, the mistdescends again and turns into a magic staircase, down which comes the fourteen angels of whom they sang, to surround them and keep them safe through the night.

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Additional Details
Series: Edition Peters
Publisher: Edition Peters
Page Count: 12
ISBN10: 0-57-708465-8
ISBN13: 979-0-5770-8465-7
SKU: 98-EP7695

More about this title

About the Creator: Engelbert Humperdinck

Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921) was a German composer who fundamentally changed how the world heard fairy tales. While his contemporaries were writing grand operas about gods and heroes, Humperdinck chose the intimate story of two children lost in the woods and crafted music so accessible and human that it has never left the repertoire since its 1893 premiere.

His genius lay in simplicity without condescension. Humperdinck understood that the deepest emotions need the clearest musical expression, and in Hansel and Gretel he created melodies so direct and harmonies so warm that singers and audiences of any age can feel their truth immediately.

Why we love this

This excerpt captures one of opera's most intimate moments, and the duet format makes it accessible for singers who might find full operatic roles daunting. The text itself is inherently dramatic: two children alone in the forest, singing for protection as darkness falls. Audiences respond viscerally to this combination of innocence and vulnerability.

What to expect

The music unfolds with quiet dignity, neither sentimental nor austere. Two voices knit together in prayer, their simplicity feeling almost sacred against the story's darkness. The moment carries an odd comfort in its vulnerability, as though singing itself is a form of protection.

Who it's for

Soprano and mezzo-soprano duos of all ages will find this piece rewarding, from advanced middle school singers through adult community choirs. The straightforward vocal writing and emotional directness appeal equally to singers with opera training and those working primarily in concert or recital settings.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the two soprano/mezzo lines so each voice remains audible; resist the urge to let one singer dominate in moments of harmonic convergence.
  • Shape the phrase contours gently rather than dramatically; the prayer's power lies in its simplicity and directness.
  • Coordinate breathing between the two singers so rests feel unified and the line never breaks awkwardly.
  • Use the piano part to ground the singers' phrasing, particularly in passages where the voices move independently.

How to use it

Pair this with other operatic excerpts for a "Stories from the Stage" concert, or use it as a centerpiece in a program exploring themes of innocence and courage in music. It works equally well in a holiday concert (given the operatic tradition of performing Hansel and Gretel during winter) or as a recital closer that sends audiences out contemplative and moved.

Skills your students will build

  • Singing with a partner while maintaining independent vocal line control
  • Balancing dynamic and tonal blend in close harmonic writing
  • Sustaining emotional authenticity through simple, unadorned melody
  • Responding to piano accompaniment as a structural anchor rather than background

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