Konigskinder: An Opera in Three Acts

Engelbert Humperdinck, born in 1854, composed a total of 14 operas and musical comedies. Six of them are fairytale operas, of which one remained popular throughout the years: Hänsel und Gretel. The shadow of this major success hides his other works, which deserve an equal share of appreciation for their quality; for example, Königskinder. The trio of the main protagonists is the same: an evil witch and two young people who are introduced to the seriousness of life through several severe tests. However, while Hänsel und Gretel features a happy ending, Königskinder ends in tragedy; the grief is elaborately reflected in Humperdinck s composition.