Humperdinck: Hänsel und Gretel

I'm so glad I've finally got a copy of this great recording. Excellent value and service from this seller.

So, you'd think that as EMI have once again reissued this seminal recording, they might get around to addressing some of the audio issues inherent in a recording of this age ... but no.Sadly this reissue/repackage is identical to the previous EMI release. So it's hissy, a tad compressed and flat sounding, though oddly quiet. Basically it's not good enough, and it's not difficult to make comparisons: there are ample remastered/restored recordings from the same era, and all of them sound better.Yet it's so obvious that there are considerable sonic possibilities within the recording - possibilities that unquestionably warrant being realised. There must be a sound engineer out there capable of doing this - the obvious choice would be the people at Sounds on CD.Such a shame to once again waste a great opportunity to bring audio quality to what has to be considered the greatest recording of this much loved opera. But this is typical of EMI ... typically lazy. Perhaps having a new owner will help, either because the label's forced to realise its assets, or sell them off to somebody who actually cares.

Lying in the EMI vaults are many tapes of superb opera recordings made in the 1950s. Herbert von Karajan, prior to his Berlin Philharmonic days, was often engaged to conduct them by the producer, Walter Legge. The recording venue was London's Kingsway Hall - blown to smithereens recently when a bomb that had lodged in the roof during a W W 2 air raid was dislodged.Amongst these splendid productions, this 1953 recording of "Hänsel und Gretel" has inspired great affection and received many reissues. Early reviewers, writing in the "Record Guide" thought the heroes of the occasion were Elisabeth Grümmer and Herbert von Karajan. Later reviewers have praised Schwarzkopf and Grümmer for their skill at "acting with the voice". Currently this EMI set is still the recommended version of the opera listed in the "Gramophone".If these are some of the recommendations, are there any cautions? I offer only one. Don't expect 1953 mono recording to deliver the luscious listening experience that modern technology provides.Listening to the long orchestral introduction to Act Two, you could be excused for thinking that the score was ghost-written by Wagner. In fact the reverse is partly true. In his younger years Humperdinck became strongly influenced and actively associated with Wagner at Bayreuth. Wagner called on his young disciple to help put the finishing touches to "Parsifal".

Can 2 middle-aged ladies sing a little girl and boy without sounding silly? Yes! Before the first couple of lines have been sung you can see those two children before you and you will like them.I disagree with the previous review in that the sound quality is fine.Josef Metternich makes a fine, jolly father while Else Schurhoff is especially funny when she sweetly proclaims herself to be 'as innocent as a little child. That's why I like little children so much'.The vocal acting makes you see the characters.The whole CD is as delicious as the witch's house and comes complete with a libretto which contains the German and, instead of a translation, an English version of the opera.