Conveying Narrative Items Through Music: An Analysis of the Adaptation of Hansel and Gretel's Fable to Opera

Abstract

A prominent artist well-known for his remarkable productivity and provision of informative content, the composer Engelbert Humperdick has pioneered in a special music style that might inspire new forms of music even after his death. Humperdinck also stands out among other artists since he has attached great importance to the role of music education during the chaotic times of the romantic era. This paper focuses on how music and literature are integrated by intellectuals. It also makes some comments and evaluations regarding the adaptation of Hansel and Gretel to opera. The presence of aesthetic elements in Hansel and Gretel opera significantly contributes to its artistic value. Thus, the steps taken by Humperdink to contribute to the attempts aiming to integrate literature and music are unique and noteworthy. Based on the principles of qualitative research methodology, the present study employs document analysis technique while accessing the related data. The findings revealed that Humperdink was inspired by his music style while adapting this popular fairy tale to opera. The study also showed an apparent artistic accord between the musical approach adopted in Hansel and Gretel opera and the fairy tale narration. The findings regarding this accord were reported, evaluated and interpreted within the scope of the study.