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Table of Contents All lessons in this guide are intended to be adapted as best fits your classroom. Speaking of Opera 3 Humperdinck & the Brothers Grimm 4 Know Before You Go: Things to Talk About 5 During the Opera: Things to Listen For 6 Our Sweet Story 7 From Our Stage to Your Classroom: Curricular Connections 8 The Life and Our Local Times of the Brothers Grimm 9 Dance a Step With Me! 10 The Next Grimm 11 Critic s Corner 12 Science, Technology, & Information, Oh My! 13 Sweet Math 14 Hansel & Gretel s Bedtime Song 15 Opera Glossary 16 Recommended Reading, Listening, & Links 17 2
Speaking of Opera What is opera? A drama (play) that is sung! What are other important elements of opera? (Here are a few hints!) This group of people play the music These are worn to help tell the story and this person conducts them! These people are a large group of singers that participate and help tell the story... Here are some other important terms when talking about opera. Full definitions are in the back of this guide. IMPORTANT OPERA TERMS DIVIDED INTO 21ST CENTURY TIERS TIER I TIER II TIER III PROPS BASS ARIA SCENE BARITONE CONTRALTO SETTING CHORUS LIBRETTO PIANO COMPOSER MEZZO-SOPRANO CONDUCTOR COSTUMES DESIGNER ENSEMBLE OPERA RECITATIVE SOPRANO TENOR PANTS ROLE STAGE DIRECTOR 3
Humperdinck & The Brothers Grimm Engelbert Humperdinck (1854 1921) Engelbert Humperdinck yes, that s his real name! was born and grew up in Siegburg, Germany. Like many other famous composers, he learned to play piano as a young child and wrote his first piece of music at an early age. He was only 7 when he composed his first piece of music! Engelbert went on to study music in college, though his parents were not happy about his decision. After college, he met and worked with the famous composer Richard Wagner. He even tutored his son! He wrote 6 operas and several pieces for orchestra, but Hansel & Gretel is his most famous work. Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm (1785 1863 & 1786-1859) The Brothers Grimm were born in Germany and were the oldest of five children. They loved a good story! Their father died when they were still young and the family grew poor. In school, they were introduced to a man who showed them a treasure like none other a library full of books. The brothers began collecting their own stories and writing them down. These storied were folktales that were told by the people of Germany. In 1812, their first collection of these stories, Children s and Household Tales, was published. We know this book today as Grimms Fairy Tales. The brothers collected over 200 stories in their lifetime and are credited as being the first folklorists, or scientific studiers of folktales. Their books have been translated into more than 160 different languages! We bet you know a few of their stories: Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Rapunzel 4
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Things to Talk About What is a fairy tale? How is a fairytale different from real life? Discuss the differences between: opera vs. play concert vs. music video watching a live performance vs. a performance on tv What does being a respectful audience member look like? Review the synopsis of Hansel & Gretel and discuss the story, its elements, and the characters. SUGGESTIONS FOR THE Q&A SESSION Involving students in the performance is an integral part of the Opera Xpress experience. There will be a short Q&A session with the cast following the performance! We encourage you to have students think about questions to ask before Opera Xpress visits. Here are some examples: What made you decide to become a singer? How do you sing so loudly? Where did the sets and props come from? How much do you practice? How long did it take you to learn the opera? Who made the costumes? 5
DURING HANSEL & GRETEL: Things to Listen For Be sure to listen for the different types of voices: SOPRANO The highest female voice. MEZZO SOPRANO The middle female voice. Hansel TENOR The highest male voice. PIANO We ve fit the whole orchestra in two hands! Gretel Lurlina "Brother dance a step with me" (Click title for link. Song occurs at 6:00) A duet where Gretel teaches Hansel to dance. What does this duet tell you about their characters? Learn the dance yourself on page 10! "Evening Prayer" ("Bedtime Song") (Click title for link.) This duet is sung as Hansel and Gretel prepare to go to sleep in the woods. How does the music match the words? Why might this duet be important to the story? We ve changed the words. Here they are! When at night I go to sleep, I will know I was my best, Choices all made wisely, Actions all done kindly. I will face temptation, Strongly I won t give in. Making choices wisely, Doing actions kindly, Always rising to the test So each day I m my very best. "Hocus pocus, witch's brew" (Click title for link.) The Witch s aria where she casts her spell on Hansel and Gretel. Be sure to listen for how her mood is different here than the other times she sings to Hansel and Gretel. 6
OUR SWEET STORY Once upon a sweet, sweet time, a brother and a sister were sent into the woods by their mother to find berries Gretel is happily singing and dancing to herself as she gathers flowers for her wreath. Her brother, Hansel, has just finished filling a basket full of strawberries and proudly shares this with his sister. She shares her wreath of flowers with him but Hansel would never be caught wearing that it s for girls! Hansel offers to give Gretel the basket of berries but only if she promises not to eat them all; Gretel reminds Hansel that the bad choice he made is why they were sent into the woods in the first place. To get back at Gretel, he teases her that the witch Lurlina lives in these woods and that she tempts children with her house made of sweets. Gretel almost falls for his trick and decides she would rather dance and forget about the tale of Lurlina and her tempting tasties. We hear a cuckoo bird in the woods and Hansel and Gretel begin to call the cuckoo, which are known far and wide to be very greedy birds. They get carried away calling the cuckoo and, before he knows it, Hansel has eaten all the strawberries! Disappointed in her brother s actions, Gretel declares that they will have to pick the berries again. The sun has gone down, the forest has grown dark. Hansel confesses that he does not know where they are and gives a loud call of Who s there? to help soothe Gretel s fears. Hansel and Gretel decide to stay close for the night and pick their berries in the morning. The two sing their bedtime song and fall asleep curled up together in the dark forest. The morning light has arrived and the sleepy Hansel and Gretel awake to discover the most amazing sight they have ever seen a house all made of treats! The walls are made of gingerbread, the roof tiled with cinnamon buns, the windows made with colorful sugar, cookies hang from the walls, gummy bear hedges surround the house and more! They knock but the person who lives there is nowhere to be found to invite them in to dinner. Hansel tries to convince his sister that, since no one is home, they should nibble the house. Her resolve breaks down and they begin to nibble away. They begin to get greedy with their sweets from the house when a mysterious lady appears, followed by her gummy bear minions Red and Yellow, to introduce herself. She is the lady Lurlina and all the children come to visit her house Lurlina invites Hansel and Gretel into her house, promising them all the sweets they can eat. Gretel, not buying into her promises, asks what Lurlina will do with them once they are inside the house. It s a surprise, replies Lurlina, and Hansel, who realizes that this just may be too good to be true, decides it s time for Gretel and him to go home. Lurlina does not like the looks of this and, with her magical cane, (and the help of Red and Yellow, of course) puts Hansel and Gretel under her spell so they cannot escape. Excited about her tasty new visitors, Lurlina has Gretel help her fatten up skinny Hansel while she does her chores. Gretel, always the smart one, has a plan. Lurlina returns and sets Gretel to helping fatten her brother. Gretel grabs Lurlina s magic cane, unfreezes Hansel, and their plan is set in motion. Pretending Hansel is still under a spell, Hansel and Gretel play along with Lurlina as she prepares to feast on Hansel. The witch asks Gretel to help her peep into the oven and see if the gingerbread is ready. Gretel pretends she does not know how to do such a thing and asks Lurlina if she will show her how. Lurlina heads to the oven and shows Gretel exactly how easy it is peep into the oven. Hansel and Gretel sneak up behind her and, as she peeps into the oven, shove Lurlina into the oven! Glad that they survived Lurlina s temptations, Hansel and Gretel learn that when there are choices to make and consequences to face, two heads are better than one! 7
From Our Stage to Your Classroom! Opera connects to any and all subjects! Geography Maps & Navigation Hansel & Gretel in a different climate or landscape Arts Careers in the Arts Leitmotifs (musical themes) then & now Reading, Writing, Speaking, & Listening Fairytales, folktales, & fables Health & PE Nutrition Exercise through dance Economics Responsible spending & saving Science, Technology, & Information Science of cooking & candymaking Research process in discovering other tales Fractured fairytales Social Studies Local history in Humperdinck s day Mathematics Musical patterns & forms Measurements Arts & culture in your community 8
The Lives and Our Local Times of the Brothers Grimm The Brothers Grimm lived from 1785-1859. Check out the timeline of events we have provided. What historical events can you add to the timeline? 1789 North Carolina becomes the 12 th state 1794 NC s state capitol is moved from New Bern to Raleigh 1828 Andrew Jackson becomes our 7 th president 1840 NC s first public schools open 1845 James K Polk becomes our 11 th president 1853 NC holds its first state fair 1865 Andrew Johnson becomes the 17 th president 1878 A Cherokee Reservation is formed in Western NC 1785 Jacob Grimm is born 1786 Wilhelm Grimm is born 1796 The Brothers father died and the grew poor 1806 They began collecting stories 1812 Their 1 st collection of stories, Children s & Household Tales is published 1816 Both brothers became librarians 1835 Their 1 st edition of German Mythology was published 1847 Both brothers resign from teaching 1859 Wilhelm dies 1863 Jacob dies 1776 The Declaration of Independence is signed 1784 The Treaty of Paris is signed 1799 By the end of the century, the US population is 5 million people! 1803 Louisiana Territory is purchased from France 1812 The War of 1812 between the US & Britain begins, ends in 1815 1838 Thousands of Cherokee Indians are forced from their homes along the Trail of Tears 1861 US Civil War break out, ends in 1865 1849 California Gold Rush begins 1865 The 13 th Amendment is ratified, ending slavery 9
Dance a Step With Me! Hansel & Gretel dance in the forest to forget about their fear of Lurlina. Learn their dance from the diagram below. Step 1 Step 2 A A B B Hansel learned the dance, but did it his own way. What does your dance look like? Create your own Hancel & Gretel line dance! 10
The Next Grimm The Brothers Grimm were masters of collecting stories. The story of Hansel & Gretel has been rewritten many times and in many different languages. Now is your chance to step into the shoes of the Grimm brothers and collect your very own version of Hansel & Gretel! Have students gather into small groups, one person being the collector of stories. The other members of the group will orally tell their own version of Hansel & Gretel and, after hearing all the tellings, the collector will write down the final version. Be sure the stories students tell have the following: A beginning, middle, and end A conflict and resolution A setting HANSEL & GRETEL By 11
CRITIC S CORNER Have students complete the review of the opera below. Once the review is complete and the final rating stars have been colored in, send the review back to Opera Carolina! Mail: 1600 Elizabeth Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28204 Fax: 704.332.6448 Email: Ashley@operacarolina.org A review of What I liked best about this opera was because Another thing I liked was because What I did not like about this opera was because The best character was because I think the opera would be better if One part I would not change is The person I think would enjoy this opera is I would like to play the part of because Color in the gummy bears below to indicate your rating of our opera. Sour - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - okay - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sweet! 12
SCIENCE, INFORMATION & TECHNOLOGY, OH MY! Sound Science Sound is vibration, and vibration is energy. Just like other forms of energy, sound can change. What are the ways in which sound can change? Identify relationship between pitch and vibration & changes due to push and pull on instruments such as: when a trombone is played (ex. the action of pushing and pulling the slide); how the vibrations feel different between metallophones and xylophones; and how a piano produces so many different pitches. Differentiate between children s voices and adult voices & how various pitches vibrate (speed). Forces in Motion Magic or Science? As Lurlina casts a spell on Hansel and Gretel she is able to control Gretel with her cane. She spins Gretel round and around just with her cane. Do you think this is magic? Or could it be science? What forces could cause Gretel to react this way? Magnets? Electrical charges? Magic? If Lurlina is using magnets or electricity, how would this work? Folktales Then & Now, There & Here Folktales and folklore are a big part of many cultures, from the Grimm Brothers to right here in the Carolinas! There is a rich tradition of folklore in North and South Carolina, have students investigate this tradition and discover local tales for themselves, individually or in collaborations. Be sure to consider the following: - Are folktales fiction or non-fiction? Why? - What are good sources and tools with which to learn more about and discover these folktales? - Be sure to create a simple research process to help your discovery be successful. Some suggested sources: NCpedia - North Carolina s online encyclopedia: http://ncpedia.org/folklore LearnNC - a UNC digital learning platform: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/4081 American Folklore: http://americanfolklore.net/folklore/united-states-folklore/north-carolina-folklore/ 13
Sweet MATH Have students recall and/or draw the scenery from Hansel & Gretel. What shapes can they describe and recognize from the scenery? Be sure to think about the trees, the roof tops, and more! Are the shapes and lines soft or angular? How did the scenery reflect the sharp angles and soft lines of the music? Create your own gingerbread house on paper or 3D! Be sure to use a ruler to get measurements of the house. Convert the measurements into centimeters, meters, and feet. Determine a scale ratio to make your gingerbread house life-size. Draw your house here! 14
Hansel & Gretel s Bedtime Song Hansel & Gretel sing a song every night before they go to sleep, including their night in the forest. This song is very famous! Have students learn this famous duet: Make it even sweeter! Challenge students to create their own improvised bedtime song. What do they wish to remind themselves of each night? How does the melody reflect their words? 15
OPERA GLOSSARY Aria Baritone Bass Chorus Composer Conductor Contralto Costumes characters. Designer Duet Ensemble Libretto Mezzo soprano Opera Pants role Piano Props Recitative Scene Setting Soprano Stage Director Tenor A song sung by one person that expresses a strong feeling. The middle male voice. The lowest male voice. A large group of singers. The person who writes the music. The person who directs the music and singing. The lowest female voice. The clothing and accessories that singers wear to communicate their The person who creates the look and feel of the opera. A musical number sung by two people. A group of singers larger than 3 but smaller than a chorus. The words that are sung in an opera. The middle female voice. A drama (play) that is sung throughout. A part that is a male character but played or sung by a female. A keyboard instrument that is used in place of an orchestra. Small items performers carry or use to help communicate the story. Words that are sung but sound like speaking. A small section of an opera or play that has its own setting. The place or idea where the music and action take place. The highest female voice. The person who instructs singers where to stand, how to move, and how to act. The highest male voice. 16
RECOMMENDED LISTENING, READING, & LINKS Listening (CD) Humperdinck: Hänsel und Gretel - Ileana Cotrubas, Frederica Von Stade, Elisabeth Söderström, Siegmund Nimsgern, Christa Ludwig; Sir John Pritchard, conductor. Sung in German. (YouTube) Royal Opera House s production of Hansel & Gretel We ve linked to part 1 of Act II, where our version begins. Be sure to watch the other scenes, available on the right side of the screen. Books The Project Gutenberg Ebook of Grimms Fairy Tales A free online translation of the original story! http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2591/2591-h/2591-h.htm Bony Legs by Joanna Cole Based on the Russian folktale Baba Yaga, this is the story of a witch and the girl that outsmarted her. A great read for comparison lessons. ISBN 0-590-07882-8 Web Resources Metropolitan Opera s Educator s Guide to Hansel & Gretel Classroom activities, musical highlights, & more. http://www.metopera.org/metopera/about/education/educatorguides/content.aspx?customid=6858 Interactive Hansel & Gretel Opera Classical KUSC A site offering an interactive telling of the story, lesson plans, and more. http://www.classicalkusc.org/kids/opera/index.asp National Geographic s Collection of Brothers Grimm Tales Information on the Grimm Brothers & 12 tales available in English translation http://www.nationalgeographic.com/grimm/index2.html Sur la Lune Fairy Tales An annotated but still very detailed- telling of the story. http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/hanselgretel/index.html GrimmFairyTales.com Information on the Grimms and their tales, plus a silly animated telling of Hansel & Gretel. http://www.grimmfairytales.com/en/main 17