Musical fairytales, old and new

A native of Brooklyn, Avery Fisher was a talented violinist and a life-long philanthropist.  When he died in 1994 at the age of 87, he left $10.5 million to the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.  In tribute, the Orchestra’s home turf is now the beautiful hall at New York’s Lincoln Center that bears Fisher’s name.

I came to Lincoln Center this morning to see The Little Orchestra's production of "Hansel and Gretel".  I can't lie - even though I knew the show is meant to be for kids, I really wanted to see it.

The music is by Engelbert Humperdinck, but I quickly discovered it was not the Humperdinck that I was originally thinking of - and I needed to get it sorted, pronto.

Will the real Humperdinck please stand up?

Alright, enough silliness.

I think we all know that "Hansel and Gretel" would not have been written by Englebert Humperdinck (aka Jerry Dorsey), or Prince Humperdinck (aka The King's Stinking Son).  It was, in fact, composed by the handsomely-mustachioed Englebert Humperdinck, who was born in Germany in 1854.  He wrote his first composition at seven, and had written 2 operas by the time he was a teenager.  He studied at the Cologne Conservatory under several famous composers, including Wagner.

Before we go on, I also feel obliged to confess that even though I was keen to see the "Hansel and Gretel", I wouldn't say I'm a huge classical music fan.  I don't know much about it, and I don't really know what I like.  But I will say that the times I have experienced live classical music (see my write-ups on the Lyric Opera House in Chicago, Royal Albert Hall, The Nutcracker at Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall), I've really loved it.  But I think it's the combination of the music and something to watch on stage that I really like, or perhaps that I really need in order to sustain my interest.

That certainly seemed to be the case for the kids today too.  The production of "Hansel and Gretel" was totally charming.  There was dancing, singing, bright costumes, and lots of activity happening all across the stage.  I'll admit I was more taken with the reaction of the kids around me - some restless, others totally spellbound and on the edge of their seats.  I think it helped that the production had also cast kids to play the roles of the gingerbread children who had been trapped by the witch's spell.  Seeing people their own age in the production helped keep the kids in the audience transfixed and in a little over an hour, we were all cheering and applauding for Hansel and Gretel's safe return from the haunted forest.

Emerging into the warm Saturday sun, I crossed the Lincoln Center courtyard, walked past Juilliard, and into the "Ladies and Gentlemen...The Beatles!" exhibition in The New York Public Library's Donald and Mary Oenslager Gallery.  

The exhibition runs until 10 May and is totally free.  It is pretty comprehensive too, and includes photographs, news footage, and other assorted memorabilia curated from a range of sources across the country.  The exhibition also includes some free public programs about The Beatles, including film and documentary screenings, and public lectures.

When I went today, the small gallery was pretty jam-packed with people of all ages, but I still managed to see everything.  I particularly liked the diorama of a typical teenage girl's bedroom at the height of Beatlemania, walls plastered with posters and bookshelves crammed with LPs.  I also enjoyed watching the black & white TV footage, strapping on some headphones and listening to a couple of live performances and interviews, and seeing the collection of instruments and autographed concert books.

Just like "Hansel and Gretel", the legend of the Fab Four well and truly lives on.