uniper bough, and speaking
the formula, disenchants her brother. Meanwhile the witch turning to
the oven, tells Gretel, to creep into it, in order to see, if the
honey-cakes are ready, but the little girl, affecting stupidity begs
her, to show, how she is to get in. The witch impatiently bends
forward and at the same moment Gretel assisted by Hansel, who has
escaped from his prison pushes her into the hot oven and slams the iron
door.--The wicked witch burns to ashes, while the oven cracks and roars
and finally falls to pieces. With astonishment the brother and sister
see a long row of children, from whom the honey-crust has fallen off,
standing stiff and stark. Gretel tenderly caresses one of them, who
opens his eyes and smiles. She now touches them all, and Hansel,
seizing the juniper bough works the charm and recalls them to new life.
The cake-children thank them warmly, and they all proceed to inspect
the treasures of the house, when Hansel hears their parents calling
them. Great is the joy of father and mother at finding their
beloved-ones safe and in the possession of a sweet little house. The
old sorceress is drawn out of the ruins of the oven in form of an
immense honey-cake, whereupon they all thank Heaven for having so
visibly helped and protected them.

{121}

HANS HEILING.

Romantic Opera in three acts with a prelude, by HEINRICH MARSCHNER.

Text by EDUARD DEVRIENT.

The text to this opera, which was written by the celebrated actor and
sent to Marschner anonymously, so struck the composer by its beauty
that he adapted music to it, music which ought to be heard much oftener
on our stages, on account of its freshness and of its healthy dramatic
action, which never flags, but continues to interest and move the
hearer with ever-increasing effect till the end is reached.

The contents are as follows:

Hans Heiling, King of the gnomes, has fallen in love with a daughter of
the earth; the charming Anna. This maiden, a poor country-girl in the
first freshness of youth, has been induced by her mother to consent to
a betrothal with the rich stranger, whom she esteems, but nothing more,
her heart not yet having been touched by love.

In the prelude we are introduced into the depths of earth, where the
gnomes work and toil incessantly carrying glittering stones, gold and
silver and accumulating all the treasures, on which men's hearts are
set.

Their King announces to them, that he will no lo