German composer Engelbert Humperdinck (1854–1921) created one of the most beloved works in the operatic repertoire when he transformed a favorite Grimm Brothers fairy tale into his operatic masterpiece, Hansel and Gretel. First produced in Weimar during the Christmas season of 1893, it remains a musical rarity: an opera loved by children as well as adults.

Adelheid Wette, Humperdinck's sister, based her libretto for the opera on the Grimm Brothers' tale, adding characters such as the Dew Fair...