Tuesday, February 26, 2013

"Abendsegen" - An Evening Prayer

As personal research, I am including this transcription from Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel because it touches on similar themes regarding children lost "in the woods". In this moment in the opera, Hansel and Gretel have escaped from their house into the woods beyond and are singing an evening prayer before retiring. The prayer begins with "when at night I go to sleep, fourteen angels watch do keep…". It's a beautiful soprano/alto duet, but when played on the mechanical chime instrument I created it takes on a subtly dark tone.