Chefs' surprise

Ominous news from my mother, about the Metropolitan Opera's recent "Hansel and Gretel." Apparently the 14 angels were replaced by 14 chefs.

You know, the angels that guard over the children as they sing the beautiful slumber song.

Those are the chefs up above, in the scene where the children are asleep. I would rather have angels watching over me, I will tell you that right now!

The rationale for the switch was apparently that the children were hungry and so would be dreaming of food. Fie, say I. For one thing angels are poignant and these cartoon chefs, while cute, are not. And that is a part of the opera where you do not want to laugh. It is a beautiful interlude and there is no reason you have to be laughing every second, you know?

The new thing seems to be to erase religion from these operas and I think that is wrong. It is like that "Tosca" we explored a while ago, when they dispensed with having Tosca lay the crucifix on Scarpia's chest.

People are threatened by religion, is all I can think. Oh, look, there is this blogger who disapproves of this "Hansel and Gretel" too. I am glad! I was afraid I would stand alone.

One good thing about "Hansel and Gretel": Hansel was Angelika Kirschschlager. She is a singer I love!

Here she is singing "Der Nussbaum."