knusperwalzer

Updated: August 28, 2026

Gretel gives Hansel power of motion by repeating the "Counter-Charm," which she has overheard from the Witch, and the children push the hag into her own oven while she is heating it to roast Hansel. The two then break into a jubilant waltz, which the composer designates the Knusperwalzer, i.e. the "Crust Waltz."

Henry Edward Krehbiel - A Book of Operas : Their Histories, Their Plots, and Their Music