 In 1892, Hummel was appointed leader of the stage music at the Royal Theatre in Berlin, becoming director from 1897 to 1917.As a composer, Hummel was very productive writing operas, chamber music, piano pieces and choral works.Today his music is mostly forgotten, but his operas are at least of some interest since they form a German equivalent to the Italian "Verismo"-style of Puccini, Mascagni and Leoncavallo.