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'''''Amahl and the Night Visitors''''' is an [[opera]] in one act by [[Gian Carlo Menotti]] on an original English [[libretto]] by the [[composer]]. It was first performed on [[24 December]] [[1951]] in [[New York City]], at the [[NBC]] studios, where it was broadcast on [[television]]. It was the first opera specifically composed for television in America<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/news/2007/02/02/db0201.xml Telegraph obituary. Last accessed 02/02/07</ref>. The opera is now a popular [[Christmas]] classic. |
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==Characters== |
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*Principal roles |
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**Amahl - [[Boy soprano]] |
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**Amahl's mother - [[Mezzo-Soprano]] or [[Soprano]] |
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**King [[Casper (name)|Kaspar]] - [[Tenor]] |
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**King [[Melchior]] - [[Baritone]] |
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**King [[Balthazar]] - [[Basso|Bass]] |
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*Other |
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**Page - [[Baritone]] |
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**Shepherds and shepherdesses - [[choir|Chorus]] |
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==Plot== |
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:Time: The 1st century. |
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:Place: Near [[Bethlehem]]. |
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Amahl is a disabled boy who, although he has a kind and pleasant heart, has a problem with telling tall tales and, occasionally, lies. Because of this his mother does not believe him one evening when he tells her that there is an amazing star "as big as a window." Later that night, there is a knock at the door and his mother tells him to go see who it is. He is amazed when he sees three splendidly dressed kings (obviously the [[Magi]]). They tell the mother and Amahl that they are on a long journey to give gifts to a wondrous child, and that they would like to rest at Amahl's house. The mother agrees, suspecting that the child they seek may be Amahl. She goes to fetch all of her neighbors, so that the kings may be fed and entertained properly. Later that night, however, the mother, being poor and also sickened at the thought of her child being a beggar, attempts to steal some gold that was meant for the [[Christ child]], but is thwarted by the Kings' Page. Upon seeing Amahl's weak defense of his mother, and realizing the mother's motives for the attempted theft, King Melchior says she may keep the gold, as the Holy Child will not need earthly power or wealth to build his kingdom. The mother says that knowing of the Child's greatness, she wishes to send a gift but has nothing to send. Amahl, too, has nothing to give the Christ Child except his crutch, but he offers it, and as he does so, his leg is healed, and he joyfully leaves his mother and goes off with the three kings to see the child and give thanks for being healed. |
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==History== |
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''Amahl and the Night Visitors'' was the first Christmas special to become an annual television tradition. From 1951 until 1966, it was presented on [[NBC]] (which commissioned Menotti to write it) on or around [[Christmas Eve]], as an episode of an existing anthology series, such as ''[[The Alcoa Hour]]'' , ''[[NBC Television Opera]]'', or the ''[[Hallmark Hall of Fame]]''. On at least one occasion, it was presented as a special on its own, and not as part of an anthology series. |
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For its first three telecasts, the program had been presented in black-and-white (there were two presentations of it in 1952, one on Easter and one during the Christmas season [http://www.cinema.ucla.edu/hallmark/index.html]), but beginning in 1953, it was usually telecast in color. Because it was an opera, and commercial network television executives had increasingly little confidence in presenting opera on television, it was, from 1961 to 1966, scheduled as an afternoon television program, rather than shown in [[primetime]] as had been done between 1951 and 1960. [[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,827181,00.html]] The only exception to this was the 1965 showing, which took place at 6:30 P.M., Eastern Standard Time. [http://www.cinema.ucla.edu/hallmark/index.html] |
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It has been presented on TV in foreign countries as well, and in foreign translations. |
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It was long believed that the original kinescope of ''Amahl'' had been accidentally erased by an NBC executive, but another copy was recently discovered and now resides in the [[Museum of Radio and Television]]. |
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For years, ''Amahl'' was presented live, but in 1963 it was videotaped by NBC with an all-new cast, and this version was shown from 1963 to 1966. After 1966, it seemed to have been retired from television, but in 1978, a new production, starring [[Teresa Stratas]] as Amahl's mother, [[Robert Sapolsky (opera singer)|Robert Sapolsky]] as Amahl, and [[Willard White]], [[Giorgio Tozzi]] and [[Nico Castel]] as the Three Kings, was filmed by NBC, partly on location in the [[Holy Land]]. It, however, did not become an annual tradition the way the 1951 and 1963 versions had. The 1955 and 1978 productions are the only ones released on video. [[Cast recording]]s of both the 1951 and the 1963 productions were recorded by [[RCA Victor]], and the 1951 cast recording was released on [[compact disc]]. The 1963 recording of ''Amahl'' was the first recording of the opera made in [[stereo]]. |
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A BBC production starring Pablo Strong as Amahl was produced in 2002 and was supposed to have been broadcast in December 2002, but was pulled after the producers realized they did not have and could not secure the rights. [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,632005,00.html] |
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==External Links== |
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* [http://www.boysoloist.com/artist.asp?VID=1175 Chet Allen] (1951-1952 Amahl) at Boysoloist.com |
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* [http://www.boysoloist.com/artist.asp?vid=3437 Bill McIver] (1952-1955 Amahl) at Boysoloist.com |
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* [http://www.boysoloist.com/artist.asp?vid=1441 Kurt Yaghjian] (1963-1966 Amahl) at Boysoloist.com (Yaghiyan did not appear in a live version; the 1963 performance was videotaped and re-broadcast several times.) |
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* [http://www.boysoloist.com/artist.asp?vid=1440 Robert Sapolsky] (1978) at Boysoloist.com |
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* [http://www.boysoloist.com/artist.asp?vid=2961 Pablo Strong] (2002) at Boysoloist.com |
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==Notes== |
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{{Reflist}} |
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[[Category:Operas by Gian Carlo Menotti]] |
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[[Category:English-language operas]] |
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[[Category:One-act operas]] |
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[[Category:Children's operas]] |
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[[Category:Operas]] |
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[[Category:Peabody Award winners]] |
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[[Category:1951 operas]] |
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[[Category:Operas for television]] |
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[[de:Amahl und die nächtlichen Besucher]] |
Revision as of 17:34, 12 December 2007
Amahl and the Night Visitors is an opera in one act by Gian Carlo Menotti on an original English libretto by the composer. It was first performed on 24 December 1951 in New York City, at the NBC studios, where it was broadcast on television. It was the first opera specifically composed for television in America[1]. The opera is now a popular Christmas classic.
Characters
- Principal roles
- Amahl - Boy soprano
- Amahl's mother - Mezzo-Soprano or Soprano
- King Kaspar - Tenor
- King Melchior - Baritone
- King Balthazar - Bass
- Other
Plot
- Time: The 1st century.
- Place: Near Bethlehem.
Amahl is a disabled boy who, although he has a kind and pleasant heart, has a problem with telling tall tales and, occasionally, lies. Because of this his mother does not believe him one evening when he tells her that there is an amazing star "as big as a window." Later that night, there is a knock at the door and his mother tells him to go see who it is. He is amazed when he sees three splendidly dressed kings (obviously the Magi). They tell the mother and Amahl that they are on a long journey to give gifts to a wondrous child, and that they would like to rest at Amahl's house. The mother agrees, suspecting that the child they seek may be Amahl. She goes to fetch all of her neighbors, so that the kings may be fed and entertained properly. Later that night, however, the mother, being poor and also sickened at the thought of her child being a beggar, attempts to steal some gold that was meant for the Christ child, but is thwarted by the Kings' Page. Upon seeing Amahl's weak defense of his mother, and realizing the mother's motives for the attempted theft, King Melchior says she may keep the gold, as the Holy Child will not need earthly power or wealth to build his kingdom. The mother says that knowing of the Child's greatness, she wishes to send a gift but has nothing to send. Amahl, too, has nothing to give the Christ Child except his crutch, but he offers it, and as he does so, his leg is healed, and he joyfully leaves his mother and goes off with the three kings to see the child and give thanks for being healed.
History
Amahl and the Night Visitors was the first Christmas special to become an annual television tradition. From 1951 until 1966, it was presented on NBC (which commissioned Menotti to write it) on or around Christmas Eve, as an episode of an existing anthology series, such as The Alcoa Hour , NBC Television Opera, or the Hallmark Hall of Fame. On at least one occasion, it was presented as a special on its own, and not as part of an anthology series.
For its first three telecasts, the program had been presented in black-and-white (there were two presentations of it in 1952, one on Easter and one during the Christmas season [1]), but beginning in 1953, it was usually telecast in color. Because it was an opera, and commercial network television executives had increasingly little confidence in presenting opera on television, it was, from 1961 to 1966, scheduled as an afternoon television program, rather than shown in primetime as had been done between 1951 and 1960. [[2]] The only exception to this was the 1965 showing, which took place at 6:30 P.M., Eastern Standard Time. [3]
It has been presented on TV in foreign countries as well, and in foreign translations.
It was long believed that the original kinescope of Amahl had been accidentally erased by an NBC executive, but another copy was recently discovered and now resides in the Museum of Radio and Television.
For years, Amahl was presented live, but in 1963 it was videotaped by NBC with an all-new cast, and this version was shown from 1963 to 1966. After 1966, it seemed to have been retired from television, but in 1978, a new production, starring Teresa Stratas as Amahl's mother, Robert Sapolsky as Amahl, and Willard White, Giorgio Tozzi and Nico Castel as the Three Kings, was filmed by NBC, partly on location in the Holy Land. It, however, did not become an annual tradition the way the 1951 and 1963 versions had. The 1955 and 1978 productions are the only ones released on video. Cast recordings of both the 1951 and the 1963 productions were recorded by RCA Victor, and the 1951 cast recording was released on compact disc. The 1963 recording of Amahl was the first recording of the opera made in stereo.
A BBC production starring Pablo Strong as Amahl was produced in 2002 and was supposed to have been broadcast in December 2002, but was pulled after the producers realized they did not have and could not secure the rights. [4]
External Links
- Chet Allen (1951-1952 Amahl) at Boysoloist.com
- Bill McIver (1952-1955 Amahl) at Boysoloist.com
- Kurt Yaghjian (1963-1966 Amahl) at Boysoloist.com (Yaghiyan did not appear in a live version; the 1963 performance was videotaped and re-broadcast several times.)
- Robert Sapolsky (1978) at Boysoloist.com
- Pablo Strong (2002) at Boysoloist.com
Notes
- ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/news/2007/02/02/db0201.xml Telegraph obituary. Last accessed 02/02/07