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. The foyer of Charles Garniers Opéra, Paris, opened 1875 Opera refers to a dramatic art form, originating in Europe, in which the emotional content or primary entertainment is conveyed to the audience as much through music, both vocal and instrumental, as it is through the lyrics. ... Gian Carlo Menotti, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1944 Gian Carlo Menotti (born July 7, 1911, Cadegliano, Italy) is an Italian-born American composer. ... A libretto is the complete body of words used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, sacred or secular oratorio and cantata, musical, and ballet. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... December 24 is the 358th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (359th in leap years). ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... Nickname: The Big Apple Official website: City of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area Total 468. ... NBC, formerly called the National Broadcasting Company, is an American television broadcasting company based in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ...

The opera is now a popular Christmas classic, broadcast, as it was on its premiere, on Christmas Eve. Amahl is full of humour, wonder, and drama, and the music is tuneful and charming. These qualities make it a favorite to introduce opera, as a genre, to children. Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a traditional holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus with both religious and secular aspects, commonly observed on 25 December. ... The Christmas Eve (1904-05), watercolor painting by the Swedish painter Carl Larsson (1853-1919) Christmas Eve, December 24, the day before Christmas Day, is treated to a greater or a lesser extent in most Christian societies as part of the Christmas festivities. ... Music is a human activity which involves structured and audible sounds, which is used for artistic or aesthetic, entertainment, or ceremonial purposes. ...

Characters

• Principal roles
  • Amahl - Treble
  • Amahl's mother - Soprano
  • King Kaspar - Tenor
  • King Melchior - Baritone
  • King Balthazar - Bass
• Other
  • Page - Baritone
  • Shepherds and shepherdesses - Chorus

Boy soprano (or treble in British English; see below) is a term applied in music to a young male singer with an unchanged voice in the soprano range. ... Look up Soprano in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In music, a tenor is a male singer with a high voice (although not as high as the modern countertenor). ... In music, a baritone (from Greek βαρυτονος deeply, heavily sounding) is a male voice of intermediate pitch, between bass and tenor. ... A basso (or bass) is a male singer who sings in the lowest vocal range of the human voice. ... In music, a baritone (from Greek βαρυτονος deeply, heavily sounding) is a male voice of intermediate pitch, between bass and tenor. ... In classical music a chorus is any substantial group of performers in a play, revue, musical or opera who act more or less as one. ...

Plot

Time: The 1st century.

Place: Near Bethlehem.

Amahl is a young boy with a crippled leg 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. The Church of the Nativity, a Bethlehem Landmark Bethlehem (Arabic بيت لحم (help· info) house of meat; Standard Hebrew בית לחם house of bread, Bet léḥem / Bet láḥem; Tiberian Hebrew Bêṯ léḥem / Bêṯ lāḥem) (Greek: Βηθλεέμ) is a city in the West Bank under Palestinian Authority considered a central hub of... Magi (Μάγοι) were Zoroastrian astrologer-priests from ancient Persia. ...

Trivia

A fragment of special effects footage created for an early 1960s BBC Television production of Amahl and the Night Visitors was used as the first shot of the opening title sequence of the famous science-fiction series Doctor Who for its first three years from 1963 to 1966. The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ... Viewing Figure History BBC One (or BBC1 as it was formerly styled) is the oldest television station in the world. ... Doctor Who is a long-running British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC about a mysterious time-travelling adventurer known only as The Doctor, who explores time and space with his companions, fighting evil. ... Template:C20YearInnTopic 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ...