“Amahl and the Night Visitors”
From Dr. Cindy Swicegood, Alveary Administrative Assistant:
I was thrilled when I saw Gian Carlo Menotti listed as a possibility for Alveary’s 2023-24 Composer Study. This is because I dearly love his opera “Amahl and the Night Visitors!” I realize, though, that “opera” is a scary (or possibly even off-putting) word to many people. If you are among that group, I would love to have the honor of helping you to reconsider.
“Amahl and the Night Visitors” is a beautiful story of a lame little shepherd boy and his widowed mother. Their lives are forever changed when the three kings knock on their door, asking for lodging during their star-guided journey to find the Christ child. One recent reviewer described it thus:
“It’s a piece of exquisite craftsmanship, great charm, complete emotional sincerity, and it deserves to be cherished as a holiday treat.” – ClassicsToday.com
My personal love of this opera began when I saw a cast of professors from my alma mater perform it. (These professors sang the roles together for approximately 20 years.) The six of them traveled to churches all around the state, with each church’s choir portraying the shepherds. Mary Kay (a 5-feet-on-tiptoes music theory professor, later a bridesmatron in my wedding) performed the title role all those years. She still has her crutch from the show, as well as a collection of recorders she played in it throughout the years. (She actually played the recorder part in the opera herself. It’s normally performed by the oboist in the orchestra and mimed by Amahl.) At age 80+, she still quotes the lyrics (as do my daughters and I). And I’m pretty sure she could still sing the whole opera from memory at a moment’s notice!
Many years after those performances, my nephew–who had never sung anything beyond folk songs and Christmas carols and had never had any music lessons–played the very musically-challenging role of Amahl. He was 12 years old at the time and did an incredible job! My brother recorded his performance and I shared it with my daughters every Christmas for many years. When my girls met this cousin (who lived all the way across the country from us) years later, they treated him like a movie star. We plugged the VHS in (Did I mention this was years ago?!) without telling anyone what it was, and he was amazed to relive the memories of performing the role. My nephew said that soon after the run of the show, his voice began to crack and change. Had he been even a month older, he would not have been able to sing the role!
Menotti’s opera includes the poignancy of Amahl’s relationship with his mother (Duet: “Don’t Cry, Mother Dear”), their generosity in sharing what little they had with three strangers (Mother’s response to king’s request to warm themselves by her fire and rest awhile: “A cold fireplace and a bed of straw are all I have to offer you. To these, you are welcome.”), the reality of the mother’s human nature when she tries to steal some of the king’s gold (Mother’s Solo: “All That Gold”), and a miracle that happens when Amahl is willing to give his most-prized possession (his crutch) to the newborn King. It really is a delightful musical experience! If you have not begun to listen to it yet–or even if you’re not using the Composer Study lesson plans–I would encourage you to give a listen to this less-than-an-hour-long opera. It is truly not to be missed!
Let us know how you like it by commenting on this Hive post.
Notes
1. CMI Conference: Exciting News! Registration is now OPEN for CMI’s 2024 annual gathering in Wilmore, Kentucky! Join us July 25-27 for a deep dive into Charlotte Mason’s teachings on handwork, life skills, and “The Joy of Making.”
2. Call for Proposals: If you are interested in presenting at the 2024 conference, please read the guidelines and submit a proposal by January 31, 2024.
3. Advent Guide: There is still time to download CMI’s free Advent guide. From Week 2: “Consider taking a walk at night on December 14th for a chance to see the Geminid meteors, the most active meteor shower of the year.”
4. Christmas Books: Have you seen the Alveary Christmas booklist? We were delighted to discover a lovely new Christmas book called Holy Night and Little Star by Mitali Perkins just published this fall!
5. Starting a School: Are you excited and/or overwhelmed about starting a school? Let this brief video inspire and inform you as you seek to offer a relational education to your community.
