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Menotti: Amahl and the Night Visitors | 
 enlarge | Artists: Gian Carlo Menotti, Thomas Schippers, Rosemary Kuhlmann Chet Allen, Andrew Mckinley, David Aiken Leon Lishner
Label: RCA
Category: Music
List Price: $9.98
Buy New: $8.99
You Save: $0.99 (10%)
New (28) Used (13) Collectible (1) from $3.98
Rating:  27 reviews
Sales Rank: 2522
Format: Cast Recording
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 6485
UPC: 078635648522
EAN: 0078635648522
ASIN: B000003EPE
Release Date: October 25, 1990
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Tracks:
| • | Amahl! Amahl! | | • | Oh, Mother, you should go out and see! | | • | Stop bothering me! | | • | Poor Amahl! | | • | Don't cry, mother dear | | • | From far away we come | | • | Amahl...Yes, Mother | | • | Good evening! Good evening! | | • | Come in, come in! | | • | Are you a real King? | | • | This is my box | | • | Amahl, I told you not to be a nuisance! | | • | Oh, these beautiful things | | • | Have you seen a Child | | • | Shepherds! Shepherdesses! | | • | Emily, Emily | | • | Olives and quinces | | • | Shepherds' Dance | | • | Thank you, good friends | | • | All that gold! | | • | Thief! Thief! | | • | Don't you dare! | | • | Oh, woman, you can keep the gold | | • | Oh, no, wait | | • | I walk, Mother | | • | Do you really wan to go? | | • | Shepherds, arise! |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Back in the days when the forces that controlled television actually cared about art, it was perfectly normal to see original plays and live musical performances right in your living room. In 1950, Menotti was commissioned to write an opera for television, and on Christmas Eve, 1951, Amahl and the Night Visitors was performed by the NBC Television Theater. This recording, under the composer's personal direction, was made a few days later, and it remains the definitive version, even though the sound is very dated and rough in places. This story of a poor shepherd boy's encounter with three kings and the miraculous healing of his crippled leg when he offers his crutch as a gift has captured audiences around the world ever since its premiere. Its charming mix of tuneful melody, dancing rhythms, delightful choruses, humor and poignancy, and an English text makes this work immediately accessible to audiences of all ages and musical tastes. --David Vernier
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| Customer Reviews: Read 22 more reviews...
 A lovely work December 1, 2008
Being from a more recent generation, I first read about
"Amahl and the Night Visitors" in an old book music
book by David Ewen, back in 1991, and it was not
until 2008, just last weekend that I got my hands on
a recording of this most magnificent opera. I came across
this particular recording by chance, as I was looking
at a most recent recording, by another label. I saw this
recording of the original telecast as staged by the composer,
and I realize that this recording was closer to the idea
of the composer than any other available. Yes, the sound is
not too great, but that does not matters when the fact
that this is as the composer heard it and staged it, comes to
mind. Thou here the orchestra and chorus are unknown, they
are conducted by Thomas Shippers, a great young conductor at
the time. I really do recommend this particular recording to
any ohter...
As beautiful as I remember September 30, 2008
This was a holiday staple in our house when I was growing up, and dated though it may be, this CD sounds better than the LP we had. It's an exquisite work of art.
excellent quality August 13, 2008
the cd has a very good audio quality, and for people that want to here the opera for practicing, this is a good product to buy.
Wonderful January 7, 2008
Nothing else puts me in the Christmas spirit like listening to Menotti's tale of Amahl and the Night Visitors. The music is absolutely enchanting.
a voice teacher and early music fan October 21, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
VIBRANT VOICES-WHIMSICAL WOODWINDS-TUNEFUL MELODIES AND A MIRACLE TOO!!!
From the first reedy sound of the oboe mimicking the shepherd pipes to the first vocal notes by Rosemary Kuhlman (Amahl's mother) calling for Amahl to come inside, to Amahl's crystal clear boy soprano (Chet Allen)response, we are drawn into the musical story of a little crippled boy and his own personal miracle.
If no one had heard of Gian Carol Menotti prior to this work, as of Christmas Eve, 1951, most of the country became aware of him. He had, in fact written several successful operas before this one, but the medium of television really was a great boost to the success of Amahl.
I have mentioned already the two main leads, but the other four singers fulfilled their specific roles in a very skillful manner. I particularly liked the voice of Andrew McKinley, tenor, who really projected the part of a rather silly and far-out slightly deaf Kaspar wonderfully well! The Chorus of Shepherds and Villagers sang the very attractive choral music in an up-beat manner and the Orchestra handled the accompaniment, which for the woodwinds was rather difficult, perfecto! While Menotti supervised all of the proceedings, Thomas Schippers pulled it all gloriously together. This is a landmark recording, and certainly a collectible.
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