Francis Frost

Amahl and the Night Visitors by Gian Carlo Menotti. Library section 9 C: Juvenile (gr. K-5), Holidays. Gian Carlo Menotti was born in a hill village in Italy in 1911. He began composing at the age of five and had written his first opera by age 11. As a little boy, he was miraculously cured of lameness by a pilgrimage to the nearby Sanctuary of Sacro Monte. This was the genesis for this opera, Amahl and the Night Visitors, the first opera ever commissioned for television (in 1951). I am reviewing the story book of that opera. It tells of the night the Magi stopped for the night at a lowly hovel, the home of Amahl, a poor, crippled shepherd boy who lived with his widowed mother. Inspired by the Wise Men’s tale of a kingdom “built on love alone,” Amahl offers his own simple gift to the Christ Child, and then a miracle happens. No spoiler here; you’ll have to read the book to find out what the miracle was.
In this warm and beautiful story Menotti has captured the essence of Christmas. The New York Times called this opera “rare art....tender and exquisite.” This book contains the entire story, illustrated with earth-toned watercolors by Michele Lemieux. The Magi have the look of turbaned, bearded men in tiny Persian paintings – they look eastern and very exotic, in comparison to Amahl and his mother’s simple peasant clothing.
This lovely book is perfect for reading on your own, but especially for reading aloud to elementary age children. It will enrich their understanding of Christmas and the meaning of the birth of Christ, and its reading aloud could become an annual Christmas event in your home. Enjoy!… (altro)