FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lisa Rutta
Mission Chamber Orchestra Marketing
(408) 497-6313
lrutta@yahoo.com
Amahl and the Night Visitors
A holiday season treasure.
San Jose, California, November 20, 2003 — The Mission Chamber Orchestra (MCO)
will ring in the holiday season with two concert performances of the popular American
opera, Amahl and the Night Visitors, on December 20 & 21, 2003. This special work was
composed by Gian Carlo Menotti in 1951 when NBC commissioned the 40 year old
Italian composer to create a Christmas opera for television. Inspired by the famous
painting “The Adoration of the Magi”, and memories from Menotti’s youth, this singleact, one hour opera focuses on the miracle of love, kindness and giving, and is sure to
touch the hearts of all.
The story opens with a poor, crippled shepherd boy named Amahl, who is excited by a
bright light “with a tail” that he sees in the sky. When he tries to tell his widowed mother
about what he has seen, she angrily dismisses it, thinking it is just another one of her
son’s lies. Amahl and his mother are visited that night by three kings at their door. They
say they are following a star to Bethlehem where they heard of the birth of a king. Later
that night, Amahl’s mother is caught stealing the king’s gold from the night visitors, to
help her crippled son. The visitors tell her that she can keep the gold because the king
they seek will need nothing but love to rule his kingdom. She is so moved by this that
she returns what she stole. Then, in a true gesture of selflessness, Amahl steps forward
to give them his crutch and realizes that he can walk without it! He leaves with the kings
to pay homage to the child who has healed him.
MCO will perform Amahl and the Night Visitors together with the St. Francis of Assisi
Church Choir and the Revelation Choir from St. John Vianney Church.
Schedule and Venue
The Saturday evening performance begins at 7:30PM on December 20, 2003 at St.
Francis of Assisi Church, located at 5111 San Felipe Road, San Jose.
The Sunday afternoon performance begins at 4:30PM on December 21, 2003 at St. John
Vianney Church, located at 4601 Hyland Avenue, San Jose.
Ample parking is available at both venues.
About the Mission Chamber Orchestra
Since 1996 the Mission Chamber Orchestra, 35-45 musicians conducted by Emily Ray,
has been presenting concerts of classical music in small venues to bring symphonic
literature up close to its audiences. Featuring the works of living composers as well as the
great masters, MCO’s concerts are presented in a relaxed atmosphere and frequently offer
visual art in combination with its music. Typically three to four concerts are presented at
Le Petit Trianon in downtown San Jose each season.
The Mission Chamber Orchestra has recorded two compact discs, Dreams, a collection of
soothing music mainly from the 19th century repertoire, and Reflections on the Hudson, a
recording of orchestral works by Palo Alto composer Nancy Bloomer Deussen. Both
discs contain Ms. Deussen’s Ascent to Victory, commissioned by MCO.
The Mission Chamber Orchestra (www.missionchamber.org) is a member of the Silicon
Valley Arts Coalition (www.svarts.org).
About Gian Carlo Menotti
Amahl and the Night Visitors was written by the Italian composer Gian Carlo Menotti
who, as a young boy, became lame. The doctors had no cure for him. He was taken to be
blessed at the holy Sanctuary of Sacro Monte and thereafter, miraculously, the young
Menotti was cured of lameness.
After the death of his father, he came to the United States to complete his music studies.
Several of his other operas have gained international acclaim, including The Telephone,
and The Medium. Menotti was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his musical The Consul,
which also received the New York Drama Critics Circle award for best musical play of
the year in 1954.
Concert Details
Event: Amahl and the Night Visitors
Saturday Evening Performance:
Date: December 20, 2003
Time: 7:30pm
Location: St. Francis of Assisi Church, 5111 San Felipe Road, San Jose.
Conductor: Emily Ray
Choir: St. Francis of Assisi Church Choir
Sunday Afternoon Performance:
Date: December 21, 2003
Time: 4:30pm
Location: St. John Vianney Church, 4601 Hyland Avenue, San Jose.
Conductor: Emily Ray
Choir: St. John Vianney Church Revelation Choir
Soloists:
Amahl
Mother
Kaspar
Melchior
Balthazar
Rick Jones (Saturday performance), soprano
Daniel Schonhaut (Sunday performance), soprano
Amanda Villegas, soprano
Malin Huffman, tenor
Andrew Cox, baritone
Ian Hinkle, bass
Tickets:
$10 general, $5 children under 12
May be purchased in advance (through the MCO website or postal mail), or at the door:
Phone: 408-293-6060
Website: www.missionchamber.org