Opera on Screen at 75: From Menotti's Amahl to the Met: Live in HD
The 75th anniversary of Gian Carlo Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors, recognized as the first opera made for television, is being commemorated; its initial Hallmark airing in 1951 drew an audience of five million. Menotti characterized the debut as an opera designed for children. Chet Allen portrayed Amahl, while the role of the Mother was sung by Rosemary Kuhlmann. The BBC presented it in 1953, followed by an Australian adaptation, and it was a Christmas staple in the US throughout the 1950s. Additionally, this autumn marks two decades since the Metropolitan Opera started streaming performances in cinemas. Raymond Gubbay will celebrate his 80th birthday with a concert at Wigmore Hall, with proceeds supporting the venue.
Key facts
- Amahl and the Night Visitors, the first opera made for television, was broadcast at Yuletide in 1951 and watched by five million people in the US
- The Hallmark-sponsored production starred Chet Allen as Amahl and Rosemary Kuhlmann as the Mother
- The BBC aired Amahl in 1953, and an Australian TV version was also made
- Benjamin Britten's Owen Wingrave, composed for the BBC, was first broadcast 55 years ago
- This autumn marks 20 years since the Metropolitan Opera began streaming productions to cinemas
- Peter Gelb suggested in 2013 that cinema audiences were cannibalising the Met's live audience
- Kombat Opera Presents, Richard Thomas's half-hour shows, was broadcast in 2007
- Raymond Gubbay's 80th birthday concert at Wigmore Hall features the Choir of King's College, Cambridge
Entities
Artists
- Gian Carlo Menotti
- Chet Allen
- Rosemary Kuhlmann
- Benjamin Britten
- Henry James
- Owen Wingrave
- Judith Weir
- Jonathan Dove
- Margaret Williams
- Thomas Ades
- Richard Thomas
- Stewart Lee
- Simon Munnery
- Lore Lixenberg
- Leigh Melrose
- Janis Kelly
- Sophia Ragavelas
- Kevin Eldon
- Hugh Dennis
- Jon Culshaw
- Raymond Gubbay
- Anna Meredith
- Princess Diana
Institutions
- Hallmark
- BBC
- Channel 4
- Metropolitan Opera
- Royal Opera House
- Wigmore Hall
- Choir of King's College, Cambridge
- Royal Albert Hall
- Wembley Arena
- Arts Council
- The Guardian
Locations
- New York
- United States
- London
- United Kingdom
- Japan
- Brazil
- Kent
- Times Square