Gian Carlo Menotti: To This We've Come (Magda's Aria): Voice & Piano: Vocal

Italian-American composer and librettist Gian Carlo Menotti composed his first opera in English, The Old Maid and the Thief, in 1939. It was commissioned by NBC as a radio opera (to be performed on air) and was premiered by the NBC Symphony Orchestra. Years later, Menotti adapted a theme from the opera's third scene, transforming and expanding it into an advanced two-movement work for solo piano. The first movement is a lyrical and emotive ricercare, which contains contrapuntal writing, elaborate flourishes, and flamboyant improvisatory gestures. By contrast, the second-movement toccata unfolds in steady, 16th-note perpetual motion with moments of musical humor combined with brilliant pianistic display. The concise work, approximately seven minutes in length, is often used in competitions and recitals. This edition contains helpful fingering and pedaling suggestions, as well as a discussion of form and a brief synopsis of the original opera. / Piano

Description Gian-Carlo Menotti: Amahl And The Night Visitors (Vocal Score) This vocal score is a new and revised edition of the well-known opera that made television history on Christmas Eve, 1951.

Commissioned by the BBC Singers for mixed voices a cappella. It is a mocking self-deprecatory portrait written in 1981. In this piece a distraught composer moans as he sits in front of a blank page with an empty head. A flybuzzes around and he calls out to his neighbors and his dog for comfort. Gian-Carlo Menotti's piece effectively conveyed the feeling you get when doing something extremely difficult like writing a law school application essay or trying to compose the perfect piece of music.

This heartbreakingly tragic lament by the Mother from Gian-Carlo Menotti's Consul would be most suitable for a high voice because of the intensity required at the top of the range.

This landmark series collects compelling, useful, singer-friendly arias from a distinctly American opera tradition. Each volume includes information about every opera and an aria plot note. A majority of the music in the four volumes has never before been available outside of the opera vocal scores, and some arias in the series have never been in print at all before now. Most arias are appropriate for college-level singers. Composers such as Samuel Barber, William Bolcom, Douglas Moore, Virgil Thomson and Gian Carlo Menotti are well represented. Additionally, arias are included from important works such as Regina, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Ghosts of Versailles, The Great Gatsby, Little Women and many others. Stephen Sondheim graciously agreed to adapt new aria editions of two pieces from Sweeney Todd for the series: ?The Contest? in the Tenor volume and ?Epiphany? in the Baritone/Bass edition./ Recueil / Soprano et Piano

Score and Parts-This brief elegaic work was written to pay homage to Lincoln Center benefactress Alice Tully and was premiered there on October 24 1982. The text is Menotti's own with thoughts of life aging death and rebirth. Being anocturne - a night-piece - it is a modern-day lullaby the end of day or life and it is faced with a serene childlike acceptance of the inevitable. This is reflected in smooth tranquil music that never impedes the flowing pace ofthe work.

From Amahl and the Night Visitors-This Chorus is from Menotti's opera Amahl And The Night Visitors which represents a unique take on the Christmas story. Ideal as something different for a carol service.

The first opera written for television 'Amahl and the Night Visitors' has become the most frequently performed opera of all time with over five hundred performances annually across the world. Menotti's take on theChristmas story focuses on Amahl a young handicapped boy and his mother who are visited by three Kings -- Balthazar Melchior and Kaspar -- who are on their way to find Jesus. The Kings stay the night during which Amahl'smother tries to steal some of the Kings' gold and is caught in the act. Melchior suggests that she keep the gold because the child they are visiting will rule his kingdom with love not riches. Amahl's mother gives back the gold wishing she had something to give of her own. Amahl offers his crutch as a gift and suddenly is able to walk. He decides to follow the Kings so that he himself may give his crutch to the Christ child.The work is ideal foran amateur performance (for example a secondary school or a local dramatic society) since all the action takes place in one act and one place and the work calls for limited adaptable musical forces. It also gives each principala chance to shine either in a solo or an ensemble. This is the Schirmer edition of the Libretto in English only.