Amahl and the Night Visitors is an opera in one act by the Italian-born American composer Gian Carlo Menotti. Menotti wrote both the music and the libretto (text). The opera was inspired by the painting The Adoration of the Magi by the Dutch Renaissance artist Hieronymus Bosch. It was the first opera written specifically for television and received its first performance in a broadcast by the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) in the United States on Dec. 24, 1951. The first stage performance took place at Indiana University, Bloomington, on Feb. 21, 1952.
Amahl, a disabled boy, and his mother live in poverty. One night, they receive three visitors seeking temporary rest and shelter. The three visitors are the Three Wise Men—Kaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar—who are on their way to worship the baby Jesus. While they are asleep, Amahl’s mother attempts to steal some of their treasure but is caught. Melchior forgives her for her attempted crime. As the visitors prepare to leave, Amahl offers them his crutch as an extra gift for the Christ child. His generous gesture is repaid by the miraculous healing of his disabled leg, and he joins the Wise Men on their journey.
