Still smarting from the critical response of his native Italy to his Medium and Consul in the past three seasons, Composer Gian-Carlo Menotti tried again last week; he staged his little Christmas TV opera, Amahl and the Night Visitors, in Florence's Pergola Theater. Standing in the wings, Menotti felt reasonably confident this time: Leopold Stokowski conducted with a sure hand, a dressy international audience admired the handsome settings, stopped the show after a flashing dance sequence, and cheered up ten curtain calls for the cast at the end. Even the stage electrician admitted he liked it.
But when the reviews came out,...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
