thank you, Gian Carlo

Composer Gian Carlo Menotti died this week at the age of 95. He was born the sixth of eight children in Cadegliano, Italy. At age eleven, he composed his first opera which was staged with puppets in a performance at his home. His musical gifts led him to Philadelphia where he studied at the Curtis Institute of Music.
Menotti wrote his own librettos and often staged his own works. His opera, "Amahl and the Night Visitors", was the first opera written for television broadcast. Its debut in 1951 was watched by mainstream America, most of which had never seen or heard an opera before.
I love Menotti's music and admire his rich gift as a storyteller. If you have a dozen minutes to spare, listen to this 2001 NPR interview which details the composer's childhood and inspiration for his most beloved work.
I include this quote from his New York Times obituary:
Of critics he said, "They often spoil my breakfast but never my lunch."