Episode 8 - 1950: Gian Carlo Menotti, The Consul
Hearing The Pulitzers
English - June 14, 2020 20:18 - 34 minutes - 39.5 MBMusic History Music Music Commentary Homepage Download Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Previous Episode: Episode 7 - 1949: Virgil Thomson, Louisiana Story
Next Episode: Episode 9 - 1951: Douglas Moore, Giants in the Earth
In this episode, Dave and Andrew explore the winner of the eighth Pulitzer Prize in Music, Gian Carlo Menotti for his opera The Consul.
In the middle part of the 20th century, Menotti was one of the most famous composers in America, particularly after his perennial Christmas favorite Amahl and the Night Visitors premiered on December 24, 1951, as the first opera composed for television. The Consul was one of his most celebrated operas during his lifetime and the first opera to receive the Pulitzer, but does it still resonate today?
If you'd like to learn more about Menotti, we recommend:
Donald Hixon's Bio-Bibliography on Menotti (Greenwood Press, 2000)
A wonderful interview with Menotti from 1997 conducted by Gene Brooks
The Youtube channel of the Gian Carlo Menotti Archive where you can discover historical recordings of Menotti's works and interviews from many connected to his life and work
A performance of the opera: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekrx98zKnk0