Abstract:
In 1958, Miriam Gideon composed her only opera, Fortunato. Reflecting her deep connection with texts, Gideon fashioned her own libretto from Serafin and Joaquin Alvarez Quintero's 1928 farce of the same name. The story centers on the title character, who, desperately poor after having been without work for four years, struggles to make an honest living for on a wintry day in Madrid. The female characters that Fortunato encounters while he searches for a job provide commentary on ways of enacting womanhood. Gideon's libretto and score emphasize these varied modes of femininity, which are intimately intertwined with Fortunato's capacity to maintain his high moral standard. Even in the plot synopsis written by Gideon, the composer re-writes and emphasizes certain aspects of the play that reflect some of her personal writings. My analysis of Gideon's opera is complicated by her public reluctance to connect herself with labels such as “woman composer,” or “Jewish composer.” Yet, as scholar Ellie M. Hisama has written with regard to Gideon, personal writings can “rewrite the dominant image that has been established.” This presentation will focus on ways in which the music and text of the opera, Fortunato, not only reflect Gideon's identity as a woman writing opera during the American 1950s, but also her identity as a Jewish composer.

Plot Synopisis of Fortunato
Fortunato, desperately poor after having been without work for four years, tries to make an honest living on a cold day in Madrid. He encounters individuals of widely varied character and background in each of the three scenes of the opera. Unlike many of his fellow citizens in need, he is unwilling to sacrifice his morals in order to feed his five children. In the first scene, Fortunato attempts to obtain his rent money from a generous middle-class architect and his gullible wife, but is thwarted by a fraudulent beggar, Don Victorio. In the second scene, we see Don Victorio back on the streets of Madrid, celebrating his financial victory with a healthy serving of wine. Victorio tries to give Fortunato a few pointers about begging, but it is of little use. Desperate, Fortunato steals from a blind guitarist, but upon learning that the guitarist has children of his own, Fortunato returns what he has stolen. In the final scene, he replies to an advertisement for an assistant, ending up at a carnival with the famous female sharpshooter, Amaranta. Despite his cowardice, Fortunato finds himself looking down the barrel of Amaranta's shotgun and rejoicing that he will be able to feed his family after she pays his wages for the day's work.