Dakota Beacon

The Artists

Dr. Beverly Everett, our brilliant Music Director for the Bismarck Mandan Symphony Orchestra (BMSO), asked Ruth Henley, a gifted soprano in the Bismarck-Mandan Civic Chorus, to chair a committee to bring numerous extremely talented musicians, singers and dancers together to deliver this ambitious “season opening gem” of a performance. Northern Plains Dance, under the direction of Hollis Mackintosh, with choreography by Carly Schaub after Marius Petipa, provided the element of dance that put the cherry on top of life’s dessert. Roberts Floral provided onstage floral arrangements. And I would be remise if I left out the amazing costuming skills of Michele Renner, owner of Drama Queens, who has provided me with the Thomas Paine costumes that have helped me bring one of America’s most eloquent founders  to life at a half dozen tea parties throughout North Dakota. If only I were as eloquent as he!

The Sponsors

Midcontinent Communications (BMSO sponsor) and Starion Financial (BMCC sponsor) provided a huge amount of funding necessary to bring this event to the fortunate people of Bismarck, confirming my deep belief that “society” is at its best when left to the people’s individual innovation and resourcefulness. This general support of society is equally exemplified by the decision of the people of Bismarck to renovate the Belle Mehus auditorium a few years back. I believe few folks would have a problem with local government stepping up to provide the minimum infrastructure so that our community can come together like it did to present this beautiful evening of art at ticket prices that are of a fraction of those in our major cities.

North Dakotans’ Uniqueness

As clarification, my personal opinion is that state and federal involvement in such endeavors is a very slippery slope that should be avoided at all costs. When state and federal taxpayer dollars are diverted to the arts, the kind of honest, sincere, and very rewarding community collaboration we saw in “An Evening at the Opera” risks becoming instead something else. From my experiences in attending symphony orchestra performances in several of our large cities, I can share with you that the more state and federal governments are involved financially, the more that “class distinction” rears its ugly head. Perhaps the most repulsive and extreme example of government funding of the arts (that can drive up ticket prices due to the subsequent exodus of local private funding) is the “trophy wives” paraded around by wealthy and aging narcissists such as I witnessed at the Houston Symphony. In contrast, the most evident clarity of Bismarck Mandan Symphony Orchestra performances is the seamless melding of North Dakota residents in their enjoyment of beautiful music. This ability to enjoy music with others of all walks of life and elements of society is surely one of North Dakota’s best societal traits. And I am proud that we have few “high society” types that we have to put up with.

Welcoming our New Concertmaster and Youth Orchestra Conductor

Oscar “Elveraldo” Martinez, with wife and cellist Natalia Varcarciuc and their 4-year-old daughter join us from Texas. This Honduran native exhibited a passion for the violin that was as exciting as a movie chase scene in his rendition of “Gypsy Airs”. Welcome to North Dakota, Elvarado! I hope this means that many of Central American immigrants living and working in North Dakota may get the chance to see you perform, perhaps stirring the love of music in many more young people of out state. Please do not turn down any opportunity to visit the Red River Valley as a guest performer and example of your family’s ongoing journey toward the American Dream.

The Sampling of Operatic Masterpieces

The pre-intermission program began by settling and quieting the audience with the William Tell Overture and the Humming Chorus from Madam Butterfly. The beautiful voice of Kim Shaw singing “Vissi d’arte” from Tosca then brought tears to many of us who somehow instinctively understood the depth of feeling in Shaw’s explosion of emotion from her heart released through her magnificent vocal chords. Elveraldo Martinez’s violin performance then gave us a chance to recover emotionally, marveling at his exuberance and courage! Soprano performances from Ruth Henley and Deborah Shaw again brought emotions to the surface and each was followed with orchestral pieces that one had to experience to appreciate.

“Women Are Like That”

After the intermission, we were treated to “Cosi fan tutte”, an opera buffa (musical comedy) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The opera examines infidelity, specifically “fiancée’ swapping” which theme dates back to the 13^th century, and is set in Naples in the 18^th century.

Two army officers are challenged by a friend that their two fiancée’s, like all women, are fickle. The opera goes on to demonstrate that when each of the two officers pretend to go off to war and instead seduce the other’s fiancée’, the women ultimately succumb to their advances. In the end, the wager is revealed and all is ultimately forgiven, as all parties praise the ability of mankind to accept life's unavoidable good times and bad times.

This opera, first performed in Vienna in 1790, did not offend Viennese sensibilities of the time, but was considered risqué’ throughout the 19^th and 20^th centuries.

Commentary

The opera points out a character flaw exhibited by far too many wives of absent spouses. But it also answers a question for which many men likely have searched for a suitable answer. When a man finds a woman who possesses the perhaps somewhat unusual character trait of “fidelity”, he rightly feels fortunate and blessed by God. Why, then, does he hold on to such virtuous and faithful woman with a zeal and desperation that defies reason and rationality, even in the face of other character flaws that may far overshadow the fidelity that his chosen woman has embraced?

The answer, of course, is that “fidelity” is deemed by men to be so rare as to overshadow and negate a myriad of other flaws (jealousy, volatility, greed, etc.) that seem, to the man… at least at first… to be minor in comparison. The fear of having one’s heart broken is perhaps one of the biggest fears that men hold in their hearts and minds…and finding such a gem of a woman (one who if faithful) is, in the man’s mind, a miracle of immense proportions.

Conversely, of course, for every cheating spouse of a sailor surely exists a sailor who mistakenly seeks to replace her emotional “love” quite regularly with the “physical” satisfaction of a whore. The rarity of fidelity is, of course, not a gender specific societal problem at all.

Lastly, those who insist that this opera sends a negative message are dead wrong. It teaches the hurt that infidelity can cause, if in a comedic way. In fact the comedic message of this opera represents, I believe, a most subtle effort by Lorenzo Da Ponte who wrote the libretto (the story line), to reveal “the hurt of betrayal” to opera audiences, something the most fortunate of us were taught by our beloved mother.