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Miriam Gideon (1906-1996), New York Jewish American composer, wrote Fortunato, an opera in three acts, in 1958. The work is based on the Spanish farce of the same title written by the Álvarez Quintero brothers that was first performed in 1912. Set in 20th century Madrid, the opera traces the journey of the desperately poor and down-on-his luck title character, Fortunato. He has been without work for four years and, with a family to feed, has taken to begging for the generosity of others to support him in this unfortunate time. Unlike some of his peers, Fortunato is unwilling to sacrifice his morals for this support, and in the three scenes of the opera, we see Fortunato try, and ultimately fail, to earn the money he so desperately needs for his family.
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