BWAD - Music and Money at the Zurich Opera House

Brunches With A Difference Logo

21.03.1999

Music and Money at the Zurich Opera House

CHF 200 for a seat at the opera? Most people would consider this an expensive deal. If you consider the fact that ticket sales represent only 25% of the CHF 100'000'000 operating budget at the Zurich Opera House, an opera ticket is argueably "the best deal in town". This lecture will give a brief "bottom-line" overview of how funds flow through the Zurich Opera House and then go on to address in depth the inevitable question - Why?

Speaker:
Ed Deskur

Host:
Viviane Fromer

This "Brunch With A Difference" took place at:

11h00 on Sunday, March 21st, 1999
and was hosted by

Viviane Fromer
Chimligasse 11
8603 Schwerzenbach
01 825 22 26

There could have been no better surrounding for this event. The sun decided to give it a chance and so this March 21st, first day of the spring, was a mild sunny day, ideal to enjoy with friends in the tiny village of Schwezenbach, a few minutes drive from Zurich out in the green.

Viviane and Marc hosted us with a delightful mediterranean brunch, rich salads and vegetables carefully prepared to delight our tastes. With a good feeling in the stomach we had a chance to talk about the biggest bargain in town! for only 200 CHF per ticket a show costing double as much! Entertainment at cost of the Zurich tax payers?

No way! Ed Deskur, french hornist at the Zurich Opera House patiently introduced us to this fine art, non-judgemental expression of human sentiments and values communicated simultaneously by the means of music, images, acting and words.

Ed gave us a few examples of these sentiments and values, so from the tragic of Puccini's "Tosca":

"Io vo' gustar quanto più posso dell'opera divina!" - I wish to savour all I can of heaven's creations! - says Scarpia, the evil police chief who abuses his power on Mario to force Tosca to submit to him. "ha più
forte sapore la conquista violenta che il mellifluo consenso" - a forcible conquest tastes better to this corrupted officer than dull acquiescence.

"perché Signor, perché me ne rimuneri così?" - why, oh Lord, are you paying me back that way - Tosca's desperate prayer asking God why such a faith. A touching enigma: is this just a prayer or has she already lost her faith and is accusing God?

Mario, about to be executed, sings of when Tosca first fell into his arms the climax of which is "e non ho amato mai tanto la vita!" - I have never loved life so dearly (as now).

On the lighter side, in Mozart's "Così fan tutte", Despina tries to convince two young noble girls who's servant she is that they should not count on the fidelity of men. "Amiam per comodo e per vanità!" - let's
make love for the sake of convinience and vanity.

A brilliant combination of idealism and cynicism in the same piece later. While two couples sing a touchingly fond farewell, Don Alfonso disparagingly interjects a drop of bitterness with the words "io crepo
se non rido" - I'll die if I don't laugh.

All human sentiments and values, from happiness to sadness, good to bad, find their sublimation in this art which is the ultimate representation of the essence of the human being.