The Mother Was There

An opera about the Dirty War opened in La Plata, Argentina. The plot tells the story of mothers who lost their children during the terror of Jorge Rafael Videla's regime.

Perhaps many are familiar with the story of Juan and Eva Perón, made famous by the Andrew Lloyd Weber musical Evita. What is less familiar perhaps is what happened after the Peróns died: with permission from Juan Perón's widow Isabel Martínez de Perón, Jorge Rafael Videla used the military to embark on a slaughter of left-wing opponents, eventually ousting Isabel herself.

An estimated 30,000 people simply disappeared during the tortures and killings, several of which were children. Much resistance to the Dirty War (1976-1983) centered in the Argentine town La Plata. Estaba la Madre or The Mother Was There, an opera that opened recently in La Plata, tells the story of the mothers who kept waiting (and searching) for their children to come home.

The one-act opera is by Argentine composer Luis Bacalov. The opera is inspired by Stabat Mater (also translated "The Mother Was There"), a 13th century Latin work that recounts the story of the virgin Mary's grief over her son's death. But despite Bacalov's homage to the Catholic Church's music, Catholic officials are criticized for their role in the injustices.

For a fuller plot description and audio clips of the music, please read the NPR story.