my love for opera is no secret- but lately I've really been feeling inspired to try to share the love. so, here's a 2 hour playlist of some of my favorite sopranos/mezzo-sopranos singing well known arias. I'm no expert so I've most likely missed some important singers/songs, but these are ones that I know and love. I hope you enjoy and maybe even get your interest piqued to learn more about the songs! Look up lyric translations and synopsis' of the plot of the opera the aria is from. You'll find that hidden in the foreign languages and virtuosic singing are human emotions and messages, just like you'd find in indie-pop, or folk, or jazz, or... you name it! I'm convinced a lot more people would like opera if they understood it- which is why I'm starting to learn more myself, not just because I'm interested in going into opera professionally, but also so I can share it with others!! I may start periodically posting a specific aria with a brief synopsis and explanation of the aria, and maybe explain in depth just why I'm so fond of opera- would anyone be interested in that or would it bore you? I'm just not sure where I'm going with this blog anymore and I want to get back into the swing of things and start posting again. anyways, enjoy the playlist!
For Kathryn's birthday, we were able to go to an open mic night at a cafe near where we live. We had a few songs prepared and did them(you can see clips on Instagram if you follow either of us there) then later on were able to each do another song. And, since I had a track on our iPod, I chose this one.
'How Can it Be?' is just one of those songs, you know? The first time I heard it was kind of a fluke- I never listen to the radio, and if I do it's NPR for morning classical or Saturday opera. But for whatever reason I was waiting in the car and just turned to K-Love(I think) and heard this husky powerhouse voice belting this song. This was a while back so younger, music snobbier me was inclined not to like it- but it had something. The words just sort of pushed at me, and I jotted them down to look it up later. Since that day, I've come to absolutely love this song, and Lauren's voice for that matter. The words are so powerful, so personal and so true. However, in the original key I can't sing it. Recently I came across this high karaoke track and I was so thrilled!
One of my (and my sisters) dreams is to be able to perform and record CCM songs in popera style. There are so many out there that have such incredible messages, and recorded in a different style they could potentially reach even more people. Plus this is just how I was made to sing. Getting to perform this live and sort of off the bat was exhilarating, I have to say. I don't know what God has planned for me with a music career, if anything, but I was so blessed to be able to sing this amazing song, and I hope you enjoy it too!! Sorry about the poor audio quality- iPod camera, karaoke track and background noise can only be fixed so much :) Feel free to download if you should happen to want to.
So, what do you think of the popera/CCM idea? Do you know any CCM (or other songs) that you think could be covered classically? I'd love to take a listen, I love finding new music! Please let me know in the comments!!
(p.s. If they were Christians(praying- does anyone else pray for their favorite singers etc?? curious) Il Volo could cover this song and literally blow up the planet, just saying.)
note:this post originally appeared on my other blog, which I no longer post to. I thought it was of a nature to share here as well. I've edited the post slightly from it's first form. enjoy!
I call this a tragic. It's like a comic- but not comical.
I'm not sure how many hours it took, but I worked on it over the course of a couple days. I took probably 4ish hours one day, maybe more, and probably around the same the second day So I'd say between 6 and 9 hours. And it could be refined quite a bit. O-o But I'm proud of it. I worked from a variety of reference material- why don't I more often? It turned out so much better than normal. But afterwards I was really tired.
Drawing should not be as exhausting as it is.
And, since the text is in Italian, I will now translate.
'Il Canto'- Italian to English translation
Copyright:
Writer(s): Raffaele Riefoli, Luca Barbarossa, Alfredo Rapetti, Romano Musumarra
Copyright: S.I.A.E. Direzione Generale
La notte qui non torna piu The night doesn't come here anymore
dal giorno che sei andata via Since the day that you went away
Ed il cielo smesso di giocare And the heavens have ceased to play
con le stelle e con la luna With the stars and with the moon
E le nuvole sono ferme qui And the clouds are still here
Come lacrime che non cadono Like tears that cannot fall(or, that I cannot cry)
Vedi, come il tempo You see, as the time
Perde anche il ricordi Wastes even the memories
Resta solo il canto Only the song remains
di un amore che non muore Of a love that cannot die
Prendi la mia mano Take my hand
Danza con il vento Dance with the wind
Apri la mie ali My wings open
Posso solo amarti cosi I can only love you this way
Vieni, vieni via con me Come, come away with me
That's my translation, with help from google translate and Ryn. It has a repeat but it doesn't fit into the tragic and so I didn't include it. I'd like to attempt a rhymed version sometime, and to try to do more justice to the Italian... Is it not sad? Is it not beautiful??
If you have a chance to listen to it, you should. Il Volo's version with Placido Domingo is what inspired this, but I know Luciano Pavarotti does it, I believe Maestro Domingo does it solo, Paul Potts and Katherine Jenkins also do it I think. I haven't personally listened to any of them, but I'm sure any version would be lovely. If you try any of them let me know!!
{also, in case you wondered, the characters are my originals. some of you know somewhat of them. they are... deeply sad in story. i love them.}
I'm just going to scratch the project this week, because I don't have a project worth sharing. Everyone knows how to make Valentines, I'd say. So I'm going to do the playlist today, song+ story tomorrow, and the Bible post on Sat. That works for me, since it's hard to get around to posting on Sun. anyways. Sorry about not having a project to post!(Keep going past the huge graphic to get to links and a ramble by yours truly)
Ok so I haven't talked about it much on this blog, but music is a major part of my life. I love to sing, along with my sister. I (occasionally if you're talking seriously playing) play piano, organ, pennywhistle, I can attempt three chords on the guitar and I'm hoping to soon get a ukulele. I'm not someone who'd say 'music is my life' because I don't necessarily look at it that way, anymore than art or writing are 'my life' in totality. And yet, it is a constant, something that's been part of me for forever, and something that always will be. Also, I'm not one who can actually always be listening to music. I don't like to have it going unless I can give it the mental attention it deserves. It feels somehow disrespectful to the music and musicians to be talking over or ignoring it. But when I want my music- I want it. Alright enough of my musical rambling.... It's not something I can really express or write about. My inner relationship with music as a whole is not even something I fully understand myself. It's a cause of inner turmoil tbh. Ok Ok enOUGH.
Without further ado, here are some of my favorite love songs, for your listening pleasure!
Plum Wine (deep purple with burgundy and gold shimmer)
Bone (shimmer)
Mascara
Your gorgeous face
First, put a pale shimmery seashell pink on your eyelid. I don't go to the browbone but that's preference.
Brush a darker rose along the top of the crease onto the lower edge of the browbone.
Put a deeper wine purple along the crease. I'm usually striving to make my eyes look more heavy lidded, so I put it fairly high to give that illusion. Make sure you blend it all well.. go back and repeat the steps if it looks like it needs in. It's like drawing- start faint and work darker.
Put shimmery bone color in the corner and tight line the water line.
Mascara. My secret is to brush your lashes in 4 times, out 4 times, seperate them, then slowly brush them all out. I found that on Pinterest. Also I tightlined my upper lid with black but you don't need to.
Sorry the pic quality is very bad... I hope you can kind of see. I'm not sure why someone who can't take a selfie and rarely wears much eye makeup really thought doing this was such a grand idea...
and of course, the inspiration song to listen to while you do it!
abi and willa stood in miss ferns doorway, staring at her with wide eyes. abi's lower lip was quivering slightly and willas face was flushed with quiet fury.
'now get along out of here, both of you. i tell you i wont teach no dark girl.' miss ferns round face was angry and spiteful, as she glared over her pointed glasses. without a word, willa grabbed abi's moist hand and pulled her out the door.
they didn't stop until they reached the park. abi was sniffling but with the braveness that typified her family, she was managing to hold back tears. willa slammed into the seat of one of the swings and began pumping back and forth with a vengeance. the full skirt of her pink cotton dress billowed with the wind. abi stood watching and waiting for her best friend. after a moment, willa dragged her feet to come to an abrupt halt. she studied abi for a second.
'i will never, never NEVER take another piano lesson from her.' she declare quietly. abi shook her head.
'willa, you can't say that. you love the piano so much.' she reminded her, her voice soft and singsong. willa stared into abi's face. she hopped off the swing and walked over to wipe one tear from her chocolaty skin. abi tried to smile. willa suddenly smiled too.
'i will show her. just wait.'
* * *
willa's mother was furious, possibly even more than willa herself. she didn't want willa to go back to miss ferns house again. but willa had changed her mind. to her piano lesson she would go.
she walked into the piano room, her head high and her lips pressed together. her golden auburn curls were topped with a big blue bow, to match her dress. miss fern seemed to have forgotten the incident, sitting in her normal pompous spot in a cushioned chair beside the piano. her floral daydress was buttoned up her ample front and her hands folded across her lap. willa didn't say a word as she set her book on the piano. then she began to play. after a few notes everything sounded discordant and off key. she continued to play, a little smile on her lips.
'that's enough willa, what in the world?' miss fern ordered. 'why aren't you playing any of the sharps or flats?'
'i'm not using any black keys.'
'why on earth not?'
'i'm only using the white keys.' willa turned and looked miss fern right in the eye. 'they must be better since they're white.'
miss fern went white. she looked about to slap willa, but willa didn't flinch. she just kept staring at the old lady, her blue eyes calm and steady. after a long moment, miss fern took a deep, shaking breath.
'your lesson is done.' she whispered. willa rose and took her books. she walked to the doorway, then turned around.
'the color of someones skin doesn't change who they are or how important they are anymore that it does the piano keys. and you need every last one of them to make a song. you need every last one to make music.'
then she walked out the door without another backward look.
the end
xxx i've had this idea floating around for a while... i may develop it further someday, i don't know. it's supposed to be set in the 1960s, i don't know if i was able to get that across in this short of a piece.
racism makes me so mad, it's so utterly ridiculous.xxx
The sky is dark, although the stars are fading and a stain of light indigo is beginning to seep up from the horizon. I'm walking, alone, through the woods. Down the road that once led straight to the heart of town. My town.
And remembering. Remembering everything.
The freezing rain that slices across my face doesn't hurt half as much as your tears did. "Never let me go."
I had to, darling, I had to.
The lacework of trees begin to thin and the first blackened heap appears ahead of me. The first house.
Razed to the ground.
I pause, staring at it like a fascinated child. My mind says to keep going but this time my feet don't obey. Suddenly, as the charred beams settle, a piece crumbles, sounding empty in the silence. It startles me, bad. My whole body tenses and my heart starts racing. Despite the rain, I can feel hot sweat begin to break out on my chest and forehead. I turn and start walking again. The rain gets harder and I blink it away. The sky is crying harder than anyone today. It blurs what I can see but it can't erase what I knew I'd find. I move, almost as if I'm dreaming, down the middle of the road. Everything is black. The bank, the granary, the milliners. Everything is empty.
You asked me not to leave you here alone- now look at me. I only wish I could be where you are.
As I pass the granary I look to the side when my eye catches sight of a familiar shape sprawled beside the road. I've seen too many bodies now for it to shake me too much, at least it seems it should be so. But every time it's a little different. This time I just move on. Part of me wishes I were there instead. Instead of walking, breathing, reluctantly living. For what? I close my eyes, the darkness making little difference for I can feel everything around me. My fighter instincts are saying 'open your eyes, fool, keep alert.'
Alert? Why? No one can hurt me now.
But I open them anyways,as I come to a halt. I stare upwards. It had escaped total destruction, only partially burned out. The once white siding is smoke-damaged, and one window is shattered.
Home.
I put my hand out to take the doorknob. As my fingers, shivering and red, touch it's dusky surface, it happens again.
* * *
Lily turned as if to go to the window. I reach out, pulling her back, dragging her across the room to where her little bed sits against the wall.
"Don't you dare look out your window," I say, as she looks at me, scared and confused. I sit down with her on my lap and hug her to my chest. "Darling, everything's on fire."
The flickering glow in the window, yellow and tangible on the wall, tell me the blaze is getting closer. I can feel her little body shaking as the screams outside continue. They pierce the air in audible silhouettes against the static, animal roar of the inferno outside our door. As she begins to cry, a thin wail that builds as something- or someone- crashes against our door with a dull thud. I begin to sing mamma's lullaby, as bravely as I can.
After a moment her sobs subside, as they always will with this song. Somehow, after a moment, she falls asleep, as though defying the terror closing in with the peace of slumber. As I sing through the song one last time, I hold her close, then lay her down. With one motion I grab my bow, and fling myself out the door. I hear it slam behind me as I half fall down the steps to the front door and plunge outside.
The horror that surrounds me fills my eyes, burning with more than just the unbearable heat from the bonfire of buildings in every direction. I try to step forward but my foot catches against something. I look down. Across the doorstep sprawls a black uniformed guerrilla, face downward and motionless. I clasp my hand to my mouth and look back up, trying to steady myself. Without looking back down, I step over him- it- and walk to the middle of the street. I try to look every where at once, to process what's around me and fathom how to react. Without meaning to I have my bow up, an arrow seeming to spring on it's own to the string. Every muscle tenses. I hear a yell behind me, I turn as they release-
* * *
I lean against the doorway, shaking, trying to cover my ears, to block it out. As the flames fade, I realized my nails have driven into my palms. Thankfully my nails are gnawed too short to cut in, but it stings all the same. I welcome the pain though, it jerks me a little toward true reality.
As I walk up the stairs, one by one, it feels more like this is the dream. The space around me feels like a doubtful mist. Any moment the nightmare could return. I unconsciously test each step, to make sure the boards are true. They groan, like they always have, but somehow my house had managed to survive. Like me.
I slip into the room and shut the door behind me. I lean against it, closing my eyes again. Then I push my self forward, forcing myself into motion. Like when I was young, a few months ago or so, and we would swim at the gym. You reach the edge, you can't go any farther- and then you push off the edge, back into continued momentum.
I feel the floor under my feet, the only thing connecting me to the earth. I kneel and lift it from the floor. Her doll. It's dented nose, the chunk of hair chopped off, the pen along its eyelids. It's still the same. Still here. As I sit on my heels, staring at it, I feel the tears coming, like the sting of smoke but from behind my eyes. I stare into the pieces of empty glass in the dolls face. My tears fall into them, giving it my sadness.
You're safe now.
Finis
This was inspired by Jackie Evancho's new single, Safe and Sound. It's a song from the Hunger Games, which I haven't watched, so I apologize if the story is too similar to the movie. My sister and I make up music videos/stories to go with songs we like and I thought it might be good to actually write one down:)
I might try to do it monthly, what do you think? Song + story Saturday (I love alliteration). I could even take song suggestions. (I realize this isn't Saturday but by the time most see this it will be so.) anyways let me know in the comments!
