Dutch in Translation

Did you know that Puccini has influenced all film music, like Star Wars and Jaws? Today you'll learn about the motifs in the music of these movies and the opera Tosca by Puccini, a political thriller that involves crime and frightening emotions. A lethal story. Keep reading to learn more! You know how when you read a book, characters are given names, right? Then as you read, you identify the character by it. Well, Puccini gave each character and situation a musical theme, a motif. This means that when a certain character is coming or a particular situation is about to develop, you'll hear "light motifs" or, in other words, music especially related to them. Therefore, by identifying the motifs, you get ready for what's coming because you got a heads up on which character is coming on stage or which situation will take place. Do you see what we mean?  And that's how it happens in movies too! Think of Star Wars. Now, focus on Darth Vader? Simplifying it to the ...

Congrats! In our previous post about the Marriage of Figaro you learned (to read part one go here) :  1. What the Heck Is Going On? 2. Before the Curtain Is Up         Now we'll explore: 3. The Coolest Rap About Revenge              4. Infidelity? Rosina Wants Her Hubby Back!  5. Madness! Six Singing Simultaneously For this second and last part of our blog post about The Marriage of Figaro , we'll explore Don Bartolo's aria about revenge where he raps; Rosina with a recitative and aria telling about her plan, pain, love, and hope; and we'll close with a piece for 6 voices singing simultaneously! Before going further, let's review that in general, opera’s music can be divided into 2 different types: aria and recitative. An aria is a piece for one voice. A recitative is when the singing resembles ordinary speech. Ready? Here we go! 3. The Coolest Rap About Revenge ACT 1 Revenge is hurting someone in re...

If you don't get opera, this is for you!      What if we told you that opera is a super entertaining and addictive  soap opera ?! We know two things: opera is a dark territory for you and f irst times are always unforgettable, for better or worse. Therefore  we thought,  We need an opera both hilarious and fantastic! Unique and extraordinary! An unbeatable first!   Guess what? We found it for you! The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart. (To read part two go here .)       T op 5 things you'll learn : 1. What the Heck Is Going On?                       (Part 1) 2. Before the Curtain Is Up                             (Part 1) 3. The Coolest Rap About Revenge                  (Part 2) 4. Infidelity? Rosina wants her hubby back!      (Part 2) ...

            You don't like opera. Could you please bear with me for a few minutes? I have wonderful news!        It's not that you don't like it. Rather, one must develop a taste for it; and once you do, believe me, there is no turning back.  What is so special about opera?      It's a feast to the senses, a thrilling experience. You listen to an orchestra and superb singing, voices that have trained for decades; see the lighting, costumes, and stage production; and by combining it all with superb acting, you get to escape to another world and experience romance, drama and tragedy, even humor.  Can you fall in love with it?      If you choose to, totally yes! As David B. Devan said, “Open ears and a warm heart is all you need.” Whatever your profession or background is, you can find something to relate to. It's a matter of will. It's up to you. The music is sublime. It can take...