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Happy Mothers’s Day! 💕💜💕💜

When we think of our Mothers and how much they mean to us, one piece in particular comes to mind, Songs my mother taught me, from Dvorák’s Gypsy Songs cycle. This song is not only about a passing of tradition from mother to child, but a reverie of the innocence of our youth and the purity of a mothers love…

Below it is performed by Dame Joan Sutherland in English translation:  

In the days long vanished;

Seldom from her eyelids

Were the teardrops banished.

Now I teach my children,

Each melodious measure.

Oft the tears are flowing,

Oft they flow from my memory’s treasure.

 

 

Today, and everyday, we sweetly thank our mothers for all that they taught us so that we can carry on the tradition, to be love and to give love, wholeheartedly.

Thank you, to all of you Moms!

💗

 

 

 

Happy Teacher Appreciation Day!

JACOPERA wants to send warm wishes of gratitude to all of the music educators out there!  Without the patience, tenacity, dedication, and support we’ve all received from our teachers, mentors, and professors none of us would be the artists we are today.  It takes a special person to be an educator, and with the title comes a lifelong dedication to art and its importance in society.  We encourage everyone to take the time today and reach out to an educator that helped shape the person and artist you have become.

“Music enhances the education of our children by helping them to make connections and broadening the depth with which they think and feel. If we are to hope for a society of culturally literate people, music must be a vital part of our children’s education. ”    

~ Yo-Yo Ma

Photo Cred: Bruce Zinger, Opera Atelier

 

#MariaCrushMonday

Χριστός ἀνέστη, Христос воскрес, and Happy Easter to those who celebrated yesterday!

Today, in honor of Easter in the Greek Orthodox religion, we will honor a certain Greek diva you may have heard of for our first ever #MariaCrushMonday, instead of our usual #SingerCrushSunday.  Maria Callas was a fearless diva who broke the mold of what an artist could and should be.  Her legacy as an artist, singer, and woman will forever leave a significant mark on the opera world.   Her life was quite dramatic on stage as well as off, and both her professional and personal lives had “lead roles” in the public eye.  She was nothing less than iconic, and Leonard Bernstein even said she was “the bible of opera.” Due to her celebrity status during her lifetime, she faced plenty of criticisms, and the media would report with their own negative opinions on her weight, her love life, her performances, rumors of temper tantrums backstage, etc.  She was often a target, but she was a strong woman, and handled all of it as gracefully as humanly possible.  Who do we remember today?  Callas, not her critics.

#MariaCrushMonday aims to leave you with a notable quote from La Divina herself, and of course, a timeless operatic interpretation. This week we will be featuring “Vissi d’arte” which literally translates to “I lived for art” from Puccini’s Tosca, a role that is historically associated with Callas’ interpretation, and a character that is often described as courageous.

“You are born an artist or you are not. And you stay an artist, dear, even if your voice is less of a fireworks. The artist is always there.” ~Maria Callas