Countermelody: A Podcast on Singers and Singing with Daniel Gundlach

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Countermelody: A Podcast on Singers and Singing with Daniel Gundlach Daniel Gundlach's weekly podcast on great singers and great singing, now in its FOURTH season.
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I've just published a second Ernst Kozub episode, this one a bonus one for my Patreon subscribers, and featuring exclusi...
14/08/2024

I've just published a second Ernst Kozub episode, this one a bonus one for my Patreon subscribers, and featuring exclusively the operas of Giuseppe Verdi, sung (mostly) in German . And Kozub's Verdi covers the gamut: everything from Alfred(o) to Ot(h)ello! Kozub’s duet partners include Rita Streich, Edith Lang, Norman Mittelmann, Franz Crass, and Vladimir Ruždjak.

Patreon supporters can find the episode here:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/110121902

As a supplement to my Benjamin Luxon memorial tribute (published yesterday), I have just posted a bonus episode for my P...
05/08/2024

As a supplement to my Benjamin Luxon memorial tribute (published yesterday), I have just posted a bonus episode for my Patreon supporters, once again featuring the voice and artistry of Luxon, this time in excerpts from three crossover albums he made in the early 1980s. Patreon supporters can find the episode here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/109529392

A teaser of my latest Unboxing Video, this one a NYC edition of items that arrived here for me while I was visiting my f...
30/07/2024

A teaser of my latest Unboxing Video, this one a NYC edition of items that arrived here for me while I was visiting my family in Wisconsin. If you're a Patreon subscriber, you'll be able to view the whole thing!

Get more from Countermelody Podcast on Patreon

Continuing my series on Great Contraltos on Countermelody: A Podcast on Singers and Singing with Daniel Gundlach, I've j...
30/07/2024

Continuing my series on Great Contraltos on Countermelody: A Podcast on Singers and Singing with Daniel Gundlach, I've just published a bonus episode which features the exceptionally versatile and profoundly gifted Canadian contralto Maureen Forrester, who would have turned 94 years old on 25 July. It would be a possibly insurmountable challenge to present all aspects of her artistry in a single episode, so today I have chosen to bestow upon her a mantle which might surprise you: I am crowning her Queen of Crossover. Clearly there are many other singers in the United States who might more legitimately lay claim to such claim, but among her fellow Canadians, I don’t think anyone can touch Queen Maureen. Central to this episode is a delicious 1982 issue on Canadian RCA entitled The Other Me, which features la nostra regina canadese in a delectable assortment of pop favorites, ranging from standards from the Great American Songbook (Berlin, Porter, Gershwin, Arlen, Schmidt and Jones, Loesser) interspersed with other items written expressly for this recording, all of them in sublimely tacky early-80s arrangements. This is supplemented by further material from either end of her career in which she lays further claim to her title and crown.

Patreon supporters can access the episode here:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/109084072

The exceptional Welsh tenor Richard Lewis (10 May 1914 – 13 November 1990) had it all: a sweet yet powerful voice, a dis...
26/07/2024

The exceptional Welsh tenor Richard Lewis (10 May 1914 – 13 November 1990) had it all: a sweet yet powerful voice, a distinctive musical personality and sensibility, extraordinary versatility, and a vocal technique which combined flexibility and power. His repertoire also ranged wider than almost any other twentieth century. In addition, he rubbed shoulders with two exceptional African American singers featured in recently reposted episodes: Muriel Smith, opposite whom he sang in Bizet’s Carmen at Covent Garden; and Lenora Lafayette, with whom he recorded an exceptional album of Puccini duets conducted by John Barbirolli. In this episode we hear him sing both Bizet (the aria from Les pêcheurs de perles) and Puccini (the third act duet from Tosca opposite Lenora Lafayette). The majority of the episode, however, is taken up by his transcendent 1957 recording of Handel arias under the baton of Malcolm Sargent. From the first time I heard it when I was a mere 18 years old, it has been and will always remain one of my very favorite recordings of all time. This album, presented in its entirety, comprises arias from seven different Handel oratorios and represents Lewis at the absolute peak of his vocal and interpretive powers, with coloratura displays both fleet and forceful, as well as heartbreakingly plangent scenes from both Samson and Jephtha. This episode is a teaser for a more in-depth Richard Lewis episode promised to my listeners before the end of this calendar year.

Countermelody: A Podcast on Singers and Singing with Daniel Gundlach supporters can access the episode immediately by clicking on the link below (and thanks to ALL for your listenership!)

https://www.patreon.com/posts/108892456

I've just published a bonus episode for my Patreon supporters which is a continued exploration of the legacy of Paul Rob...
22/07/2024

I've just published a bonus episode for my Patreon supporters which is a continued exploration of the legacy of Paul Robeson, featured on a Countermelody Listeners' Favorite repost two days ago.

In 1958, after eight years of being oppressed and hounded and blacklisted by the FBI during which time his passport rescinded, Paul Robeson finally regained the right to travel abroad. During that time he had effectively been unable to support himself, as his Communist leanings made him a target of HUAC, leaving him with virtually no performance opportunities in the US. In thanks to all his supporters following his emancipation, Robeson gave a celebratory concert on June 1, 1958 at his home church, Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church in Harlem. Shortly thereafter, he departed on an extended concert tour abroad. His first stop was the Royal Albert Hall in London, where he performed on August 10, 1958, the beginning of a nationwide tour across the UK. Thereafter he visited other countries as well, including East Germany, where he was particularly celebrated and revered and where, in 1959 in an East Berlin recording studio, he made a new recording of old and new favorites with his frequent collaborator Earl Robinson. Rare selections from each of these events are featured on this bonus episode, accessible to all Patreon supporters here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/108572630

Enjoy, and thank you for your continuing support! Hugz from your faithful podcaster...

I was not lucky enough to know Norman Shetler, who died on 25 June shortly after celebrating his 93rd birthday, but many...
13/07/2024

I was not lucky enough to know Norman Shetler, who died on 25 June shortly after celebrating his 93rd birthday, but many of you were lucky enough to have encountered his wonderful spirit. I have always been enchanted by his music-making and am thrilled to be able to present his fascinating (and rare) recording with his frequent musical partner Peter Schreier of Die schöne Müllerin which makes fascinating use of ornamentation which enhances the meaning of the text in ever-surprising ways.

Patreon supporters of Countermelody: A Podcast on Singers and Singing with Daniel Gundlach can access the episode here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-episode-in-108036658

Today’s bonus episode once again features the prodigiously gifted Eleanor Steber, in my opinion the greatest soprano the...
08/07/2024

Today’s bonus episode once again features the prodigiously gifted Eleanor Steber, in my opinion the greatest soprano the United States has ever produced, singing a dizzying range of material (much of it) recorded live between the years 1958 and 1979. Most of these recordings were released on Eleanor Steber’s own record labels. First, ST/AND Records, which she formed with her second husband Gordon Andrews, and which between 1960 and 1962 produced fewer than fifteen LPs, all but one of them featuring Steber. Second, recordings released under the aegis of the Eleanor Steber Music Foundation, which she formed in 1973 and which released a few choice live recordings of Steber’s late career recitals. The material ranges from selections from the Christian Science Hymnal; sentimental ballads, tackily arranged; Bach and Mozart arias; art songs by Rorem, Barber, Britten, Debussy, Berg, and Beethoven; and opera arias from I Puritani, Der Freischütz, Giulio Cesare, and Tosca, the last performed at her campy Live at the Continental Baths concert in October 1973. Though as Steber grew older, her voice occasionally sounded blowsy, but on the vast majority of these recordings she sounds stunningly good. And no matter what, her impeccable technique and pristine musicianship remained intact throughout. Much of source material from which these performances stem is exceedingly rare, and for the most part difficult and costly to obtain. So in my role as supreme Steber groupie, I am honored and thrilled to share these recordings, all of them from my own personal collection.

All Patreon subscribers to Countermelody can immediately access the episode here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/107733505

All others will first be taken to the subscription page; once you have made your donation to support the podcast, you will immediately be able to access this and the previous 111 bonus episodes. Thanks, and love to all!

What's in a name? I'm thinking about doing a podcast with the somewhat arbitrary theme of extraordinary singers with ord...
08/07/2024

What's in a name? I'm thinking about doing a podcast with the somewhat arbitrary theme of extraordinary singers with ordinary names. So far I'm thinking of singers like Ralph Herbert, Jack Jones (or even his father Allan Jones), Norman Foster (NOT the architect!) or the beguiling Carol Smith, pictured here. Can anyone else think of some singers that fit that category? Answer quickly, please, cuz I think I'll need to throw this episode together today and tomorrow before I "Leave on a Jet Plane" on Wednesday morning! Thanks! XOD

I've just published my final Countermelody: A Podcast on Singers and Singing with Daniel Gundlach episode for Pride 2024...
29/06/2024

I've just published my final Countermelody: A Podcast on Singers and Singing with Daniel Gundlach episode for Pride 2024, exclusively for my Patreon supporters. This one is a meditation on our q***r musical ancestors, and features a rare LP of a live 1964 recital called "Recitals Are a Drag," featuring a talented Canadian countertenor named Mr. Jean Fredericks, who performed in drag and hosted drag balls in London and environs in the 1960s and early 1970s. It's not just a fascinating glimpse into a forgotten world, it's also b***y and hilarious! Patreon supporters (and those wishing to support the podcast) can find it here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/107126197

I'm still preparing my second Pride episode, but in the meantime, I thought I'd share one of my favorite Countermelody: ...
27/06/2024

I'm still preparing my second Pride episode, but in the meantime, I thought I'd share one of my favorite Countermelody: A Podcast on Singers and Singing with Daniel Gundlach episodes, in honor of Anna Moffo, whose birthday we celebrate today. Unlike many of you, I was not an inveterate Anna Moffo lover, but putting this episode together a few years back really helped me to reevaluate her contribution and her importance. Enjoy! https://countermelodypodcast.com/index.php/2023/01/20/episode-180-anna-moffo-reappraised/

Hello, all, I had an inquiry from a listener about the great Adele Addison, whose birthday I celebrated on my podcast al...
20/06/2024

Hello, all, I had an inquiry from a listener about the great Adele Addison, whose birthday I celebrated on my podcast almost two years ago. At the time, the most current information I was able to obtain about her came from Thomas Muraco, who, alas, is no longer with us, and who used to phone her without fail every year on her birthday. Does anyone have any more current information on Ms. Addison (about whom I happened to be thinking recently with the death of another icon of American art song, Paul Sperry, this past week)? (And BTW, if anyone wants to listen to my Addison birthday episode, it's available here: https://countermelodypodcast.com/index.php/2022/07/21/episode-154-adele-addison-97/ )

I just posted a Countermelody: A Podcast on Singers and Singing with Daniel Gundlach episode exclusively for my Patreon ...
18/06/2024

I just posted a Countermelody: A Podcast on Singers and Singing with Daniel Gundlach episode exclusively for my Patreon supporters entitled "The Glory of Věra Soukupová" and because I believe in truth in advertising, that's exactly what it is: As a supplement to my recently begun series on contraltos, and as a contrast to another great Czech singer, the soprano Hana Janků, I put together this episode on Soukupová, still with us after recently celebrating her 92nd birthday in April. As I dug deeper into Věra’s recorded legacy, I found that her best work is when she is singing in her native language. Furthermore, and much to my surprise, I discovered that Soukupová was a sort of muse for new Czech music. The amount of new work that she performed and recorded (and which is dedicated to her) is staggering and deserves to be heard. On this episode, I present stunning examples of the vocal and musical glory that is Věra Soukupová, focusing in particular on many of the new works in Czech that she created in the 1960s and 1970s. Patreon supporters can access the episode by clicking on the link below:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/106422755

I've been to the opera a bit more often than usual lately, once at the Wiener Staatsoper (Meistersinger) on our recent t...
10/06/2024

I've been to the opera a bit more often than usual lately, once at the Wiener Staatsoper (Meistersinger) on our recent trip there; Friday night at the Deutsche Oper here in Berlin (Strauss's Intermezzo) and last night at the Berliner Staatsoper for Khovanshchina (or Chowanschtschina, as the Germans spell it!) Though I had the inevitable reservations about each production (though the Intermezzo was, somewhat surprisingly, the best, most internally consistent, and most moving of the lot), and a fair amount of the singing was, frankly, sub-par, there were also a number of exceptional performances: in the Wagner, Georg Zeppenfeld and Martin Gantner as Sachs and Beckmesser, respectively; in the Strauss, Swiss soprano Flurina Stucki (pictured) in the challenging role of Christine Storch, a not-so-loving portrait by the composer of his shrewish wife; and as Marfa in the Mussorgsky, the luminous Marina Prudenskaya, who was heart-rending in the final scenes of the opera and who sang gorgeously throughout. As we say here, "Hut ab" to each of these exceptional singers, all in very challenging roles!

In the midst of preparing this week’s intended Countermelody bonus episode on Bernard Kruysen, I realized that, so great...
02/06/2024

In the midst of preparing this week’s intended Countermelody bonus episode on Bernard Kruysen, I realized that, so great was the amount of new material that is now available on the Dutch baritone, I had bitten off more than I could chew. As a result, I came up with a delicious compromise for this week’s bonus episode: a 1974 East German recording of an operatic recital by the Bulgarian jugendlich dramatisch soprano Anna Tomowa-Sintow entitled Ein Opernabend mit Anna Tomowa-Sintow, which captures her at the height of her vocal beauty and her interpretive prowess. It is hard to imagine these operatic scenes (from Yevgeny Onegin, Otello, Forza del destino, Ariadne auf Naxos, and Arabella and recorded with Kurt Masur leading the Gewandhausorchester) performed with greater vocal glamour or musical integrity. This record was made on the cusp of Tomowa-Sintow’s association with conductor Herbert von Karajan at the end of his life and career, and just shortly after she joined the ensemble of the Staatsoper Berlin. The selections on the record are supplemented by two of Strauss’s Vier letzte Lieder as performed by Tomowa-Sintow at the 1976 Salzburg Festival with Karl Böhm leading the Staatskapelle Dresden. For lovers of the most refined and refulgent singing, this amounts to an indescribable treat.

Patreon subscribers can find the episode here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-episode-105429807

All others clicking on the link will be taken to the donation page, after which you will be able to access all the bonus material I have posted for my Patreon supporters. Wether you are a Patreon supporter or not, thanks to all my Countermelody listeners!

01/06/2024

Many thanks to all my Countermelody listeners for monthly downloads once again surpassing 1,500, and total downloads now exceeding 65K. I know in the world of podcasting this is small potatoes, but as I always say, these numbers mean something to me, because they signal that I have stayed with something that I am passionate about and that what I am putting out there speaks to my listeners.

I discovered the wonderful Broadway contralto Shannon Bolin (1917-2016) a number of years ago. She's the real deal; cert...
27/05/2024

I discovered the wonderful Broadway contralto Shannon Bolin (1917-2016) a number of years ago. She's the real deal; certainly most famous for portraying Meg, the beleaguered wife in the musical and film "Damn Yankees," but her career covered the gamut from opera to Broadway covering all points along that continuum. In the year 1955, she and her husband, pianist, composer, and conductor Milton Kaye made two albums covering a range of material. The first, entitled Rare Wine, consists of “a bouquet of rare vintage,” lesser-known songs by Rodgers and Hart (and Rodgers and Hammerstein), George and Ira Gershwin, Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields, Vernon Duke and Ogden Nash, Bart Howard, Noël Coward, and Alec Wilder, while the second LP consists entirely of songs of Alec Wilder, including his song cycle Songs for Patricia, composed to poems by Norman Rosten dedicated to his young daughter. The episode also includes two highlights from Bolin’s stage career, from Damn Yankees and the 1969 off-Broadway smash Promenade, and closes with my favorite Alec Wilder song, the heartbreaking “Did You Ever Cross Over to Sneden’s?”

Patreon supporters can access the episode at the link below.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/105029439

Others will be taken to the Patreon donor page; after you make your donation, you will be able to access this and the extensive range of bonus material now available exlusively to my Patreon supporters.

Good news for all you SYLVIA SASS lovers! I have published a bonus episode for my Patreon supporters with further fascin...
18/05/2024

Good news for all you SYLVIA SASS lovers! I have published a bonus episode for my Patreon supporters with further fascinating examples of her many-faceted artistry! Give it a listen!

Get more from Countermelody Podcast on Patreon

Hello, dear Countermelody: listeners! I've just posted a bonus episode that features an ancient pirate LP that I dug out...
12/05/2024

Hello, dear Countermelody: listeners! I've just posted a bonus episode that features an ancient pirate LP that I dug out of mothballs this week, entitled "A Recital with Magda Olivero," that features the great Italian diva in repertoire both familiar and unexpected, with one particularly delicious surprise at the end. The episode is available at this link to all my Patreon supporters (and you KNOW you want to become one as well!)

https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-episode-104082040

As a companion to my Lawrence Winters episode this week, I feature the sole solo recording by his contemporary and fello...
29/04/2024

As a companion to my Lawrence Winters episode this week, I feature the sole solo recording by his contemporary and fellow African American baritone, Robert McFerrin (19 March 1921 – 24 November 2006). McFerrin was the first African American male to sing at the Metropolitan Opera, making his debut there as Amonasro in Aida on Thursday January 27, 1955, twenty days after Marian Anderson’s legendary debut there. McFerrin sang only ten performances of three roles under the banner of the Met, eight of them in the house, and two on tour. His final performance there, also as Amonasro, took place almost exactly two years after his debut there. Five months later in June 1957, McFerrin went into the studios of Riverside Records, and, accompanied by the pianist Norman Johnson, and over the course of two days, recorded this legendary album of spirituals, his only solo album. I am not alone in considering this a classic of the genre. My presentation of all fourteen tracks of this album is supplemented by three recordings that McFerrin made in 1946 for the short-lived Sunbeam Records label, the brainchild of composer and arranger Marl Henderson Young, who provides the accompaniments. At the other end of the spectrum is a guest appearance that McFerrin, Sr. made on a 1990 recording by his son, superstar singer, composer, and arranger Bobby McFerrin. I also feature a recently unearthed live recording of McFerrin singing Amonasro live in Napoli in 1956, as well as a moving recording of McFerrin performing live in Washington DC in 1995, after having suffered a debilitating stroke that left him virtually unable to speak. Nevertheless, the song, however compromised, was still in his heart.

Patreon members can access the episode via the following link:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/103240691

There's been discussion lately of the exquisite Rosanna Carteri, much of it centered on her 1958 live filmed performance...
24/04/2024

There's been discussion lately of the exquisite Rosanna Carteri, much of it centered on her 1958 live filmed performance of Magda in La Rondine. In the early days of Countermelody: I was planning an episode in honor of her forthcoming 90th birthday. Alas, she died a few short weeks before that occasion, so the episode ended up being a memorial tribute instead. But even so, it's a wonderful introduction to a uniquely gifted singing actress, pictured here as Desdemona. https://countermelodypodcast.com/index.php/2020/11/01/episode-59-rosanna-carteri/

I've just published a bonus episode of Countermelody: A Podcast on Singers and Singing with Daniel Gundlach featuring an...
22/04/2024

I've just published a bonus episode of Countermelody: A Podcast on Singers and Singing with Daniel Gundlach featuring another singer who’s been on the back burner of my consciousness for some time now: the French baritone Martial Singher (1904-1990). His career extended from opera to concert to recital and back again, but the main focus on this bonus episode, another in my “Flea Market Favorites,” is on the wide range of French song that he performed in recital. I present in its entirety an ultra-rare 1950 recording entitled A Treasury of French Songs, which samples everything from parlor songs by Reynaldo Hahn, Charles Gounod, and Herman Bemberg; to deliciously treacly religious songs from Henri Büsser and Jean-Baptiste Faure (yes, “The Palms” in its original French!); to masterpieces of mélodie by Fauré, Duparc, and Chabrier. The episode is anchored by performances of Ravel and Poulenc songs recorded by Singher in 1934 and 1975, including Poulenc’s fervent “Priez pour paix,” recorded by Singher at the age of 70.

Patreon supporters can access the episode directly by clicking on the link:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/102805915

Calling all Countermelody: fans! I'm planning an upcoming (long-promised) episode on contralto and I'd love to hear from...
16/04/2024

Calling all Countermelody: fans! I'm planning an upcoming (long-promised) episode on contralto and I'd love to hear from all of you on your favorite examples of these rare songbirds. Of course La Ferrier (pictured here) will be featured, as will many lesser-known low-voiced gals, but I would love to hear about other's favorites! (And Christiaan, I already know two of yours, and yes, they will both be heard!)

I have just published a bonus episode of Countermelody: A Podcast on Singers and Singing with Daniel Gundlach for my Pat...
15/04/2024

I have just published a bonus episode of Countermelody: A Podcast on Singers and Singing with Daniel Gundlach for my Patreon supporters. It's not at all a typical one: it focuses on the musical polymath Benard Ighner, and his most famous song "Everything Must Change," which has become one of the most enduring standards of the New American Songbook. I trace the trajectory of Ighner's career, before, during, and after the appearance of this song, which really did "change everything" in so many ways. Singers heard in performances of other Ighner songs include Carmen McRae, Shirley Bassey, and the late Marlena Shaw. The episode also features ten different performances of "Everything Must Change" by artists from June Christy to Nina Simone, from Peggy Lee to Randy Crawford, as well as by Ighner himself, who, in addition to all his other musical talents, possessed a silken voice of rare beauty. This one is very close to my heart!

Anyone who is a paying Patreon supporter of the podcast can access this and all other 100 bonus episodes by clicking on this link: https://www.patreon.com/posts/102369420

And if you're not a supporter of the podcast, perhaps you'll consider becoming one!

Two of the very finest sopranos of the twentieth century celebrate birthdays today, April 13. Anita Cerquetti was born 1...
13/04/2024

Two of the very finest sopranos of the twentieth century celebrate birthdays today, April 13. Anita Cerquetti was born 13 April 1931 and died 11 October 2014; and Margaret Price was born ten years later, 13 April 1941, and died 28 January 2011. At first glance they would appear to have very little in common: Cerquetti appeared like a comet on the operatic firmament, excelling in Verdi and bel canto parts. She became an overnight sensation when she replaced Maria Callas at short notice in the title role of Norma in January 1958 (the so-called “Rome Walkout”), but afterward appeared only sporadically, disappearing mysteriously from the scene before she reached the age of 30. Price trained as a mezzo-soprano and throughout her long career was celebrated as a Mozart singer first and foremost, as well as a nonpareil purveyor of Lieder and art song, turning only later to Verdi (and much less successfully to Norma). And even in Verdi, each had her own ideal parts: Cerquetti as Abigaille and (even moreso) Elena in Vespri, and Price as the Desdemona of one’s dreams. And yet they did share certain Verdi roles, namely Aida (in which neither was ideally cast), Amelia in Ballo (another of Cerquetti’s greatest roles), and, most significantly, Elisabetta in Don Carlo, in which each, in her own completely different way, was the perfect exponent. There is a certain aura of mystery and melancholy that surrounds the lives and careers of each of these women, yet without them, our lives would have been so much poorer. I have featured each of these extraordinary artsts on her own Countermelody: A Podcast on Singers and Singing with Daniel Gundlach episode, which you can find here: Episode 61. Margaret Price: The Voice of Consolation [https://countermelodypodcast.com/index.php/2020/11/15/episode-61-margaret-price-the-voice-of-consolation/]; and here: Episode 210. The Mystery of Anita Cerquetti: [https://countermelodypodcast.com/index.php/2023/08/15/episode-210-anita-cerquetti/] Please raise a glass of each of these great sopranos, and don't forget to give a listen to them on my podcast!

I am stunned and honored that Countermelody: has made it into the pages of the New York Times today, thanks to my podcas...
06/04/2024

I am stunned and honored that Countermelody: has made it into the pages of the New York Times today, thanks to my podcast devoted to the great Margaret Tynes!

Because there were few opportunities for Black singers in the U.S., she became a powerhouse in Europe, performing in operas like “Tosca” and “Carmen.”

As an antidote (I almost wrote “antidope,” which also applies!) to the annual April Fool’s Episode, I offer another, thi...
03/04/2024

As an antidote (I almost wrote “antidope,” which also applies!) to the annual April Fool’s Episode, I offer another, this of most serious intent, replete with human nobility of a completely different variety than Mari Lyn. (Thank goodness.) I have twice featured the great British bass-baritone Norman Bailey (who also sang both regular baritone and, later in his career, regular bass roles) on my podcast. The first time was on the occasion of his death in the fall of 2021 at the age of 88. The second time was my penultimate episode, “Art Songs for Holy Week,” in which I played him singing one of the Brahms Vier ernste Gesänge. His performance of that song inspired me to once again dig into his recorded output, and specifically his recordings of art song, primarily two recordings made with British pianist John Constable in 1977 and 1979. His beauty of both tone and utterance, and the humanity expressed therewith, made me realize that I had, once again, to share this great artist, no doubt best known for his Wagnerian Heldenbariton roles with you, my Patreon supporters. (I had previously done another bonus episode on him as well, as I often do when the amount of musical material I have assembled far exceeds the limits of a single episode.) I decided to focus today on his recordings of song cycles, placing the Wolf Michelangelo-Lieder and the aforementioned Brahms alongside a third: Beethoven’s musically pioneering 1815 work, An die ferne Geliebte. There are other bonus episodes already half-planned which I hope to be bringing to full fruition in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, Bailey, his tone suffused with an enveloping warmth and majesty that is reinforced by his peerless diction and musicianship, provides well-nigh ideal performances of all of these songs.

Patreon supporters, find the episode by clicking on the link below.

All others will be taken to the Patreon donation page; after making your contribution you will be able to unlock this episode, as well as the other 99 bonus episodes.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/101610086

(If anyone who is not yet a Patreon supporter wants to preview this episode, I'll be happy to send you a Dropbox link. Just shoot me a private message.)

As an Easter offering to my Patreon supporters, I present my first bonus episode in six weeks (apologies for the delay!)...
31/03/2024

As an Easter offering to my Patreon supporters, I present my first bonus episode in six weeks (apologies for the delay!):

I pay belated birthday tribute to the great Welsh bass-baritone Geraint Evans, who was born on February 16, 1922. A vivid actor and a skilled singer, he both began and ended his career at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, but was a treasured guest at opera houses all over the globe. In 1966, London/Decca records released a recording designed to give full display to his musical, stylistic, and dramatic versatility. In its US issue it was entitled, appropriately enough, Three Centuries of Baritone Art, and in it many of his greatest roles are highlighted, as well as a number of parts, unusual or uncharacteristic for him, which he never performed onstage. Needless to say, his Mozart roles are in the forefront, as is his exceptional characterization of Verdi’s Falstaff, to which he brought a light buffo touch while still retaining a full vocal palette alongside a vivid characterization. It’s good to be back with my Patreon supporters!

Find the episode here (or click to become a supporter):

https://www.patreon.com/posts/101401697

One of the greatest joys of producing Countermelody: A Podcast on Singers and Singing with Daniel Gundlach is when I hea...
18/03/2024

One of the greatest joys of producing Countermelody: A Podcast on Singers and Singing with Daniel Gundlach is when I hear from family members of my subjects. This happened recently when I heard from Veronica Tyler's daughter who thanked me for remembering her mother's legacy while reminding me that 21 March is the fourth anniversary of her dear mother's death. I am so proud of all of the "Forgotten Divas" episodes that formed the backbone of my Black History Month 2024 offerings: alongside Ms. Tyler, Delcina Stevenson, Gwendolyn Killebrew, Annabelle Bernard, and Ethel Ennis, with a special reposting of an earlier episode featuring Camilla Williams and Janet Williams. Find the episodes here: https://countermelodypodcast.com/index.php/category/forgotten-divas/

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