Countermelody
Countermelody is a new podcast devoted to the glories of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great classical and opera singers of the past and present with the help of guests from the classical music field: singers, conductors, composers, coaches, agents, and voice teachers. Daniel’s lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and journalist yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody’s core is the interaction between singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. Please also visit the Countermelody website for updates, additional content, and to pledge your support. www.countermelodypodcast.com
- Update frequency
- every 3 days
- Average duration
- 91 minutes
- Episodes
- 323
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
Episode 154. Adele Addison @ 97
This Sunday, 24 July 2022, the great African American lyric soprano Adele Addison observes her 97th birthday. This Countermelody tribute presents this great artist in live and studio recordings durin…
01:05:55 |
Fri 22 Jul 2022
Episode 153. Eleanor Steber I
July 17 is the 108th birthday of Eleanor Steber, surely one of the all-time greatest singers that the United States has ever produced (as well as one of the most versatile and technically-accomplishe…
01:13:26 |
Fri 15 Jul 2022
Episode 152. Patricia Neway
Today begins a new summer series on Countermelody, celebrating mid-century music-making in New York City between the years 1950 and 1975. We begin with a celebration of Patricia Neway (1919-2012), on…
01:16:07 |
Fri 08 Jul 2022
Episode 151. Cole Porter [Pride 2022]
Because I’m still on the road, I’m posting an old bonus episode in place of a new one this week, and I’m posting it early. This was originally published about two years ago, in tandem with an episode…
01:30:34 |
Tue 28 Jun 2022
Episode 150. Francis Poulenc and Pierre Bernac [Pride 2022]
Something about this week’s episode has really gotten to me. I guess I’m just madly in love with the melodies of Francis Poulenc, and as a result, increasingly in love with the artistry of Pierre Ber…
01:23:47 |
Fri 24 Jun 2022
Episode 149. Music Black and Queer
Over the course of history, for Persons of Color who also happen to be queer, the interface between these two populations is sometimes an enormously challenging one, but one which also frequently pro…
01:14:14 |
Fri 17 Jun 2022
Episode 148. Judy Garland @ 100
On Friday 10 June 2022, Judy Garland celebrates her 100th birthday. My Pride 2022 series kicks off with a close examination of Judy’s status as gay icon, as well as my claim that Garland was, is, and…
01:14:58 |
Thu 09 Jun 2022
Episode 147. The Young Gabriel Bacquier
Two years ago last month, the great French (bass-)baritone Gabriel Bacquier died just four days short of his 96th birthday. At that time I offered a brief memorial tribute which opened my eyes to asp…
01:07:27 |
Fri 03 Jun 2022
Episode 146. Women of Color Sing Mahler
Say their names: In Uvalde: Nevaeh Bravo, Jackie Cazares, Makenna Lee Elrod, Jose Flores, Eliana Garcia, Irma Garcia, Uziyah Garcia, Amerie Jo Garza, Xavier Lopez, Jayce Luevanos, Tess Marie Mata, Mi…
01:06:01 |
Thu 26 May 2022
Episode 145. Teresa Berganza In Memoriam
A week ago today the beloved and revered Spanish mezzo-soprano Teresa Berganza, died at the age of 89. This episode pays tribute to her artistry through the exploration of her operatic roles, from Ne…
01:05:25 |
Fri 20 May 2022
Episode 144. Mad about Mesplé
Two years ago this month, the world lost the great French soprano Mady Mesplé at the age of 89. Celebrated as the finest French coloratura of her era (and one of the best examples ever of that dying …
01:30:53 |
Fri 13 May 2022
Episode 143. Pelléas Part Deux
Today I conclude my examination of my favorite opera, Claude Debussy and Maurice Maeterlinck’s Pelléas et Mélisande, with an expanded roster of singers which includes return visits from some of last …
01:46:38 |
Fri 06 May 2022
Episode 142. The Thrill of Pelléas
In (relative) relief over the recent French election result, I kick off my miniseries devoted to French singers and French music. Today’s episode will be the first of two devoted to my favorite opera…
01:33:03 |
Fri 29 Apr 2022
Episode 141. Chansons d’avril
This week’s episode is a musical celebration of all things spring. As in all episodes of this sort, it features a wide range of singers in performances recorded over the course of many decades, all s…
01:39:39 |
Thu 21 Apr 2022
Episode 140. Universal Passion
For Christians, this week is probably the most central to the theology of their faith, focusing as it does on the story of the Passion of the Christ. My dear friend, the choral conductor and singer K…
02:00:38 |
Thu 14 Apr 2022
Episode 139. Swiss Misses and Misters
A few months ago, David and I paid a visit to Zurich. The weather was glorious, we ate well, saw interesting theater, and I found a great used record store that was probably the one inexpensive place…
01:53:47 |
Fri 08 Apr 2022
Episode 138. Cabaret Risqué: Broadway Edition
At Countermelody, this April Fool’s Day begins with a dirty musical joke, and a great one! The episode continues with nearly a century’s worth of performances of risqué songs, most but not all of the…
02:03:15 |
Fri 01 Apr 2022
Episode 137. Ukrainian Singers and Composers
Here finally is my long-promised and long-overdue episode on great Ukrainian singers. Because I am so historically oriented, I begin the episode at the dawn of recorded sound and present singers from…
01:48:19 |
Sat 26 Mar 2022
Episode 136. Puccini en Français
This week’s episode is a counterpart to my ongoing exploration of the practice of performing opera in translation which includes the “Verdi auf Deutsch” [www.countermelodypodcast.com/index.php/2021/1…
01:59:48 |
Fri 18 Mar 2022
Episode 135. A Woman’s Winterreise
Today in honor of Women’s History Month and the people of Ukraine, I present a compendium of eight different Liedersängerinnen singing Franz Schubert’s song cycle Winterreise, set to poems by Wilhelm…
01:52:05 |
Fri 11 Mar 2022
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