Episode 391. Ben Bagley’s Three-Dollar Bills [Porter and Hart Edition]

Episode 391. Ben Bagley’s Three-Dollar Bills [Porter and Hart Edition] SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Two months ago I posted an…

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Episode 390. Helen Donath Sings Richard Strauss

Episode 390. Helen Donath Sings Richard Strauss SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Beloved Countermelody favorite Helen Donath celebrated her 85th birthday…

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Episode 389. Rescue Mission (Operatic Duets Edition)

Episode 389. Rescue Mission (Operatic Duets Edition) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I have spent the past week planning forthcoming episodes…

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Episode 388. Sopranos en détresse, Part Deux

Episode 388. Sopranos en détresse, Part Deux SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM A few months ago I published the first of…

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Episode 386. David Rendall in Memoriam

Episode 386. David Rendall in Memoriam SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM On 21 July, the opera world lost one of its…

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Episode 385. Classical Singer-Songwriters

Episode 385. Classical Singer-Songwriters SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM You’re all going to laugh at me, but that’s okay, cuz I’m…

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Episode 384. Vera Little Revisited

Episode 384. Vera Little Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM On June 3, 2024, the Berlin Senate’s Department of Culture installed…

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Episode 382. Eine Janowitzische Geburtstagfeier

Episode 382. Eine Janowitzische Geburtstagfeier SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM If you “get” Gundula Janowitz, then you really get her, and…

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Episode 381. I Got a Name (Pride Edition)

Episode 381. I Got a Name (Pride Edition) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM At first blush, this episode may look a…

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Episode 378. Rescue Mission III

Episode 378. Rescue Mission III (Friends Edition) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Even after I publish a Countermelody episode on a…

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Episode 377. Joan Caplan Memorial Tribute

Episode 377. Joan Caplan Memorial Tribute SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This past April, my former voice teacher and treasured friend…

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Episode 376. Bacquier en Récital

Episode 376. Bacquier en Récital [Bastille Day 2025] SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today in honor of Bastille Day, I present…

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Episode 373. Carol Neblett: Girl of the Golden West

Episode 373. Carol Neblett: Girl of the Golden West SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today is the day that the United…

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Episode 372. Pears Sings Not-Britten

Episode 372. Pears Sings Not-Britten (Pride 2025) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today may be my final episode for Pride Month…

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Episode 370. Lesbian Concentrate and Beyond

Episode 370. Lesbian Concentrate and Beyond SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Continuing the Countermelody show of Pride for this month’s LGBTQ+…

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Episode 367. Bernac Sings Not-Poulenc

Episode 367. Bernac Sings Not-Poulenc SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Continuing our exploration of queer pride in classical music, I bring…

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Episode 366. Donald Gramm Revisited

Episode 366. Donald Gramm Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I’m going all out (literally) for this year’s Pride celebrations, especially…

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Episode 365. Flying Down to Rio

Episode 365. Flying Down to Rio (Latin American Orchestral Song II) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today is the second part…

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Episode 363. Orchestral Song of Latin America, Part 1

Episode 363. Orchestral Song of Latin America, Part 1 SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM A few weeks ago I had the…

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Episode 361. Russell Oberlin Revisited

Episode 361. Russell Oberlin Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I’ve been so lucky this week to cross paths with several…

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Episode 360. Ben Luxon: King of Crossover

Episode 360. Ben Luxon: King of Crossover SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Benjamin Luxon, the esteemed Cornish baritone who died at…

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Episode 359. Get to Know Hugo Hasslo

Episode 359. Get to Know Hugo Hasslo SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM The earliest selection on last week’s Elisabeth Söderström episode…

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Episode 358. Elisabeth Söderström Revisited

Episode 358. Elisabeth Söderström Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM There are very few singers that mean more to me than…

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Episode 355. John Wustman (Honor Your Mentors I)

Episode 355. John Wustman (Honor Your Mentors I) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I have been reminded over and over again…

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Episode 354. Get to Know April Cantelo

Episode 354. Get to Know April Cantelo SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Only recently have I become fully aware of the…

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Episode 353. Canteloube Originals

Episode 353. Canteloube Originals SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM The composer Joseph-Marie Canteloube is primarily known for his lush orchestral arrangements…

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Episode 352. Faboo Young Singers, Part Two

Episode 352. Faboo Young Singers, Part Two SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This is the second part of an episode begun…

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Episode 350. Young Singers I Admire

Episode 350. Young Singers I Admire SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today we celebrate 350 episodes of Countermelody since the inception…

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Episode 349. Lenten Melody

Episode 349. Lenten Melody SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I’ve already done a Lententide episode devoted to contraltos singing the music…

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Episode 348. Rescue Mission II

Episode 348. Rescue Mission II SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM After I post a Countermelody episode on a cherished singer, my…

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Episode 347. Will the Real Eleanor Steber Please St/And Up?

Episode 347. Will the Real Eleanor Steber Please St/And Up? SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Because there is no such thing…

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Episode 344. Mady Mesplé Revisited

Episode 344. Mady Mesplé Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This past March 7 would have been the 94th birthday of…

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Episode 342. Norman Bailey Revisited

Episode 342. Norman Bailey Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM The British bass-baritone Norman Bailey (23 March 1933 – 15 September…

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Episode 340. Roberta Alexander: Dutch Treat

Episode 340. Roberta Alexander: Dutch Treat SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Nothing brings me greater joy than when a deep exploration…

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Episode 339. Todd Duncan

Episode 339. Todd Duncan SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today I present the male lead creator of Gershwin’s towering masterpiece, Porgy…

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Episode 337. Anne Wiggins Brown

Episode 337. Anne Wiggins Brown SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today on Countermelody the first of two (for now) episodes celebrating…

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Episode 335. Felicia Weathers, Schlagersängerin

Episode 335. Felicia Weathers, Schlagersängerin SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This week a light-hearted (and therefore much-needed!) tribute to the marvelous…

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Episode 334. Gloria Davy Revisited

Episode 334. Gloria Davy Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I’ve been wanting to revisit the legacy of the great African…

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Episode 333. Leontyne Price Sings Richard Strauss Lieder

Episode 333. Leontyne Price Sings Richard Strauss Lieder SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM On February 10th, our beloved diva Leontyne Price…

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Episode 329. Lois Marshall @ 100

Episode 329. Lois Marshall @ 100 SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Yesterday was the 100th birthday of the sublime Canadian singer,…

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Episode 328. Mezzos in Extremis

Episode 328. Mezzos in Extremis SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Right after the disastrous US election of November 2024, I published…

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Episode 327. Eileen Farrell’s High Standards

Episode 327. Eileen Farrell’s High Standards SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM It’s been a tough week all around, not just nationally…

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Episode 325. Marni Nixon Revisited

Episode 325. Marni Nixon Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today I present to you the extraordinarily versatile, even chameleon-like singer…

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Episode 324. Margaret Price in Trauer und Trost

Episode 324. Margaret Price in Trauer und Trost SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM These days I find myself in a pensive,…

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Episode 321. Anna Moffo und die leichte Muse

Episode 321. Anna Moffo und die leichte Muse SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today’s episode, “Anna Moffo und die leichte Muse,”…

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Episode 320. Hadley in Wien

Episode 320. Hadley in Wien SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I can think of no better way to end this difficult…

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Episode 319. Leslie Uggams 1965–1975

Episode 319. Leslie Uggams 1965–1975 SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Leslie Uggams’ long-standing place in American pop culture matches that of…

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Episode 318. Christmas (Art) Songs, Part Deux

Episode 318. Christmas (Art) Songs, Part Deux SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM A final offering of Christmas music on Countermelody this…

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Episode 316. Christmas with Elly Ameling

Episode 316. Christmas with Elly Ameling SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM In February our beloved Elly Ameling turns 92. I cannot…

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Episode 314. Yi-Kwei Sze Revisited

Episode 314. Yi-Kwei Sze Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM One of the great personal revelations for me in the early…

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Episode 313. Get to Know Gilbert Price

Episode 313. Get to Know Gilbert Price SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM If you have never heard of Gilbert Price, this…

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Episode 312. John Reardon Revisited (World AIDS Day 2024)

Episode 312. John Reardon Revisited (World AIDS Day 2024) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Yesterday was World AIDS Day and many…

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Episode 310. Giving Thanks with Roberta Alexander

Episode 310. Giving Thanks with Roberta Alexander SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM If you, like many of us, are struggling to…

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Episode 309. Get to Know Věra Soukupová

Episode 309. Get to Know Věra Soukupová SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM As a supplement to my ongoing series on great…

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Episode 307. Francisco Araiza in Song

Episode 307. Francisco Araiza in Song SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM In the first year of Countermelody I posted a tribute…

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Episode 303. Everything Must Change

Episode 303. Everything Must Change SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Something a little outside of the normal scope of Countermelody for…

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Episode 302. The Haunted Opera House, 2024 Edition

Episode 302. The Haunted Opera House, 2024 Edition SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Two years ago for Halloween, I presented the…

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Episode 297. In Pace

Episode 297. In Pace SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today I present part two of my “In Memoriam” series, honoring treasured…

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Episode 296. Dan’s Operatic Picks

Episode 296. Dan’s Operatic Picks SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I’m still under the weather, but I can’t let that keep…

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Episode 295. Requiescat

Episode 295. Requiescat SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today on Countermelody is the first of two memorial episodes paying tribute to…

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Episode 294. Dusty Springfield Revisited

Episode 294. Dusty Springfield Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Armed with happy memories of our sojourn to London, which just…

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Episode 293. The Mysterious Mara Coleva

Episode 293. The Mysterious Mara Coleva SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM The Bulgarian soprano Mara Coleva (12 March 1922 – 22…

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Episode 292. Ian Partridge Revisited

Episode 292. Ian Partridge Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM David and I leave tomorrow on a short jaunt to London,…

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Episode 290. Ileana Cotrubaș Revisited

Episode 290. Ileana Cotrubaș Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM More than four years ago, I published my very first bonus…

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Episode 289. Meet Vera Little

Episode 289. Meet Vera Little SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM On Monday June 3, 2024, a new memorial plaque commemorating African…

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Episode 286. Julia Varady Revisited

Episode 286. Julia Varady Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This week, the sublime Julia Varady celebrated her 83rd birthday, and…

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Episode 285. Edda Moser Reappraised

Episode 285. Edda Moser Reappraised SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Lately I have been doing a series of episodes on artists…

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Episode 283. Betty Allen

Episode 283. Betty Allen SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Betty Allen has been featured on countless omnibus Countermelody episodes, but it’s…

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Episode 280. Heather Harper Revisited

Episode 280. Heather Harper Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM The beloved Irish soprano Heather Harper died at the age of…

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Episode 279. Ernst Kozub Reappraised

Episode 279. Ernst Kozub Reappraised SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Have you heard of the remarkable German Heldentenor Ernst Kozub? If…

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Episode 278. George Shirley Revisited

Episode 278. George Shirley Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This August I shall be supplementing each new episode published with…

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Episode 277. Benjamin Luxon In Memoriam

Episode 277. Benjamin Luxon In Memoriam SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Last week on July 25th, the music world was saddened…

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Episode 276. Jules Bledsoe (Listeners’ Favorites)

Episode 276. Jules Bledsoe (Listeners’ Favorites) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Ten days ago I reposted an episode celebrating the life…

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Episode 275. Margaret Tynes (Listeners’ Favorites)

Episode 275. Margaret Tynes (Listeners’ Favorites) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM On March 7, 2024, the legendary African American soprano Margaret…

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Episode 273. Paul Robeson (Listeners’ Favorites)

Episode 273. Paul Robeson (Listeners’ Favorites) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I am here visiting my family in Milwaukee this week,…

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Episode 272. Lenora Lafayette (Listeners’ Favorites)

Episode 272. Lenora Lafayette (Listeners’ Favorites) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Every so often I discover a singer who had previously…

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Episode 271. Muriel Smith (Listeners’ Favorites)

Episode 271. Muriel Smith (Listeners’ Favorites) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM SUBSCRIBE VIA YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM As I embark on…

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Episode 270. Eleanor Steber Revisited

Episode 270. Eleanor Steber Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I sat in my apartment in Berlin on the Fourth of…

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Episode 269. Alberta Hunter

Episode 269. Alberta Hunter SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Please join me today for this overview of the roller coaster career…

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Episode 268. William Parker Redux

Episode 268. William Parker Redux SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today I revisit the life and legacy of lyric baritone William…

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Episode 267. A Cavalcade of Pop Contraltos

Episode 267. A Cavalcade of Pop Contraltos SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM My intention this week to produce a joyous new…

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Episode 264. Rescue Mission (Forgotten Divas Edition)

Episode 264. Rescue Mission (Forgotten Divas Edition) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM During Black History Month this year I featured a…

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Episode 263. Contralto Central

Episode 263. Contralto Central SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Finally, the first in my long-promised series on the contralto voice! The…

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Episode 262. Sylvia Sass Revisited

Episode 262. Sylvia Sass Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Several summers ago I published my first episode celebrating the artistry…

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Episode 261. Thom Baker Introduces Rosanna Carteri

Episode 261. Thom Baker Introduces Rosanna Carteri (Listeners’ Favorites) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today’s episode is one of my Listeners’…

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Episode 259. Lawrence Winters Revisited

Episode 259. Lawrence Winters Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM During the first season of Countermelody I presented the great African…

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Episode 257. The Marvelous Marvis Martin

Episode 257. The Marvelous Marvis Martin SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I have been juggling a number of brand new episode…

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Episode 254. Holy Week with the Romantics

Episode 254. Holy Week with the Romantics SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Once again we have reached the climax of the…

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Episode 253. Randall Scarlata Introduces Gérard Souzay

Episode 253. Randall Scarlata Introduces Gérard Souzay SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM The French baritone Gérard Souzay was born Gérard Tisserand on 8…

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Episode 250. Julian Long Introduces Jorma Hynninen

Episode 250. Julian Long Introduces Jorma Hynninen SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM It is a wonderful thing when friends share a…

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Episode 248. Thomas Bagwell Introduces Bernard Kruysen

Episode 109. Thomas Bagwell Introduces Bernard Kruysen SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM One of my best and truest friends in the…

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Episode 247. Sarah Pillow Introduces Eileen Farrell

Episode 247. Sarah Pillow Introduces Eileen Farrell SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM The American dramatic soprano Eileen Farrell (1920–2002) was one…

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Episode 246. Previn Moore Introduces Camilla Williams & Janet Williams (BHM 2024)

Episode 246. Previn Moore Introduces Camilla Williams & Janet Williams (BHM 2024) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM As the final entry…

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Episode 245. Tell It to the World: Germany

Episode 245. Tell It to the World : Germany SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Here is the second of a two…

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Episode 244. Veronica Tyler (BHM 2024)

Episode 244. Veronica Tyler (BHM 2024) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This Countermelody episode is the last in my miniseries featuring…

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Episode 242. Damon Evans Introduces George Shirley (BHM 2024)

Episode 242. Damon Evans Introduces George Shirley (BHM 2024) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This week I present a Countermelody mini-series…

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Episode 240. Annabelle Bernard (BHM 2024)

Episode 240. Annabelle Bernard (BHM 2024) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Last week we celebrated the 97th birthday of our Ur-Diva,…

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Episode 239. Gwendolyn Killebrew (BHM 2024)

Episode 239. Gwendolyn Killebrew (BHM 2024) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This week’s “Forgotten Diva” is the mezzo-soprano / contralto Gwendolyn…

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Episode 238. Delcina Stevenson (BHM2024)

Episode 238. Delcina Stevenson (BHM 2024) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I am so grateful to all the listeners who did…

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Episode 237. Paul Kirby Introduces Charles Ives (Listeners’ Favorites VIII)

Episode 237. Paul Kirby Introduces Charles Ives (Listeners’ Favorites VIII) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM My friend Paul Kirby is a…

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Episode 235. Anna Tonna Introduces Teresa Berganza  (Listeners’ Favorites VI)

Episode 235. Anna Tonna Introduces Teresa Berganza (Listeners’ Favorites VI) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today’s Listeners’ Favorites episode of Countermelody is…

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Episode 233. Dusty Pörn Introduces Eleanor Steber (Listeners’ Favorites IV)

Episode 233. Dusty Pörn Introduces Eleanor Steber SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today’s subject is Eleanor Steber, certainly one of the…

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Episode 232. Janet Williams and Paul Padillo Introduce Maria Ewing (Listeners’ Favorites III)

Episode 232. Janet Williams and Paul Padillo Introduce Maria Ewing (Listeners’ Favorites III) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM January 9 is…

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Episode 228. Song Cycles for Christmas

Episode 228. Song Cycles for Christmas SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM For my second holiday episode this year, I turn to…

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Episode 225. Joya Sherrill

Episode 225. Joya Sherrill SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This week’s episode is the first in what I hope will be…

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Episode 224. Handel’s Deutsche Arien

Episode 224. Handel’s Deutsche Arien SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This year for Thanksgiving I bring you Handel’s glorious Neun deutsche…

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Episode 222. Shirley Verrett, Falcon Sfogatissima

Episode 222. Shirley Verrett, Falcon Sfogatissima SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM It is hard to believe that it’s already been 13…

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Episode 220. La Fiamma

Episode 220. La Fiamma (The Haunted Opera House II) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM A year ago, I posted an episode…

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Episode 219. Chants d’Auvergne

Episode 219. Chants d’Auvergne SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Another episode featuring orchestral songs, these arrangements by the French composer Joseph…

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Episode 218. Edith Piaf, storyteller

Episode 218. Edith Piaf, storyteller SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today is the 60th anniversary of the death of Edith Piaf,…

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Episode 217. Patricia Neway Revisited

Episode 217. Patricia Neway Revisited SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today I revisit the artistry of the great Patricia Neway (1919-2012),…

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Episode 216. The Lieder of Joseph Marx

Episode 216. The Lieder of Joseph Marx SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This week (inspired by an 10-inch LP in my…

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Episode 213. Julia Varady

Episode 213. Julia Varady SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM A week ago the extraordinary Hungarian-German soprano Julia Varady turned 82. As…

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Episode 212. Ian Partridge

Episode 212. Ian Partridge SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Ian Partridge, the quintessential English lyric tenor, celebrated his 85th birthday in…

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Episode 211. Janet Baker @ 90

Episode 211. Janet Baker @ 90 SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This past week the opera world was plunged into mourning…

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Episode 209. Nordic Tracks I: Orchestral Songs

Episode 209. Nordic Tracks I: Orchestral Songs SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Inspired by my holiday in Denmark last week, today…

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Episode 207. Henry Wright and Pals

Episode 207. Henry Wright and Pals SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today’s episode is first and foremost a tribute to a…

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Episode 206. Jerry Hadley

Episode 206. Jerry Hadley SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Jerry Hadley (16 June 1952 – 18 July 2007) is regarded by…

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Episode 205. Eileen Farrell: Bach/Pop

Episode 205. Eileen Farrell: Bach/Pop SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Eileen Farrell (13 February 1920 – 23 March 2002) was one…

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Episode 204. Roberta Alexander Sings America

Episode 204. Roberta Alexander Sings America SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Posting a few days early in celebration of the Fourth…

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Episode 203. Jobriath and Jackie (Pride 2023)

Episode 203. Jobriath and Jackie (Pride 2023) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today’s Pride 2023 episode focuses on two pathbreaking pop…

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Episode 202. William Parker [Pride 2023]

Episode 202. William Parker [Pride 2023] SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today’s episode celebrates the life and legacy of lyric baritone…

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Episode 201. Britten & Pears (Pride 2023)

Episode 201. Britten & Pears (Pride 2023) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today’s episode explores the lives and loves of two…

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Episode 199. Tina and the Expats

Episode 199. Tina and the Expats SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM If you’re like me (and I hope that, at least…

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Episode 198. Cesare Valletti

Episode 198. Cesare Valletti SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today’s episode celebrates the Italian tenore di grazia Cesare Valletti (18 December…

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Episode 197. Theatre Dreams

Episode 197. Theatre Dreams SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Ernestine Schumann-Heink and Annie Krull in the original production of Elektra, 1908.…

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Episode 195. Forgotten Broadway III

Episode 195. Forgotten Broadway III SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Last summer, I produced a miniseries of episodes on Countermelody entitled…

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Episode 192. Virginia Zeani

Episode 192. Virginia Zeani: The Soul of the Voice SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Virginia Zeani (21 October 1925 – 20…

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Episode 191. Music for Holy Week

Episode 191. Music for Holy Week SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Diana Montague (born April 8… Happy Birthday!) Welcome to all…

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Episode 189. Marni Nixon

Episode 189. Marni Nixon SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today, in another of my Women’s History Month episodes, I present to…

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Episode 188. Sarah Reese

Episode 188. Sarah Reese SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Greatness expresses itself in different ways. Sometimes in indisputable artistic talents, and…

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Episode 186. Roberta Alexander I

Episode 186. Roberta Alexander in Opera SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today it is with the utmost excitement that I bring…

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Episode 185. Black Pop Icons auf Deutsch

Episode 185. Black Pop Icons auf Deutsch (Black History Month 2023) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM There are advantages to being…

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Episode 183. Martina Arroyo

Episode 183. Martina Arroyo SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Last week on Feburary 2, the beloved African American soprano Martina Arroyo…

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Episode 182. Dorothy Maynor

Episode 182. Dorothy Maynor SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I lead off my new episodes for Black History Month 2023 with…

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Episode 181. Nicolai Gedda in Song

Episode 181. Nicolai Gedda in Song SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today’s episode is a special request from one of my…

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Episode 180. Anna Moffo Reappraised

Episode 180. Anna Moffo Reappraised SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM The Italian-American lyric coloratura soprano Anna Moffo (1932-2006) is, for many,…

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Episode 179. The Pop Stylings of Maria Ewing

Episode 179. The Pop Stylings of Maria Ewing SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM A year ago, as I prepared a memorial…

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Episode 178. Andrzej Hiolski

Episode 178. Andrzej Hiolski SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This week I have been tantalizing my followers with the promise of…

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Episode 177. Great Singers at Twilight

Episode 177. Great Singers at Twilight SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM For the last episode of 2022, I begin a series…

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Episode 176. Helen Donath

Episode 176. Helen Donath SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today’s episode is a celebration of the Texas-born, German-assimilated soprano Helen Donath.…

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Episode 174. Song of Songs

Episode 174. Song of Songs SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This week is a continuation of my memorial tribute to my…

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Episode 173. Orchesterlieder I

Episode 173. Orchesterlieder I SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This week is the first of a series of episodes focusing on…

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Episode 172. Ned Rorem In Memoriam

Episode 172. Ned Rorem In Memoriam SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Greetings to all from my former home of Manhattan! Upon…

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Episode 171. November Birthday Gals

Episode 171. November Birthday Gals SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Tomorrow morning I leave for three weeks and I’ve been desperately…

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Episode 170. Oralia Domínguez

Episode 170. Oralia Domínguez SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Earlier this year, in an episode entitled “Women of Color Sing Mahler,”…

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Episode 168. The Haunted (Opera) House

Episode 168. The Haunted (Opera) House, 20th Century Edition SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This week’s episode celebrates Halloween while at…

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Episode 167. Denise Duval

Episode 167. Denise Duval SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Denise Duval, whose 101st birthday we posthumously commemorate on October 23, will…

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Episode 166. Dan’s Picks

Episode 166. Dan’s Picks SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This week I celebrated my birthday, so today is the second of…

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Episode 164. Mabel Mercer

Episode 164. Mabel Mercer (Season Four Premiere) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Welcome to Season Four of Countermelody! My long-time listeners…

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Episode 163. Season Four Preview

Episode 163. Season Four Preview SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today Countermelody is in limbo: balanced between Seasons Three and Four.…

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Episode 162. NYCO Divas: An Introduction

Episode 162. NYCO Divas: An Introduction SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today is the final regular episode of Season Three of…

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Episode 161. Janet Baker: Subject of the Queen

Episode 161. Janet Baker: Subject of the Queen SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM The world changed yesterday with the death of…

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Episode 160. Donald Gramm

Episode 160. Donald Gramm SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Dear ones, I present to you today the extraordinarily versatile bass-baritone and…

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Episode 159. Forgotten Broadway II

Episode 159. Forgotten Broadway II SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM The follow-up episode to my previous Forgotten Broadway episode is an…

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Episode 158. Russell Oberlin

Episode 158. Russell Oberlin SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Hearing the voice of countertenor Russell Oberlin (1928 – 2016) as a…

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Episode 157. Forgotten Broadway I

Episode 157. Forgotten Broadway I SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today I begin Forgotten Broadway, a new miniseries within my summer…

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Episode 156. Barely Sang at the Met II

Episode 156. Barely Sang at the Met II SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This week is the conclusion of my presentation…

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Episode 155. Barely Sang at the Met I

Episode 155. Barely Sang at the Met SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today’s brain teaser: What do world-class singers Irmgard Seefried,…

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Episode 154. Adele Addison @ 97

Episode 154. Adele Addison @ 97 SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This Sunday, 24 July 2022, the great African American lyric…

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Episode 153. Eleanor Steber

Episode 153. Eleanor Steber SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM July 17 is the 108th birthday of Eleanor Steber, surely one of…

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Episode 152. Patricia Neway

Episode 152. Patricia Neway SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today begins a new summer series on Countermelody, celebrating mid-century music-making in…

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Episode 151. Cole Porter

Episode 151. Cole Porter [Pride 2022] SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Because I’m still on the road, I’m posting an old…

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Episode 150. Poulenc & Bernac

Episode 150. Poulenc and Bernac (Pride 2022) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Something about this week’s episode has really gotten to…

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Episode 149. Music Black and Queer

Episode 149. Music Black and Queer (Pride 2022) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Over the course of history, for Persons of…

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Episode 148. Judy Garland @100

Episode 148. Judy Garland @100 (Pride 2022) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM On Friday 10 June 2022, Judy Garland celebrates her…

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Episode 147. The Young Bacquier

Episode 147. The Young Gabriel Bacquier SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Two years ago last month, the great French (bass-)baritone Gabriel…

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Episode 146. Women of Color Sing Mahler

Episode 146. Women of Color Sing Mahler SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Say their names: In Uvalde: Nevaeh Bravo, Jackie Cazares,…

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Episode 145. Teresa Berganza

Episode 145. Teresa Berganza In Memoriam SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM A week ago today the beloved and revered Spanish mezzo-soprano…

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Episode 144. Mad about Mesplé

Episode 144. Mad about Mesplé SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Two years ago this month, the world lost the great French…

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Episode 143. Pelléas Part Deux

Episode 143. Pelléas Part Deux SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today I conclude my examination of my favorite opera, Claude Debussy…

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Episode 142. The Thrill of Pelléas

Episode 142. The Thrill of Pelléas SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM In (relative) relief over the recent French election result, I…

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Episode 141. Chansons d’avril

Episode 141. Chansons d’avril SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This week’s episode is a musical celebration of all things spring. As…

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Episode 140. The Universal Passion

Episode 140. The Universal Passion SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM For Christians, this week is probably the most central to the…

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Episode 139. Swiss Misses and Misters

Episode 139. Swiss Misses and Misters SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM A few months ago, we paid a visit to Zurich.…

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Episode 138. Cabaret Risqué: Broadway Edition

Episode 138. Cabaret Risqué: Broadway Edition SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM At Countermelody, this April Fool’s Day begins with a dirty…

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Episode 137. Ukrainian Singers and Composers

Episode 137. Ukrainian Singers and Composers SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Here finally is my long-promised and long-overdue episode on great…

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Episode 134. Legacy

Episode 134. Legacy (Black History Month 2022 Postlude) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This is the second part of my final…

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Episode 133. Never Forget

Episode 133. Never Forget (Black History Month 2022) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I bid a lingering farewell to Black History…

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Episode 131. Reri Grist

Episode 131. Happy Birthday, Reri Grist (Black History Month 2022) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM The great African American coloratura Reri…

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Episode 129. Leontyne Price in Concert

Episode 129. Leontyne Price in Concert [Black History Month 2022] SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM The great Leontyne Price, soprano par…

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Episode 127. Maria Ewing

Episode 127. Maria Ewing in Memoriam (Black History Month 2022) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM The exceptional, distinctive Maria Ewing died…

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Episode 126. Canadian Singers of Art Song

Episode 126. Canadian Singers of Art Song (Great Canadian Singers) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM After two weeks of so-called “deep…

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Episode 125. Jon Vickers

Episode 125. Jon Vickers (Great Canadian Singers) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Our series saluting great Canadian singers continues with a…

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Episode 123. Lois Marshall

Episode 123. Lois Marshall (Great Canadian Singers) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today is my first episode of the New Year,…

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Episode 122. Auld Acquaintance II

Episode 122. Auld Acquaintance II SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Part Two of my “Auld Acquaintance” mini-series on Countermelody continues the…

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Episode 121. Auld Acquaintance I

Episode 121. Auld Acquaintance I SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This special episode, the first of two year-end celebrations, presents artists…

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Episode 120. Bethany Beardslee

Episode 120. Bethany Beardslee SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today’s episode celebrates a pioneer in the performance of twentieth century vocal…

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Episode 118. Stephen Sondheim & Joséphine Baker

Episode 118. Stephen Sondheim & Joséphine Baker SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Two titans of culture were in the news this…

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Episode 113. Edda Moser

Episode 113. Edda Moser SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM On 27 October the great German dramatic coloratura Edda Moser celebrated her…

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Episode 112. Barry McDaniel

Episode 112. Barry McDaniel SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This past week would have been the 91st birthday of Barry McDaniel…

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Episode 109. Bernard Kruysen

Episode 109. Bernard Kruysen: Baryton Martin extraordinaire SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today I celebrate the life and artistry of Bernard…

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Episode 108. Christiane Eda-Pierre

Episode 108. Christiane Eda-Pierre SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Today’s episode is a memorial tribute to the great Martinique-born French soprano…

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Episode 107. Norman Bailey and Friends

Episode 107. Norman Bailey and Friends SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Death has had a busy month in the music world,…

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Episode 105. Teresa Żylis-Gara

Episode 105. Teresa Żylis-Gara (In Memoriam) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM One of my very favorite singers, the Polish soprano Teresa…

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Episode 102. John Reardon

Episode 102. John Reardon: Make Someone Happy SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Here’s another great baritone to help get us through…

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Episode 99. Yi-Kwei Sze

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Episode 96. Great Baritones Sing Charles Ives

Episode 96. Great Baritones Sing Charles Ives SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM To help me and all my American friends celebrate…

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Episode 93. Evelyn Lear sings Sondheim and Bernstein

Episode 93. Evelyn Lear sings Sondheim and Bernstein SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I had intended a no-holds-barred Queer Pride extravaganza…

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Episode 92. Blessed Memory (In Memoriam III)

Episode 92. Blessed Memory (In Memoriam III) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM The final episode (for now) in my series commemorating…

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Episode 91. Unforgotten (In Memoriam II)

Episode 91. Unforgotten (In Memoriam II) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM We continue our memorial tributes this week with the second…

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Episode 89. The Radiant Heather Harper

Episode 89. The Radiant Heather Harper SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I have dreamed of doing an episode on the great…

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Episode 88. Jorma Hynninen @ 80

Episode 88. Jorma Hynninen @ 80: A Celebration in Song SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM A month ago the great Finnish…

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Episode 86. Cathy Berberian’s Second Hand Songs

Episode 86. Cathy Berberian’s Second Hand Songs SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM I return to Cathy Berberian, Prima Donna of the…

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Episode 84. Cathy Berberian, Part I: MagnifiCathy

Episode 84. Cathy Berberian, Part I: MagnifiCathy SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This episode is the first part of a tribute…

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Episode 83. Frühlingslieder

Episode 83. Frühlingslieder [Spring Songs] SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Dear listeners, it is Easter Sunday. While we are strictly non-sectarian…

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Episode 80. Sad Songs (with a twist)

Episode 80. Sad Songs (with a twist) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM It’s been a year since the pandemic sent us…

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Episode 77. Margaret Tynes (BHM2021 V)

Episode 77. Margaret Tynes (Black History Month 2021 V) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM For a special bonus episode this week…

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Episode 75. Lenora Lafayette (BHM2021 III)

Episode 75. Lenora Lafayette (Black History Month 2021 III) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Every so often I discover a singer…

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Episode 70. Paul Robeson: Ballad of an American

Episode 70. Paul Robeson: Ballad of an American SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM January 23 is the 45th anniversary of the…

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Episode 20. Muriel Smith (Black History Month I)

Episode 20. Muriel Smith (Black History Month I) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM This week kicks off my series of Black…

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Episode 8. Williams & Williams

Episode 8. Williams & Williams

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Episode 4. Jessye and Her Forebears (Needle Drop I)

Episode 4. Jessye and Her Forebears (Needle Drop I) SOCIAL SHARE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM Due to a last minute change of…

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