Podcast Episodes

Episode 295. Requiescat

Today on Countermelody is the first of two memorial episodes paying tribute to singers that we’ve lost just in the past few months. Applying the comp…

1 year, 11 months ago

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Episode 294. Dusty Springfield Revisited

Armed with happy memories of our sojourn to London, which just ended yesterday, I decided to pay tribute today to another favorite British singer of …

1 year, 11 months ago

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Episode 293. The Mysterious Mara Coleva

The Bulgarian soprano Mara Coleva (12 March 1922 – 22 October 2014) was a vital and versatile singer, the majority of whose career took place in Ital…

1 year, 11 months ago

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Episode 292. Ian Partridge Revisited

David and I leave tomorrow on a short jaunt to London, my first visit there in absolute ages. As a result, I have had my favorite British singers ver…

2 years ago

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Episode 291. A Bevy of Bachian Contraltos

This week I pull out all the Baroque stops (appropriately enough), to present you with an episode chock full of contraltos, all singing the music of …

2 years ago

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Episode 290. Ileana Cotrubaș Revisited

More than four years ago, I published my very first bonus episode on Patreon, which I offer here in a fancy new setting and with a wonderful new coda…

2 years ago

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Episode 289. Meet Vera Little

On Monday June 3, 2024, a new memorial plaque commemorating African American mezzo-soprano Vera Little (10 December 1928 – 24 October 2012) was unvei…

2 years ago

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Episode 288. Teresa Żylis-Gara Revisited

Today I revisit the life, career, and sumptuous voice of the great Polish soprano Teresa Żylis-Gara, who died three years ago on 28 August 2021 at th…

2 years ago

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Meet Hugo Hasslo

Season 5 Episode 287

Unless by some miracle you know him already, the Swedish baritone Hugo Hasslo (1911 – 1994), is almost certainly the greatest baritone you never hear…

2 years ago

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Episode 286. Julia Varady Revisited

This week, the sublime Julia Varady celebrated her 83rd birthday, and here at Countermelody that is an occasion well worth commemorating and celebrat…

2 years ago

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