Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchGiuseppe Verdi: A Libran Birthday Tribute
Season 4 Episode 165
The great Giuseppe Verdi was born this week in 1813. Since his birthday occurs in the same week as mine, and since I firmly believe that I was a Verd…
3 years, 11 months ago
Mabel Mercer
Season 4 Episode 164
Welcome to Season Four of Countermelody! My long-time listeners know a few things things about the podcast. First, the most important quality in a si…
4 years ago
Episode 163. Season Four Preview
Today Countermelody is in limbo: balanced between Seasons Three and Four. Over the past few months I’ve been planning the course of the upcoming seas…
4 years ago
NYCO Divas: An Introduction
Season 3 Episode 162
Today is the final regular episode of Season Three of Countermelody, as well as the last of my summer series documenting musical life in New York Cit…
4 years ago
Janet Baker: Subject of the Queen
Season 3 Episode 161
The world changed yesterday with the death of Queen Elizabeth II, whose subjects in the United Kingdom just this summer celebrated the 70th year of h…
4 years ago
Donald Gramm
Season 3 Episode 160
Dear ones, I present to you today the extraordinarily versatile bass-baritone and my fellow native Milwaukeean Donald Gramm (1927-1983), one of the c…
4 years ago
Forgotten Broadway II
Season 3 Episode 159
The follow-up episode to my previous Forgotten Broadway episode is an epic one, chock full of fascinating composers, lyricists, performers and shows.…
4 years, 1 month ago
Russell Oberlin
Season 3 Episode 158
Hearing the voice of countertenor Russell Oberlin (1928 – 2016) as a soloist with the Robert Shaw Chorale was one of the formative experiences of my …
4 years, 1 month ago
Episode 157. Forgotten Broadway I
Today I begin Forgotten Broadway, a new miniseries within my summer series “Musical Life in New York City 1950-1975.” This wildly eclectic (some migh…
4 years, 1 month ago
Episode 156. Barely Sang at the Met II
This week is the conclusion of my presentation on world-class singers who made a minimal number of appearances at the Metropolitan Opera. My arbitrar…
4 years, 1 month ago