Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchEpisode 72. Igor Gorin (Great Baritones II)
I recently rediscovered the great Ukranian-American baritone Igor Gorin (1904-1982) and was bowled over by the sheer beauty of his voice. In fact, I …
5 years, 5 months ago
Eidé Noréna
Season 2 Episode 71
Kaja Eidé Noréna (1884-1968, née Karoline Hansen), the Norwegian lyric-coloratura soprano, is one of the greatest singers of her generation, and near…
5 years, 5 months ago
Episode 70. Paul Robeson: Ballad of an American
Season 2 Episode 70
January 23 is the 45th anniversary of the death of Paul Robeson, who remains one of the most celebrated, and controversial, of all artists. A man of …
5 years, 5 months ago
Voiceless Wonders: An Introduction
Season 2 Episode 69
Some of the greatest singers in history are not necessarily the most vocally-gifted. This is the first of what I hope will be a series of episodes de…
5 years, 6 months ago
Margaret Marshall, Songbird
Season 2 Episode 68
Welcome to 2021 chez Countermelody! Today’s episode is a birthday tribute to the splendid Scottish soprano Margaret Marshall, who was born on 4 Janua…
5 years, 6 months ago
Episode 67. Good Bye 2020 (and Good Riddance!)
Is there anyone out there who will not be relieved to bid farewell to 2020, this annus horribilis? I know I’ll be delighted to kick its ass out the d…
5 years, 6 months ago
Christmas (Art) Songs
Season 2 Episode 66
In preparation for the upcoming holiday, this week I offer a cross-section of art songs and arrangements of folk songs, not only from Germany, which …
5 years, 6 months ago
Episode 65: 1935 (HB2U, Mommie Dearest!)
This coming Saturday, December 19, is an important day for my family: it’s my mother Jane’s 85th birthday. To pay tribute to this event, and to this…
5 years, 6 months ago
Episode 64. Jorma Hynninen in Opera (Great Baritones I)
This is the first of two episodes I have planned in honor of the great Finnish baritone Jorma Hynninen, who turns 80 in 2021. The focus today is on h…
5 years, 7 months ago
Episode 63. Polyglot Wagner (Opera in Translation I)
Something a little different today: Wagner sung in a variety of languages, none of them German. Throughout much of the 20th Century, it was not at al…
5 years, 7 months ago