Monthly Archives: April 2026

Episode 457. Ein Opernabend mit… Anna Tomowa-Sintow

April 24, 2026Behind the Iron Curtain, Ein Opernabend mit..., Forgotten Divas, Giuseppe Verdi, In Memoriam, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Richard Strauss, Twentieth Century Opera, Wolfgang Amadeus MozartAlexander Pushkin, Ángel de Saavedra, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Arabella, Ariadne auf Naxos, Arrigo Boito, Cosi fan tutte, Daphne, Die Ägyptische Helena, Euripedes, Francesco Maria Piave, Giuseppe Verdi, Hermann Hesse, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Josepf Gregor, Kurt Masur, La forza del destino, Lorenzo da Ponte, Marek Janowski, Otello, Ovid, Peter Sommer, Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky, Richard Strauss, Rouslan Raychev, Vier letzte Lieder, William Shakespeare, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Yevgeny Onegincountermelody

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Today’s episode serves two purposes: First, I introduce my listeners to a wonderful series first released on Eterna, the East German state record label, entitled “Ein Opernabend mit…” which featured singers, some but not all of them German, active in East Germany between the late 1960s and the early 1980s. Some of these singers are well-known to lovers of great singers, with others much less-so. The quality of the singing varies from release to release, but the very best of these represents singing on the most exalted level. Over the past several years, I have been collecting these (sometimes very rare) recordings and now have nearly all of them in my personal collection. I’ll be doing an ongoing Countermelody series featuring these recordings, and present the first such episode today, featuring what is by far the most famous and well-circulated of these recordings, “Ein Opernabend mit Anna Tomowa-Sintow,” which features the beloved Bulgarian jugendlich-dramatisch soprano in some of her core repertoire (from Yevgeny Onegin, Otello, Forza del destino, Ariadne auf Naxos, and Arabella) made in December 1974 with Kurt Masur leading the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. ATS had recently joined the ensemble at the Staatsoper Berlin (then located in East Germany) and is heard in her creamy, exultant prime. I have supplemented this album with additional material recorded between 1970 and 1993, featuring Tomowa-Sintow in refulgently beautiful (and sometimes quite dramatically alive) excerpts from Così fan tutte, Forza, Die ägyptische Helena, Daphne, and the Vier letzte Lieder. I had a former boyfriend who once dismissed this singer as “garden variety.” All I can say is, if this is garden variety singing, then this is a garden I don’t want to leave anytime soon!

Countermelody is the podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel’s lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and author yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody’s core is the celebration of great singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. By clicking on the following link (https://linktr.ee/CountermelodyPodcast) you can find the dedicated Countermelody website which contains additional content including artist photos and episode setlists. The link will also take you to Countermelody’s Patreon page, where you can pledge your monthly or yearly support at whatever level you can afford.

Episode 456. John Wustman in Memoriam

April 20, 2026Art Song, Honor Your Mentors, In Memoriam, Lieder, Listeners' Favorites, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Twentieth Century MusicBanalités, Claude Debussy, Darius Milhaud, Fiançailles pour rire, Francis Poulenc, Gedichte der Königin Maria Stuart, Gisbert von Vincke, Guillaume Apollinaire, Hugo Wolf, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, John Wustman, Le promenoir des deux amants, Louis Aragon, Louise de Vilmorin, Mary Stuart, Poèmes juifs, Regine Crespin, Robert Schumann, Tristan L’Hermite, Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahrecountermelody

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I had hoped not to be bringing this episode to my listeners until many years hence. Alas, my dear teacher and mentor John Wustman, one of the most influential, pathbreaking, and inspired of all accompanists (a term he far preferred to “collaborative pianist”) died this past Thursday at the age of 95. I have already featured his magnificent artistry on countless episodes, including two devoted expressly to his superb artistry and musicianship. Rather than simply reissuing one of those episodes (or recycling an additional bonus episode already published for my Patreon supporters), I decided to focus on his work with one singer in particular, the French soprano Régine Crespin. Wustman’s work with singers such as Luciano Pavarotti and others is well-remembered and documented, but at a crucial point in his career, it was his recital work with Crespin that was (at her insistence) documented on two commercial releases of art song, both recorded in the mid-1960s, one on EMI, the other on London/Decca. These form a central part of Wustman’s recorded legacy. Today, however, I am focusing on rare live recordings of the pair in recital between 1967 and 1970, the twilight of Crespin’s prime. From these, I have chosen five different song cycles that were featured in those performances, works by Poulenc, Debussy, Milhaud, Schumann, and Hugo Wolf. These recordings have not received widespread circulation, and for that reason alone they would constitute essential listening, but what is even more exceptional is the strong musical bond between the two performers, one which emanates out to their audience in a way which is utterly remarkable. I shall be featuring further episodes with my beloved Mr. Wustman in months to come, but I am particularly honored to share these with you today, as we mourn his death and celebrate his ongoing legacy.

Episode 455. Back in the Saddle

April 16, 2026Bel canto, French Opera, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, Great Tenors, Needle Drop, Richard Wagner, VerismoAida, Alfredo Kraus, Antonio García Gutiérrez, Antonio Ghislanzoni, Antonio Somma, Auguste Mariette, Carlo Bergonzi, Carlo Zangarini, David Belasco, Die Walküre, Émile Deschamps, Ernani, Eugène Scribe, Felice Romani, Francesco Maria Piave, Franco Corelli, Gaetano Donizetti, Giacomo Meyerbeer, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe di Stefano, Giuseppe Verdi, Guelfo Civinini, Il Trovatore, José Carreras, Jussi Bjorling, L’elisir d’amore, La Fanciulla del West, Les Huguenots, Luciano Pavarotti, Mario del Monaco, Nicolai Gedda, Prosper Mérimée, Richard Tucker, Richard Wagner, Rigoletto, Salvadore Cammarano, Temistocle Solera, Un ballo in maschera, Victor Hugocountermelody

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Greetings to all from your recently Venetianized podcaster, now (as the title of today’s episode indicates) once again back in the saddle and bringing you the fourth and final of my vacation (or holiday, if you prefer) episodes featuring great sopranos and tenors of the 1960s and 1970s, as compiled by the late great collector and vocal aficionado Ed Rosen. Today is the second of the tenor LPs from that collection and once again features a range of the brightest and best of that era in thrilling live performances: from Richard Tucker and Franco Corelli (both of whom are heard in excerpts from La Fanciulla del West) to Björling, Carreras, Bergonzi, di Stefano, Kraus, Pavarotti, Gedda, and del Monaco singing everything from Nemorino to Siegmund (!) The vocal splendor of these singers is matched by (for the most part) their musical refinement and taste. And if certain of the featured tenors forgets his musical manners, rest assured that the amplitude of their thrilling high notes is suitable compensation!

Episode 454. Gone Fishing

April 13, 2026African American Singers, Bel canto, Black History Month 2026, Forgotten Divas, French Opera, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, Listeners' Favorites, Mirella Freni, Needle Drop, NYCO Divas, Opera in Translation, Renata Scotto, Singers of Color, VerismoAlexandre Dumas fils, Alphonse Royer, Antonio Somma, Beverly Sills, Calisto Bassi, Charles Nodier, Eugène Scribe, Felice Romani, Francesco Maria Piave, Friedrich Schiller, Gaetani Donizetti, Germain Delavigne, Giacomo Meyerbeer, Gilda Cruz-Romo, Giuseppe Verdi, Gustave Vaëz, Il Pirata, Isidore Justin Séverin Taylor, Jean-François Bayard, Jérusalem (Verdi), Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges, Katia Ricciarelli, La figlia del reggimento, Leyla Gencer, Lorenzo da Ponte, Lucrezia Borgia, Luisa Miller, Magda Olivero, Maria Callas, Mirella Freni, Montserrat Caballé, Norma, Renata Scotto, Roberto il Diavolo, Salvadore Cammarano, Shirley Verrett, Tags: Vincenzo Bellini, Temistocle Solera, Tommaso Grassi, Un ballo in maschera, Victor Hugo, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozartcountermelody

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David and I are still on holiday in the magical city of Venice; it’s my first vist here in nearly forty years and it has been beguiling and enchanting (as well as exhausting)! Before we left, I put together yet another episode of great sopranos of the 1960s and 1970s in stunning live performances as compiled on a 1970s pirate release by Historical Recording Enterprises which I present to you here. Many of my favorites (Callas, Olivero, Scotto, Cruz-Romo, Freni), capped by an unforgettable “Casta Diva” by Shirley Verrett. Also a little celebratory commentary about the dazzling upset in the Hungarian electino last night, one which gives us perhaps a glimmer of hope for the grim situation in the United States.

Episode 453. Out of Commission

April 10, 2026Bel canto, French Opera, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, Great Tenors, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, VerismoAbbé Prevost, Alfonse Royer, Alfredo Kraus, Ángel de Saavedra, Arrigo Boito, Carlo Bergonzi, Charles Duveyrier, Charles Gounod, Didier Gold, Domenico Oliva, Ettore Caimi, Eugène Scribe, Faust, Felice Romani, Francesco Jannetti, Francesco Maria Piave, Franco Corelli, Fromental Halévy, Gaetano Donizetti, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Adami, Giuseppe di Stefano, Giuseppe Giacosa, Giuseppe Verdi, Gustave Vaëz, I vespri siciliani, Il tabarro, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, José Carreras, Jules Barbier, Jussi Bjorling, L’elisir d’amore, La favorita, La forza del destino, La Juive, Luciano Pavarotti, Luigi Illica, Manon Lescaut, Marco Praga, Mario del Monaco, Mefistofele, Michel Carré, Nicolai Gedda, Richard Tucker, Tosca, Victorien Sardoucountermelody

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Next up in my series of Countermelody “vacation episodes,” here’s the tenor counterpart of the soprano episode I published at the beginning of the week. This is the Historical Recording Enterprises mid-1970s release of the first of two issues of “Ten Top Tenors in Ten Live Performances.” Included in the mix are Carlo Bergonzi, Jussi Björling, José Carreras, Franco Corelli, Giuseppe di Stefano, and others singing favorite tenor arias from Manon Lescaut, La forza del destino, L’elisir d’amore, Tosca, among others, in live performances recorded between 1950 and 1976. The album is punctuated by my commentary on each of the individual singers, usually respectful, sometimes a little sassy. Next week you’ll hear Volume Two from the same collection, containing additional rafter-shaking favorites with similar commentary from your host!

Episode 452. Out of the Office

April 5, 2026Bel canto, Forgotten Divas, Ileana Cotrubas, Listeners' Favorites, Needle Drop, NYCO Divas, Renata Scotto, Sylvia Sass, Verismo, Wolfgang Amadeus MozartAlexandre Dumas fils, Antonio Somma, Beverly Sills, Carlo Gozzi, Charles Duveyrier, Don Giovanni, Ettore Caimi, Eugène Scribe, Felice Romani, Francesco Maria Piave, Gaetano Donizetti, Giacomo Puccini, Gilda Cruz-Romo, Giuseppe Adami, Giuseppe Giacosa, Giuseppe Verdi, I due Foscari, I Lombardi, I vespri siciliani, Ileana Cotrubas, La Traviata, Leyla Gencer, Lord Byron, Lorenzo da Ponte, Lucreza Borgia, Luigi Illica, Magda Olivero, Montserrat Caballé, Renata Scotto, Renato Simoni, Sylvia Sass, Temistocle Solera, Tommaso Grossi, Tosca, Un ballo in maschera, Victorien Sardou, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozartcountermelody

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Hello, fans and listeners! I am “Óut of the Office” for the next two weeks, hence the tongue-in-cheek title of this episode, the first of four recycled potpourri episodes bringing you four records issued on the pirate label Historical Recordings Enterprises in the 1970s. Two of them (including today’s) feature great sopranos of that era, and two of them celebrate “ten top tenors” each. A few years ago, David was preparing to downsize to a new apartment in NYC and one of my tasks was to go through his LPs. In doing so, I discovered the two soprano volumes. Low impact, perhaps, in terms of my prep level, but high calorie in terms of content! Here are some of the greatest sopranos of the 1970s (and earlier) in incendiary live performances which will leave you gasping for air (at least I was!) Included are such favorites of the Opera Queens (of whatever persuasion or orientation) as Montserrat Caballé, Leyla Gencer, Magda Olivero, Renata Scotto, and Beverly Sills in addition to such personal favorites of mine as Ileana Cotrubaș, Sylvia Sass, and Gilda Cruz-Romo. Many of these singers have been featured on their own spotlight episodes on Countermelody but the performances featured here are typical of the pirate releases of the 1970s, rare material in sometimes spotty sound but representing these sopranos at their thrilling best. There’s a lot of Verdi, but also some Puccini, Donizetti, and even Mozart. All told a thrilling and rare collection which I am thrilled to share with my pals as I step away from the mic for a couple weeks!

Episode 451. Norman Bailey Sings Three Song Cycles

April 3, 2026Art Song, Great Baritones, Happy Birthday, Lieder, Listeners' Favorites, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle DropAlois Jeitteles, An die ferne Geliebte, Hugo Wolf, Johannes Brahms, John Constable, Ludwig van Beethoven, Michelangelo Buonarotti, Michelangelo-Lieder (Wolf), Norman Bailey, Vier ernste Gesänge, Walter Heinrich Robert-Tornowcountermelody

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I have twice featured the great British bass-baritone Norman Bailey (who also sang both regular baritone and, later in his career, regular bass roles) on my podcast. The first time was on the occasion of his death in the fall of 2021 at the age of 88. The second time was a 2025 episode entitled “Norman Bailey Revisited” in which he was heard singing everything from Peter Warlock to Sigmund Romberg to the great Heldenbariton roles of Wagner and Strauss for which he was particularly celebrated. Today, in an episode appropriate for the pentitential observance of Good Friday, I present him in three different (and each, in their own way, meditative) song cycles, Beethoven’s An die ferne Geliebte, the three Michelangelo-Lieder, which were the final songs written by Hugo Wolf, and the only one of his collections which he actually considered a song cycle, and the Brahms Vier ernste Gesänge. These were featured on two different recordings of art song featuring Bailey and his frequent collaborator John Constable, recorded in 1977 and 1979. His beauty of both tone and utterance, and the humanity expressed therewith, made me realize that I had, once again, to share this great artists with you, my listeners. May Norman Bailey, the majesty and humanity of his voice, reinforced by his peerless diction and musicianship, beguile you with his well-nigh ideal performances of these song cycles.