Category Archives: Bubbles on the Nile

Episode 496. Rarissima Martina (Arroyo in Memoriam)

October 23, 2026African American Singers, Black History Month, Black History Month 2026, Bubbles on the Nile, French Opera, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, Great Baritones, Great Tenors, In Memoriam, Listeners' Favorites, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Operetta, Richard Wagner, Singers in Old Age, Singers of Color, Spirituals, Twentieth Century MusicAlfred Maria Willner, Andromache’s Farewell, Arnaldo Fusinato, Cantata on the Death of Emperor Joseph II, Carl Maria von Weber, Charles Duveyrier, Der Freischütz, Du Bose Heyward, Eugene Ormandy, Eugène Scribe, Euripedes, Frederic Waldman, Friedrich Kind, Friedrich Laun, Gabriel Faure, George Gershwin, Gerd Albrecht, Giacomo Meyerbeer, Giacomo Puccini, Gianfranco Cecchele, Giuseppe Adami, Giuseppe Verdi, Gustave Charpentier, Hans Gierster, Heinz Reichert, Henri Venanzi, Ira Gershwin, Johann August Apel, John Patrick Creagh, Joseph Eger, L’Africaine, La rondine, Lohengrin, Louise, Ludwig van Beethoven, Martin Rich, Martina Arroyo, Porgy and Bess, Richard Wagner, Samuel Barber, Severin Anton Averdonk, Sherrill Milnes, Sixten Ehrling, Thomas Schipperscountermelody

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African American soprano Martina Arroyo died on October 13 at the age of 90. Tributes have been rolling in from all corners, perhaps especially because Martina Arroyo was a 2013 Kennedy Center Honoree when that still meant something. As such, she is one of an increasingly shrinking proportion of classical musicians who has been thus celebrated. Indeed, if there was ever a universally-admired and -beloved singer in the operatic firmament, it would be Ms. Arroyo. My original intention for this episode was to present her in recordings of art song, but as I compiled repertoire for this week’s tribute, I kept stumbling upon recordings of unexpected operatic and concert repertoire that revealed the soprano’s many virtues in surprising ways. Indeed, some of these recordings are so rare that I doubt that very few of my listeners have ever heard them before: Martina Arroyo singing “Leise, leise”? Or a different live performance of Samuel Barber’s Andromache’s Farewell, which she created during Lincoln Center’s inaugural season? Or a studio recording of “Elsas Traum”? Or, astonishingly and refulgently, even the Poulenc Gloria? I have combined these items with excerpts from recordings almost as uncommon: “Depuis le jour and the “Canzone di Doretta” from a live Concertgebouw concert in 1967; a 1977 Munich concert performance of Meyerbeer’s L’Africaine; a Swedish television Porgy and Bess from 1960; a live 1970 Vespri with Gianfranco Cecchele and Thomas Schippers; and an album of spirituals recorded in 1991, Arroyo’s last studio recording. None of these selections has been heard on any of my previous Martina episodes, and all of them reveal her creamy, delicious tone, impeccable technique, and profoundly satisfying musicianship. I hope that this episode helps expand upon her recorded legacy in ways that will surprise and delight.

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 495. A Birthday Potpourri II (Sneak Preview Edition)

October 15, 2026African American Singers, Art Song, Behind the Iron Curtain, Black History Month 2026, Bubbles on the Nile, Countertenors, Ein Opernabend mit..., Forgotten DivasAdriana Maliponte, Agostino Steffani, Alfred Jerger, Alfredo Silipigni, Alkman, Amor vien dal destino, André Emilianoff, Andrea Maffei, Ángel de Saavedra, Arabella, Cesar Franck, Charles Gounod, Charles Ives, Clemens Krauss, Constantine Cassolas, Daniel Gundlach, Die Macht des Schicksals, Erik Sædén, Francesco Maria Piave, Franz Werfel, Frederick Hammond, Giuseppe Verdi, Halina Łukomska, Hans Udo Müller, Heinz Fricke, Hilda Harris, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Iris, Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz, Jean Sibelius, Jerzy Sulikowski, Joan Tower, Joaquin Rodrigo, Joel Lester, Johan Ludvig Runeberg, John Angelo Messana, John Bröcheler, John Keats, Joséphine-Blanche Colomb, Karol Szymanowski, Kenneth Montgomery, Kostas Paskalis, La forza del destino, Langston Hughes, Laura Flax, Leonidas Zoras, Les Béatitudes, Luigi Illica, Macbeth, Margaret Bonds, Margarete Teschemacher, Michael Isador, Miriam Gideon, Newell Jenkins, Ortensio Mauro, Parsifal, Patricia Spencer, Paul Hofstede, Pentti Koskimies, Pieśni muezina szalonego, Pietro Mascagni, Reginald Boardman, Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, Ritva Auvinen, Roland Hayes, Rudolf Jansen, Sandra Browne, Scott Gilmore, Songs of the Lovesick Muezzin, Spas Wenkovv, Sten Envik, Teodoro Llorente, Victor Hugo, Viorica Ursuleac, Virgil, Voices from Elysium, Walther Ludwig, Willis Barnstonecountermelody

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Welcome to the second of my birthday potpourri episodes! I recorded this the day before we left on vacation, in other words, exactly a week ago. The focus this week is on Coming Attractions for the rest of the year and the new season (Season Eight already!) of Countermelody coming in January. We begin with a tribute to Dutch bass-baritone John Bröcheler, who died on September 30 at the age of 81. I have been collecting his recordings for a couple years now and will do a full memorial tribute in the months to come. I’m also planning a series on songs by important twentieth century composers, including Karol Szymanowski (sinuously represented here by Polish soprano Halina Łukomska), Jean Sibelius (powerfully voiced by Finnish soprano Ritva Auvinen) and Miriam Gideon (performed here by the exceptional Greek-American tenor Constantine Cassolas, one of the composer’s favorite collaborators). I’m also planning a special episode on creators of Richard Strauss operas, and as a foretaste we hear an excerpt from Arabella featuring the controversial soprano Viorica Ursuleac and baritone Alfred Jerger. My series of recordings in the Opernabend series on the Eterna label also continues, and the “placeholder” here is Bulgarian heldentenor Spas Wenkoff, heard in an excerpt from Parsifal. I’m also putting together an episode on great German sopranos singing Verdi in German, as represented here by the great Margarete Teschemacher. This will be in tandem with an episode on international Verdi baritones, as exemplified by one of the greatest ever, the Greek Kostas Paskalis. I’ll also be doing individual episodes on singers I’ve been collecting for some time now, including the pathbreaking African American tenor Roland Hayes, the versatile Swedish bass-baritone Erik Sædén, the fearless French-Italian spinto Adriana Maliponte, and two Black mezzos: the velvet-voiced Hilda Harris and the pioneering Trinidadian Sandra Browne. Finally, a pair of episodes paying tribute to the countertenor voice, one entitled “Our Countertenor Forebears,” represented by the heroic-voiced John Angelo Messana. The other, which has been planned and promised for years now as Episode 500, will feature yours truly, Daniel Gundlach, in an episode to be called “Dansplaining,” which will feature sound recordings unearthed from the ashes of my own archives. So, my friends, much to look forward to on Countermelody in the seasons, months, and years to come.

Episode 491. Bubbles on the Nile, Verdi Edition

September 18, 2026African American Singers, Bel canto, Bubbles on the Nile, Claudia Muzio, Forgotten Divas, Giuseppe Verdi, Listeners' Favorites, Margaret Price, Mezzo Madness, Needle Drop, NYCO Divas, Renata Scotto, Singers of ColorAchille de Lauzières, Alexandre Dumas fils, Andrea Maffei, Angelo Zanardini, Anna Moffo, Anton Guadagno, Antonio García Gutiérrez, Antonio Piazza, Antonio Somma, Arrigo Boito, Attila, Beverly Sills, Camille du Locle, Carol Neblett, Chris Nance, Claudia Catania, Claudia Muzio, Don Carlo, Edward Downes, Ernani, Ernst Märzendorfer, Eugène Scribe, Fiorenza Cossotto, Francesco Maria Piave, Friedrich Schiller, Georges Pretre, Giovanna d’Arco, Giuseppe Patanè, Giuseppe Verdi, Grace Bumbry, Gundula Janowitz, I Lombardi, John Stewart, John Wustman, Joseph Méry, La Traviata, Macbeth, Margaret Price, Margaret Tynes, Maria Callas, Massimo Freccia, Nabucco, Nello Santi, Oberto, Otello, Pál Varga, Renata Scotto, Richard Bradshaw, Salvadore Cammarano, Shirley Verrett, Temistocle Solera, Un ballo in maschera, Victor Hugo, William Shakespeare, Zacharias Wernercountermelody

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Here’s another edition of what has beocme one of my (and my listeners’) favorite series of episodes, one that I have entitled “Bubbles on the Nile.” The title refers to a wonderful 1985 LP of the same name which featured favorite divas in unfamiliar or unexpected repertoire. Since publishing my first Bubbles on the Nile episode last spring, I have revisited the “franchise” with an all-Handel episode, and today, I’m back with an all-Verdi edition. The format of these episodes is thus: we always begin with Beverly herself singing a role or aria not typically associated with her, in this case, “Ernani, involami” from a 1967 radio recording for German radio. From there, I bring you a series of surprising performances from some of my (and, I hope your) favorite singers: Gundula Janowitz singing Odabella in Attila, Claudio Muzio singing Giselda in Lombardi, Margaret Price singing the title role of Giovanna d’Arco, Shirley Verrett singing Cuniza in Verdi’s first opera Oberto, Fiorenza Cossotto singing Amelia in Ballo, Callas singing Eboli, Bumbry singing the Trovatore Leonora, a rare 1960 RAI recording of Anna Moffo singing Desdemona, Carol Neblett as the Violetta of one’s dreams, a hair-raising live performance of Renata Scotto singing Abigaille in Nabucco, and Margaret Tynes as a compelling, idiosyncratic Lady Macbeth. Be prepared for some thrilling singing coming at you from all over the place!

Episode 488. Ileana Cotrubaș In Memoriam

August 29, 2026Behind the Iron Curtain, Bubbles on the Nile, Countertenors, French Opera, Full-Figured Baroque, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, Great Baritones, Great Tenors, Ileana Cotrubas, In Memoriam, Listeners' Favorites, Mezzo Madness, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Richard Strauss, Twentieth Century Opera, Verismo, Wolfgang Amadeus MozartA Midsummer Night’s Dream, Ádám Fischer, Adelheid Witte, Alain Guignal, Alexandre Dumas fils, Alfred Maria Willner, Alfredo Kraus, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Anton Guadagno, Antoni Ros-Marbà, Antonio García Gutiérrez, Arrigo Boito, Barry McCauley, Benjamin Britten, Bernard Haitink, Brigitte Fassbaender, Bruno Bartoletti, Carlos Kleiber, Christian Boesch, Colin Davis, Der Rosenkavalier, Der Schauspieldirektor, Die Zauberflöte, Édouard Blau, Emanuel Schikaneder, Engelbert Humperdinck, Eugène Scribe, Felice Romani, Francesco Cavalli, Francesco Maria Piave, Franco Bonisolli, Frederica von Stade, Gabor Ötvös, Gaetano Donizetti, Georges Hartmann, Georges Pretre, Giacomo Aragall, Giacomo Puccini, Giovanni Faustini, Giuseppe Adami, Giuseppe Giacosa, Giuseppe Verdi, Gottlieb Stephanie, Hänsel und Gretel, Heinz Reichtert, Henri Murger, Herbert von Karajan, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Ileana Cotrubas, Jakob Grimm, James Bowman, James Levine, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, John Pritchard, José Carreras, José Van Dam, Jules Massenet, L’elisir d’amore, La Boheme, La Calisto. Janet Baker, La rondine, La Traviata, Le nozze di Figaro, Leo Nucci, Lorenzo da Ponte, Luigi Illica, Luis Lima, Matteo Manuguerra, Miguel Gómez-Martínez, Otello, Ovid, Pagliacci, Paul Milliet, Peter Pears, Pierre de Beaumarchais, Renato Bruson, Richard Strauss, Rigoletto, Ruggero Leoncavallo, Ruth Welting, Simon Boccanegra, Tom Krause, Victor Hugo, Vladimir Atlantov, Werther, Wilhelm Grimm, William Shakespeare, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozartcountermelody

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Ileana Cotrubaș, the exquisite Romanian soprano, departed this earthly plane last week at the age of 87. She was one of the operatic artists I most revered and respected, both for her musical and artistic integrity and for her constant search for greater dramatic truth in her portrayals. Her characterizations of Violetta, Mimì, Gilda, Adina, Susanna, and Pamina, among others, were peerless. As her career developed, she assumed “bigger” repertoire, in which, on her own terms, she was frequently as successful as her earlier repertoire. This episode, wrung straight from my mourning heart, celebrates all aspects of her operatic repertoire, including late career additions such as Amelia in Simon Boccanegra, Desdemona in Otello, and Charlotte in Werther, the role in which she took her farewell from the operatic stage. In seeking a framework in which to commemorate her, I chose duets exclusively. And, oh, the singers with whom she is partnered: José Carreras, Vladimir Atlantov, Giacomo Aragall, Franco Bonisolli, Alfredo Kraus, Luis Lima, Barry McCauley, Janet Baker, Brigitte Fassbaender, Frederica von Stade, James Bowman, Ruth Welting, Renato Bruson, Tom Krause, José van Dam, Christian Boesch, Matteo Manuguerra, Leo Nucci: the absolute crème de la crème of the great singers of that era. She will be forever remembered and held dearly in the hearts of all who loved her singing and artistry.

Episode 461. Bubbles on the Nile (Original Edition)

May 8, 2026Alternate Universe Bel Canto, Behind the Iron Curtain, Bel canto, Bubbles on the Nile, Comic Relief, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, Listeners' Favorites, Needle Drop, NYCO Divas, Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, Singers in Old Age, Sylvia Sass, Twentieth Century Opera, VerismoAbbé Prevost, Aida, Alexandre Dumas fils, Anatole France, Anja Silja, Antonio Ghislanzoni, Auguste Mariette, Beverly Sills, Bidu Sayao, Carlo Moresco, Carlo Zangarini, Dante Alighieri, Das Telefon, David Belasco, Der Rosenkavalier, Domenico Oliva, Donald Voorhees, Elena Obraztsova, Ernani, Francesco Maria Piave, Gabriele Santini, Ghena Dimitrova, Giacomo Puccini, Gian Carlo Menotti, Gianni Schicchi, Giovacchino Forzano, Giulio Neri, Giuseppe Giacosa, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Giuseppe Verdi, Guelfo Civinini, Gwyneth Jones, Heinrich Bender, Henri Murger, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, John Luther Long, Jules Massenet, Ken’ichiro Kobayashi, La Boheme, La Fanciulla del West, La Traviata, Licia Albanese, Louis Gallet, Luigi Illica, Madama Butterfly, Magda Olivero, Manlio Giovagnoli, Manon Lescaut, Marcel Prawy, Marco Praga, Marilyn Horne, Montserrat Caballé, Oliviero de Fabritiis, Pagliacci, Regina Resnik, Renata Tebaldi, Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, Ruggero Leoncavallo, Salvatore Marchesi, Silvano Carroli, Sylvia Sass, Temistocle Solera, Thaïs, The Telephone, Tommaso Quinto, Ugo Tansini, Uwe Mund, Vazha Chachava, Victor Hugo, Virginia Zeani, Wolfgang Rennertcountermelody

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I recently obtained a copy of the rare pirate recording entitled “Bubbles on the Nile (and Other Rare Phenomena): Familiar Divas in Unfamiliar Repertoire.” It foregrounds 13 favorite twentieth-century divas singing roles with which they were not commonly associated. Prominently featured, of course, is the artist featured in a lovingly caricatured drawing on the cover of the LP, Beverly Sills (AKA Bubbles) singing, as the title implies, the title role of Verdi’s Aida, a role which she seldom sang, and then only at the beginning of her career. Today I am offering the (somewhat expanded) contents of that album, which also features Ghena Dimitrova, Licia Albanese, Regina Resnik, Virginia Zeani, Renata Tebaldi, Montserrat Caballé, among others, in operatic roles that might surprise you. I am hoping that today’s episode might lead to a series of similar episodes this summer: I did a survey earlier this week among my listeners about what favorite divas they would like to see featured in uncommon roles and I received some amazing recommendations and suggestions. So take your seats and hold tight: the maiden voyage of this barge is about to depart down the Nile. (And for those of you who are concerned that I never seem to have a snarky word to say about anyone, you’ll want to fasten your seatbelts: I might have a choice word or two about some of the singers heard today!)