Tag Archives: Arne Dorumsgaard

Episode 305. Rage and Despair

November 9, 2024Art Song, Behind the Iron Curtain, Broadway, Forgotten Divas, Great Baritones, Great Contraltos, In Memoriam, Lieder, Mezzo Madness, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Pop Icons, Protest Songs, Queer Pride, Schubert, Twentieth Century Music, Twentieth Century Opera, Verismo, Wolfgang Amadeus MozartAlexez Zybtsev, Alfredo Catalani, Alonso de Mudarra, Arne Dorumsgaard, Banalités, Claudio Monteverdi, Dalton Baldwin, Die Zauberflöte, Edvard Grieg, Emanuel Schikaneder, Felicia Montealegre, Francis Poulenc, Franz Schubert, George Schick, Gerard Souzay, Gian Carlo Menotti, Gian Francesco Malipiero, Giovanni Francesco Busenello, Guillaume Apollinaire, Hartmut Höll, Irwin Gage, István Kertész, Jennie Tourel, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Judith Raskin, Judy Garland, Julia Ward Howe, Justinus Kerner, Kurt Weill, L’incoronazione di Poppea, La Wally, Leonard Bernstein, Lost in the Stars, Louis Aragon, Luigi Illica, Maria Callas, Martti Talvela, Maxwell Anderson, Mitsuko Shirai, Mort Lindsey, Narcisse Bonnet, Nikolaus Lenau, Nino Sanzogno, Oralia Dominguez, Pavel Lisitsian, Pilar Lorengar, Robert Schumann, Rufus Wainwright, The Consul, Thomas Schippers, Tullio Serafin, Virginia Zeani, Wilhelm Müller, Wilhelmine von Hillern, Winterreise, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozartcountermelody

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Before I traveled to my home state of Wisconsin this week, I had prepared an episode to post this weekend, but in my naïveté, I had not anticipated the catastrophe that happened to my country, and to the world, when the unthinkable occurred this past Tuesday. Since then I have barely had a moment’s rest, feeling gripped by a torrent of negative emotions, rage and despair primary among them. It became apparent to me that I had to give voice to those feelings in order to work through them, and in the process maybe even help my friends and listeners who are struggling with their own versions of this toxic emotional cocktail. So here is the episode I dearly wish I had not felt compelled to produce, one devoted to despair and to rage, as we attempt to convert them into resolve and determination to “stand our ground” and demand that our beloved country not go under, powerless though we may feel at this moment to prevent that from happening. I have chosen work by Poulenc, Mozart, Weill, Monteverdi, Menotti, Schumann, Schubert, and Bernstein, performed by such podcast favorites as Jennie Tourel, Judy Garland, Gérard Souzay, Maria Callas, Oralia Domínguez, Virginia Zeani, Judith Raskin, Pilar Lorengar, and others, to act as our music therapists as we struggle to regain our equilibrium, “Lost in the Stars” though we may feel at this moment.

Countermelody is a 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 journalist 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 support at whatever level you can afford.

Episode 299. Rogue Tenors

October 18, 2024African American Singers, Broadway, Crossover, Great Tenors, Listeners' Favorites, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Operetta, Pop Icons, Singers of Color, Twentieth Century Music, Voiceless WondersAndrew Lloyd Webber, Anton Dermota, Armin Robinson, Arne Dorumsgaard, Arthur Rebner, Arthur William Halifax, Arturo Buzzi-Peccia, Bertolt Brecht, Billy Rose, Billy Strayhorn, Charles Cerné, Charles Mackerras, Consuelo Velázquez; Francis Blanche, Curt Schulz, Damien Sneed, Die Dreigroschenoper, Edward Eliscu, Edward Heyman, Enrico Caruso, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Ernst Dobrindt, Ethelbert Nevin, F. Charles Adler, Fred G. Bowles, Fritz Wunderlich, Geoffrey O’Hara, Gigi Pisano, Giuseppe Cioffi, Giuseppe di Stefano, Günther Schwenn, Hans Adler, Hans Carste, Hans Schleger, Hans Sommer, Hans Totzauer, Harry Parr Davies, Helge Rosvaenge, Herbert Ernst Groh, Hermann Jadlowker, Hermann Krome, Iller Pattacini, Jacob Gade, Jan Kiepura, Jan Peerce, Jerry Hadley, Jimmy Webb, Jochen Rider, John Constable, Jonas Kaufmann, José Carreras, Joseph Maria Lacalle, Joseph Schmidt, Julius Patzak, Jürgen Hermann, Kenneth McKellar, Kurt Weill, Lawrence Brownlee, Luigi Alva, Marcel Wittrisch, Max Schönherr, Melle Weersma, Ned Washington, Nicholas Brodszky, Noah Stewart, Oscar Hammerstein II, Otto Harbach, Patience Strong, Paul Gemignani, Peter Schaeffers, Peter Schreier, Phil Green, Raymond Legrand, Reginald Boardman, Richard Genée, Richard Kerr, Richard Lewis, Richard Tauber, Robert Cameron Rogers, Robert Farnon, Robert Gilbert, Robert Stolz, Roger Quilter, Roland Hayes, Rudolf Friml, Rudolf Sieczyński, Sammy Cahn, Sandor Harmati, Sebastian Knauer, Stuart Burrows, Sylvan Levin, T.S. Eliot, Tino Rossi, Victor Young, Vincent Youmans, Walter Reisch, Walther Ludwig, Werner Richard Heymann, Will Jennings, Willi Stech, William Shakespeare, Winifred Maycountermelody

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Remember the summer of 2020? The good old days of lockdown? That was the first summer that I was producing Countermelody, and during that time I tried to inject a little levity into the podcast by doing a long series on crossover. One such episode was devoted to a century of tenors singing crossover, reaching back further than a century from Hermann Jadlowker and Caruso himself and extending to the present day. There was such a wealth of gorgeous material which led to an additional bonus episode on such “Rogue Tenors,” which includes (among the German-speaking singers) Helge Rosvaenge, Fritz Wunderlich, Peter Schreier, Richard Tauber, Marcel Wittrisch, Jonas Kaufmann, Anton Dermota, Walther Ludwig, Herbert Ernst Groh, Joseph Schmidt, Jan Kiepura, and Julius Patzak; others include Stuart Burrows, Roland Hayes, Richard Lewis, Lawrence Brownlee, Jan Peerce, José Carreras, Kenneth McKellar, Noah Stewart, Tino Rossi, Luigi Alva, Giuseppe di Stefano, and Jerry Hadley in a wide range of repertoire and styles ranging from Neapolitan songs Kurt Weill; from folk songs to Victorian parlor songs; from operettas and Tonfilm Schlager to jazz and rock. It’s a rollicking good ride; hold on tight and enjoy!

Countermelody is a 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 journalist 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 support at whatever level you can afford.

Episode 253. Randall Scarlata Introduces Gérard Souzay (Listeners’ Favorites)

March 25, 2024Art Song, Full-Figured Baroque, Great Baritones, In Memoriam, Interview, Lieder, Listeners' Favorites, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Schubert, Twentieth Century Music, Twentieth Century OperaAntoine Boësset, Arne Dorumsgaard, Arturo Basile, Benjamin C. S. Boyle, Cesar Franck, Charles Gounod, Claire Croiza, Claude Debussy, Dalton Baldwin, Désiré-Émile Inghelbrecht, Dinu Lipatti, Fetes galantes, Francis Poulenc, Franz Schubert, Franz von Schober, Genevieve Touraine, Gerard Philipe, Gerard Souzay, Golaud, Guillaume Apollinaire, Henry Purcell, Hermann Kletke, Irène Aïtoff, Jacqueline Bonneau, Jacqueline Robin, Jacqueline Robin-Bonneau, Jean-Michel Damase, Jules Barbier, Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Herrosee, Laura Ward, Lotte Lehmann, Louis de Fourcaud, Louise de Vilmorin, Manuel Bandeira, Maria Callas, Matthäus von Collin, Maurice Maeterlinck, Maurice Ravel, Nicole Robin, Paul Valéry, Paul Verlaine, Pelleas et Melisande, Pierre Bernac, Randall Scarlata, Robert Schumann, Vanni-Marcouxcountermelody

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The French baritone Gérard Souzay was born Gérard Tisserand on 8 December 1918 and died in Antibes on 17 August 2004. This episode was one of my first episodes, originally posted in honor of his then 101st birthday. It has been chosen by my friend Randall Scarlata as his Listeners’ Favorite episode in the last of this month’s Great Baritones series, and this is particularly appropriate and moving, because from the age of 19 until Souzay’s death, Randall had a close association with Souzay as both teacher and mentor. He tells some wonderful stories about their work together, shares some of Souzay’s bon mots and also presents with great compassion some of the personal challenges that Souzay faced. He also discusses some of Souzay’s other artistic pursuits, one in particular of which may surprise you! The episode itself explores Souzay’s recorded legacy, with particular emphasis on his earliest recordings. Repertoire ranges from Jaime Ovalle to César Franck, and Robert Schumann and Franz Schubert to Maurice Ravel, Henry Purcell, and Claude Debussy (including an excerpt from his 1955 radio performance of Golaud in Pelléas et Mélisande), many of them accompanied by Souzay’s musical and personal partner Dalton Baldwin. We also hear performances by his teachers and mentors Claire Croiza, Vanni-Marcoux, Pierre Bernac, and Lotte Lehmann, as well as his sister, Geneviève Touraine. And Randall’s jewel of an introduction is a testimonial and tribute you’ll want to turn to again and again. I am proud to present again for your listening pleasure a singer who means as much to me as any other who has ever lived.

Episode 34. Charm

May 11, 2020African American Singers, Art Song, Comic Relief, Lieder, Needle DropÁguas de Março [Waters of March], Anna Wheaton, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Ar hyd y nos [All Through the Night], Arne Dorumsgaard, Arthur Schwartz, Barbara Cook, Bidu Sayao, Buddy De Sylva, Carlos Gardel, Charles Gounod, Con amores la mia madre, David Lochary, Dawn Davenport, Divine, Don Shirley, Edith Massey, Eileen Farrell, Elisabeth Welch, Elly Ameling, Ernani Braga, Ezio Pinza, Female Trouble, George Gershwin, Georges Brassens, Gerald Moore, Gerard Souzay, Howard Dietz, Hugues Cuenod, I Wanna Be Loved By You, Jacques Offenbach, James Herrod, Jerome Kern, John Waters, Jorma Hynninen, Juan de Anchieta, Judy Holliday, La Périchole, Le Fiacre, Lehman Engel, Léon Xanrof, Louis van Dijk, Love Walked In, Marcel Delannoy, Marilyn Monroe, Martha Flowers, Mary Martin, Mary Vivian Pearce, Narciso Yepes, Naughty Marietta, Ninon Vallin, On the Sunny Side of the Street, Patachou, Paul Zakrzewski, Philippine (Delannoy), Regine Crespin, Reynaldo Hahn, Richard Dyer-Bennett, Richard Lewis, Russell Oberlin, Seymour Barab, Stephen Schwartz, Susannah McCorkle, Teresa Berganza, The Girl from Ipanema, The Quaker Lover, Till the Clouds Roll By, Victor Herbert, Victoria de los Angeles, Vincent Youmans, Wally Harper, Yvette Guilbertcountermelody

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I have planned a series on five different artistic traits that guide a singer through their artistic journey. The designations are my own, and as such, purely idiosyncratic. Charm is defined as “the power or quality of giving delight or arousing admiration.” In this episode, we examine singers of many genres singing music from many lands. Featured artists include Bidú Sayão, Carlos Gardel, Mary Martin, Régine Crespin, Richard Lewis, Victoria de los Angeles, Eileen Farrell, Ezio Pinza, Patachou, Judy Holliday, Hugues Cuenod, Elisabeth Welch, Ninon Vallin, Richard Dyer-Bennett, Jorma Hynninen, Susannah McCorkle, Barbara Cook, Ninon Vallin, Teresa Berganza, Yvette Guilbert, and many others. Because there is so much charm and enchantment in the world, the episode threatened to stretch to an untenable length, I will present additional examples of Charm in the next episode. I also pay tribute to the Lebanese-American mezzo-soprano Rosalind Elias, who died a week ago at the age of 90.

Countermelody is a podcast devoted to the glories of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great classical and opera singers of the past and present with the help of guests from the classical music field: singers, conductors, composers, coaches, agents, and voice teachers. Daniel’s lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and journalist yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody’s core is the interaction between singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. Please visit the Countermelody website (www.countermelodypodcast.com) for additional content. And please head to our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/countermelody to pledge your monthly support at whatever level you can afford.

Episode 12. Gérard Souzay @ 101: A modern-day troubadour

December 8, 2019MusicAntoine Boësset, Arne Dorumsgaard, Cesar Franck, Charles Gounod, Claire Croiza, Claude Debussy, Colloque sentimental, Dalton Baldwin, Daniel Gundlach, Der Sandmann, Désiré-Émile Inghelbrecht, Dinu Lipatti, Fetes galantes, Francis Poulenc, Franz Schubert, Genevieve Touraine, Gerard Philipe, Gerard Souzay, Golaud, Irène Aïtoff, Jacqueline Bonneau, Jacqueline Robin, Jacqueline Robin-Bonneau, Jean-Michel Damase, Lotte Lehmann, Louis de Fourcaud, Maria Callas, Maria Casares, Maria Cecilia Sophia Anna Kalogeropoulos, Mark Ainley, Maurice Ravel, Paul Verlaine, Pelleas et Melisande, Pierre Bernac, Robert Schumann, Vanni-Marcouxcountermelody

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The French baritone Gérard Souzay was born Gérard Tisserand on 8 December 1918 and died in Antibes on 17 August 2004. This episode celebrates his 101st birthday by exploring his recorded legacy, with particular emphasis on his earliest recordings. Repertoire by Jaime Ovalle, César Franck, Robert Schumann, Franz Schubert, Maurice Ravel, Henry Purcell, and Claude Debussy (including an excerpt from his 1955 radio performance of Golaud in Pelléas et Mélisande). We also hear performances by his teachers and mentors Claire Croiza, Vanni-Marcoux, Pierre Bernac, and Lotte Lehmann, as well as his sister, Geneviève Touraine. I make my best effort to argue the case of Souzay’s artistic importance, his continuing significance, and the unique qualities of his artistry.

Countermelody is a new podcast devoted to the glories of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great classical and opera singers of the past and present with the help of guests from the classical music field: singers, conductors, composers, coaches, agents, and voice teachers. Daniel’s lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and journalist yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody’s core is the interaction between singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. Please also visit the Countermelody website for updates, additional content, and to pledge your support. www.countermelodypodcast.com

Episode 1. Welcome to Countermelody, or Claudia and Zazà

September 12, 2019MusicA te o cara, Adriana Lecouvreur, Agnese di Hohenstaufen, Alberto Franchetti, Alfred Bachelet, Alfredo Catalani, Alfredo Silipigni, Allan Dwan, Allan Segall, Als flotter Geist, Alvino Misciano, Amelia al ballo, Amelita Galli-Curci, Amilcare Ponchielli, Andrea Chénier, Anita Cerquetti, Antoine Boësset, Anton Coppola, Aprile Millo, Arne Dorumsgaard, Arrigo Boito, Arturo Buzzi-Peccia, Arturo Toscanini, Bachelor Hall, Bianca e Fernando, Bidu Sayao, Boesset, Bonjour Suzon, Cary Grant, Cecil B. DeMille, Cecilia, Charles Long, Charles Simon, Chère nuit, Christoph Willibald Gluck, Cincinnati Opera, Clara Petrella, Clarence Brown, Claudette Colbert, Claudia Muzio, Denia Mazzola Gavazzeni, Der Roland von Berlin, Der Zigeunerbaron, Dir che ci sono al mondo, Domenico Alaleona, Edipo Re, Edith Mason, Edoardo Garbin, Eide Norena, Eleonora Duse, Emma Carelli, Emmy Destinn, Enrico Caruso, Erich Korngold, Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, Ernestine Schumann-Heink, Esser madre è un inferno, Eugenia Mantelli, Eva Le Gallienne, Eva von der Osten, Fedora, Florence Quartararo, Francesca da Rimini, Francesco Cilea, Franco Alfano, Franco Corelli, Franco Ghione, Franz Schubert, Friedrich Hollaender, Gabrielle Réjane, Gaspare Spontini, George Cukor, Geraldine Farrar, Gerard Powers, Gerard Souzay, Giacinto Prandelli, Giacomo Lauri-Volpi, Giacomo Meyerbeer, Giacomo Puccini, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Giancarlo Menotti, Gioacchino Rossini, Giovanni Martinelli, Giulio Crimi, Giuseppe Danise, Giuseppe de Luca, Giuseppe Verdi, Gloria Swanson, Guglielmo Tell, Guillaume Tell, Gus Kahn, H.B. Warner, Harrison Fisher, Heinrich Rehkemper, Hercule de Fontenailles, homosexuality, Hugo Hasslo, I Puritani, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Il tabarro, Il Trittico, Isa Miranda, Isadora Duncan, Italo Montemezzi, Jacqueline Bonneau, Jacques Offenbach, Jean Sibelius, Jeanette MacDonald, Joan Crawford, Johann Stauss II, Jorma Hynninen, King of Kings, La Fanciulla del West, Le Prophete, Léo Delibes, Licinio Refice, Lilo, Lodoletta, Loreley, Lorenzo Molajoli, Lotte Lehmann, Luca Canonici, Madama Butterfly, Madame Sans-Gêne, Mafalda Favero, Magda Olivero, Maria Pedrini, Mario Sammarco, Mary Garden, Mefistofele, Miriam Hopkins, Mrs. Leslie Carter, Nelson Eddy, O del mio amato ben, O prêtres de Baal, Oliviero de Fabritiis, Ombra di nube, Paride ed Elena, Pasquale Amato, Patricia Craig, Pauline Frederick, Pierre Berton, Pietro Mascagni, Ralf Gothoni, Randolph Scott, Renata Scotto, Renato Castellani, Rene Gaveau, Resurrection, Riccardo Zandonai, Risurrezione, Rosa Ponselle, Rosa Raisa, Rosina Storchio, Ruggero Leoncavallo, Selva opaca, Senza mamma, Sigmund Romberg, silent film, Smouldering Fires, Sorgi o padre, Spiagge amate, Stefano Antonucci, Stefano Donaudy, Sunset Boulevard, Suor Angelica, Teatro Grattacielo, The Fighting Westerner, The Girl of the Golden West, This Modern Age, Titta Ruffo, Umberto Giordano, Un bel dì, Una voce poco fa, Victor Maurel, Victorien Sardou, Vincenzo Bellini, Vittorio Gnecchi, Wolfgang Windgassen, Yvette Guilbert, Zaza, Zazà piccola zingaracountermelody

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Our first episode answers the question on everyone’s lips: “Where did the logo and the theme music come from?” We discuss the legendary Italian diva Claudia Muzio whose series of iconic recordings, particularly those recorded shortly before her premature death in 1936, are so extraordinary that they have kept her reputation intact to this day. We consider in particular her November 1920 recording of an aria from Ruggero Leoncavallo’s little-remembered verismo opera Zazà, in which her extraordinary artistry is on full display.