Tag Archives: Bidu Sayao

Episode 462. Get to Know Charles Kullman

May 11, 2026French Opera, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, Great Tenors, Gustav Mahler, Needle Drop, Opera in Translation, Operetta, Orchestral Songs, Richard Wagner, Twentieth Century Music, VerismoAbbé Prevost, Alexander Pushkin, Alexandre Dumas fils, Alfred Grünwald, Arturo Toscanini, August Bernhard, Bidu Sayao, Bruno Walter, Carl Haffner, Carlo Gozzi, Cesare Sodero, Charles Kullman, Charles Kullmann, Clemens Schmalstich, Das Lied von der Erde, Der Zigeunerbaron, Die Fledermaus, Die lockende Flamme, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Die Sonne geht auf, Die Zirkusprinzessin, E.T.A. Hoffmann, Eduard Künneke, Emmerich Kálmán, Eugen Hildach, Eugen Onegin, Eugene Ormandy, Felix Dahn, Francesco Maria Piave, Friedrich Schiller, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Adami, Giuseppe Verdi, Gustav Mahler, Hans Bethge, Henri Meilhac, Hoffmanns Erzählungen, Ignaz Schnitzer, Italo Montemezzi, J.M. Willeminsky, Jacques Offenbach, Johann Strauss II, Jules Barbier, Jules Massenet, Julius Brammer, Julius Hopp, L’amore di tre re, La Traviata, Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Li-Tai-Po, Licia Albanese, Lohengrin, Ludovic Halévy, Manon, Mór Jókai, Otto Dobrindt, Paul Knepler, Philippe Gille, Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky, Regina Resnik, Renato Simoni, Richard Genée, Richard Wagner, Ruth and Thomas Martin, Sem Benelli, Thomas Beecham, Turandot, Walter Goehr, Will Meisel, Yevgeny Onegincountermelody

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I’ve had a real urge lately to revisit the voices and careers of some of my favorite tenors. So today I bring you the exceptional American artist Charles Kullman (1903 – 1983). The early years of his career were spent primarily in Berlin and Vienna, but for twenty-five years beginning in 1935, he was also a mainstay at the Metropolitan Opera, where he sang a total of 33 different roles. The sheen and spin on his lyric voice, allied to a firm technique, allowed him sing everything from Rinuccio and Fenton to Tannhäuser and Herodes (and nearly everything else in between!) During his European years, he made a number of invaluable recordings, including opera and operetta arias as well as songs from a number of popular films in which he starred. Though he recorded only one complete operatic role in the studio (Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus in 1951), there exist a large number of choice live stage performances that allow us to more fully explore the full length (and variety) of Kullman’s performing career. In this episode, we not only hear excerpts from those early German recordings, but also from live performances of Das Lied von der Erde, Meistersinger, Manon, Traviata, Fledermaus, and Montemezzi’s monumental L’amore dei tre re, some of which feature recent Countermelody divas Licia Albanese, Regina Resnik, and Bidú Sayão. Some aficionado or other has dubbed Kullman “the compleat tenor” and I couldn’t agree more. Enjoy getting better acquainted with this great singer!

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 461. Bubbles on the Nile (Original Edition)

May 8, 2026Alternate Universe Bel Canto, Behind the Iron Curtain, Bel canto, 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!)

Episode 363. Orchestral Song of Latin America, Part 1

May 31, 2025African American Singers, Alternate Universe Bel Canto, Art Song, Behind the Iron Curtain, Great Baritones, Great Contraltos, In Memoriam, Mezzo Madness, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Orchestral Songs, Singers in Old Age, Twentieth Century MusicAlberto Ginastera, Alceo Bocchino, Ana Maria Martinez, André Kostelanetz, Aurora Natola, Ayre (Golijov), Bachianas Brasileiras, Bidu Sayao, Bomarzo, Brian Priestman, Cantata para América Mágica, Carlos Drummond de Andrade, Christopher Dylan Herbert, Cinco canciones populares argentinas, Daniel Castañeda, Dawn Upshaw, Dora Vasconcelos, Emily Dickinson, Enrique Arturo Diemecke, Federico García Lorca, Floresta do Amazonas, Francesco Ignazio Mannu, Gisèle Ben-Dor, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Henri Temianka, Henrique Morelenbaum, Ilana Davidson, Irma González, Jesús Suaste, Lourdes Amerez, Luis Herrera de la Fuente, Manuel Bandeira, Manuel M. Ponce, Manuel Mujica Lainez, Margarita Pruneda, Maria Lúcia Godoy, Maura Moreira, Melchiorre Murenu, Milena (Ginastera), Miriam Khalil, Nadine Sierra, Nicolás Guillén, Nina Koshetz, Osvaldo Golijov, Phyllis Curtin, Raquel Adnolaylo, Rayanne Dupuis, Robert Spano, Rosalía de Castro, Ruth Valladares Corrêa, Shimon Cohen, Silvestre Revueltas, Stefan Asbury, Virginia Tola, Walter Hendlcountermelody

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A few weeks ago I had the idea of doing a program devoted to American orchestral song. It did not take me long to realize that once again “American [that is to say, US] Exceptionalism” was distorting my viewpoint, because there is a rich legacy of orchestral song not only in the United States, but also in both Canada and Latin America. Therefore I will concern myself separately with each of these diverse Americas. Today’s episode is the first of two that plunges into a repertoire that, with a few exceptions, is, I daresay, virtually unknown to the majority of my audience: Latin American orchestral song. The exception is, of course, Heitor Villa-Lobos, but even his oeuvre reveals hidden riches. Though vocal music was not a focal point of his output, there remain, nonetheless, songs of his which are known throughout the world. I use these, and the semi-classical songs of Mexican Manuel M. Ponce, as a launching pad to this fascinating “dipping of the toes” into a repertoire that fully deserves our attention, and which includes a segment on another Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas, as performed by a wide array of singers, including Bidú Sayão, Irma González, Ana Maria Martinez, Jennie Tourel, Lourdes Ambriz, Maura Moreira, and Nina Koshetz. We pay special tribute to iconic Brazilian (mezzo-)soprano Maria Lúcia Godoy, who recently died at the age of 100, and whom none other than Sayão claimed as her musical heir.

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 or yearly support at whatever level you can afford.

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 3. Creating Magic, Interview with Nicholas Tamagna, Part 2

October 6, 2019InterviewAkhnaten, Alpha Classics, Arrigo Boito, Arthur Johnston, As long as he needs me, Atlantic Starr, Au mont Ida, Backlash Blues, Bagdad Cafe, Benjamin Britten, Bidu Sayao, Billie Holiday, Calling You, Carnegie Hall, Cesare Siepi, Charles Gounod, Clori Tirsi e Fileno, Daniel Gundlach, Don Carlo, Edvard Grieg, Elisabeth Rethberg, Elisabeth Soderstrom, Emil Cooper, Faust, Franz Schubert, Frederick Schauwecker, Gabriela Benackova, George Frideric Handel, Georgia Brown, Giuseppe Verdi, Hector Berlioz, Hilde Güden, Hilde Gueden, Ich habe genug, Indianapolis Opera, Jacques Offenbach, Janet Baker, János Ferencsik, Jean Morel, Jean Sibelius, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johnny Burke, Judy Garland, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Jussi Bjorling, La Belle Helene, Le Poeme Harmonique, Leather and Lace, Les Troyens, Lionel Bart, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Ludwig van Beethoven, Maria Vitale, Mefistofele, Nicholas McGegan, Nicholas Tamagna, Nina Simone, Oliver!, Pennies from Heaven, Peter Lieberson, Phaedra, Philharmonia Baroque, Philip Glass, Porter Carroll Jr., Reviewing the Situation, Richard Strauss, Rigoletto, Robert Merrill, Roger VIgnoles, Roméo et Juliette, Samuel Ramey, San Francisco Opera, Teddy Wilson, Thelma Votipka, Theodora, Un ballo in maschera, Vera Zorina, Verve Records, Vincent Dumestre, Who will buycountermelody

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In the second part of our interview Nicholas discusses his early experiences with music, names three of his favorite singers, and riffs further on the themes of language and communication. Musical excerpts include a performance by Leather and Lace, the rock group that featured Nicholas’s mother and aunts, and Nicholas’s youthful stage performances as Oliver and Fagin in the musical Oliver! Nicholas is also featured in recordings of Henry Purcell and Philip Glass and we also include performances by Maria Vitale, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Jussi Björling, and Nina Simone.

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, 2019Claudia Muzio, Needle Drop, Twentieth Century Music, Twentieth Century Opera, VerismoA 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.