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There are countless singers that I include among my favorites. In fact, it’s become a joke with some of my listeners about just how many “favorite singers” I actually have. (If you must attach a name to it, think of it as vocal polyamory.) Far too many of those well-loved singers, however, have not been as prominently featured on Countermelody as they might have been. Chief among these is the luminous Judith Blegen, who died last week at the age of 85. I heard her exactly once, singing Pamina in Chicago in the late 1980s. Both she and Francisco Araiza, her Tamino, were nearly ideal in their roles. And so was Blegen, a mainstay at the Metropolitan Opera until her early retirement in 1991, in so many of the operatic parts in which she excelled. Audio and video recordings amply document her in those roles, but today, I wanted to focus on several less obvious or familiar aspects of her career. First off, her exceptional singing of Mozart: scattered throughout the episode are recordings of her as Susanna, Pamina, Blondchen, and Zaide. Second, her early mentorship by Gian Carlo Menotti, and her remarkable recordings of two of his early operas. Third, her fascinating portrayal of Mélisande, unlike any other I’ve ever heard; and fourth, her commitment to art song: heard in the episode are songs of Grieg, Wolf, Milhaud, Strauss, and Ruggles. As well as her overall musical and stylistic versatility. The episode features collaborations with fellow singers Frederica von Stade, Thomas Stewart, Regina Resnik, and José Carreras; pianist Martin Katz; and conductors Christoph von Dohnányi, Colin Davis, Daniel Barenboim, Jorge Mester, Georg Solti, Eugene Ormandy, Carlo Felice Cillario, Leopold Hager, and Michael Tilson Thomas. She also reaches out to us from beyond the grave with an important message about the upcoming US elections.
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.
