Tag Archives: Christa Ludwig

Episode 317. Big Baroque Christmas

December 19, 2024African American Singers, Forgotten Divas, Full-Figured Baroque, Great Baritones, Great Contraltos, Great Tenors, Holiday Music, Ileana Cotrubas, Listeners' Favorites, Mezzo Madness, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Singers in Old Age, Singers of Color, Voiceless WondersAdrian Boult, Agnes Giebel, Aksel Schiotz, Alessandro Scarlatti, Andrew Davis, Anna Reynolds, Antonio Vivaldi, Brigitte Fassbaender, Carole Dawn Reinhart, Christa Ludwig, Colin Davis, Edith Mathis, Elly Ameling, Ernst Haefliger, Eugen Jochum, Eugene Ormandy, Florence Quivar, Francisco Araiza, François Agostini, Fritz Wunderlich, George Frideric Handel, Gundula Janowitz, Heather Harper, Helen Watts, Helmut Winschermann, Herbert von Karajan, Hermann Prey, Ileana Cotrubas, Janet Baker, Jennifer Vyvyan, Jerry Hadley, Johann Sebastian Bach, John Shirley-Quirk, Jorma Hynninen, Judith Blegen, Karl Münchinger, Karl Richter, Kirsten Flagstad, Kurt Equiluz, Kurt Thomas, Leonard Bernstein, Lorin Maazel, Magnificat, Marga Höffgen, Margaret Marshall, Marinus Voorberg, Martha Angelici, Messiah, Mogens Wöldike, Neville Marriner, Peter Schreier, Raymond Leppard, Richard Westenburg, Russell Oberlin, Shirley Verrett, Tom Krause, Vittorio Negri, Weihnachts-Oratorium, William Warfieldcountermelody

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Sometimes when I look back on past episodes of Countermelody, I surprise myself with how good they were, even in the early days when I was still trying to figure everything out. This episode, first posted as a bonus episode five years ago is a good example of that. Earlier that season I had coined the term “Full-Figured Baroque” to describe the “old-fashioned” style of Baroque performance that I personally prefer to what one currently hears in churches and concert halls around the world and on recordings. This episode was devoted to Baroque music composed specifically for the Christmas season, recorded between 1940 and 1992, and performed in deliciously non-period style, replete with deliberate tempi, judiciously applied vibrato, and stately ritardandi. There is a special focus on the Christmas portion of Handel’s Messiah and Bach’s Weihnachts-Oratorium and assorted cantatas for the Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany season. Singers include Janet Baker, Tom Krause, Jerry Hadley, Margaret Marshall, Francisco Araiza, Russell Oberlin, Helen Watts, William Warfield, John Shirley-Quirk, Peter Schreier, Heather Harper, Shirley Verrett, Edith Mathis, Hermann Prey, Marga Höffgen, Agnes Giebel, Kurt Equiluz, Florence Quivar, Aksel Schiøtz, Kirsten Flagstad, Christa Ludwig, Edith Mathis, Brigitte Fassbaender. Ernst Haefliger, Jennifer Vyvyan, Anna Reynolds, Judith Blegen, Fritz Wunderlich, Elly Ameling, Peter Schreier, and Gundula Janowitz. Conductors include Neville Marriner, Raymond Leppard, Colin Davis, Karl Richter, Lorin Maazel, Helmut Winschermann, Vittorio Negri, Karl Münchinger, Leonard Bernstein, Herbert von Karajan, Eugene Ormandy, Adrian Boult, Andrew Davis, and Eugen Jochum, among others. Don’t miss out on this full-figured Christmas treat!

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 301. Christa Ludwig Sings Lieder

October 25, 2024Art Song, Crossover, Gustav Mahler, In Memoriam, Listeners' Favorites, Mezzo Madness, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Richard Strauss, Schubert, Singers in Old AgeAchim von Arnim, Adolf Friedrich von Schack, Andrew MacDonald, Charles Spencer, Christa Ludwig, Clemens Brentano, Daniel Benjamin, Des Knaben Wunderhorn, Erik Werba, Franz Schubert, Friedrich Rückert, Friedrich von Schlegel, Geoffrey Parsons, George Scherer, German folksongs, Gustav Mahler, Hermann Allmers, Hermann Lingg, Irwin Gage, James Levine, Johannes Brahms, Joseph von Eichendorff, Leonard Bernstein, Matthäus von Collin, Peter Alexander, Richard Strauss, Robert Schumann, Wilhelm Adolf Lindau, Wilhelm Müller, Winterreisecountermelody

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Since Christa Ludwig’s death more than three and a half years ago, her reputation has only increased. A significant portion of that reputation rests on her prowess as a singer of Lieder, a repertoire she took quite seriously and on which she focused a good deal of her performing career, especially in later years. At the time of her death, I published two episodes in her honor, the second, a bonus one, focusing on her work as a recitalist. That episode, which I reframe and re-present today, includes a full program of Lieder in mostly live performances between 1961 and 1993. She sings songs by Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Mahler, as well as a selection of German folksongs from a German television 1978 program hosted by the enormously popular Schlagertenor Peter Alexander. She is accompanied by Leonard Bernstein, Erik Werba, Irwin Gage, Geoffrey Parsons, and James Levine.

Episode 291. A Bevy of Bachian Contraltos

September 22, 2024African American Singers, Forgotten Divas, Full-Figured Baroque, Great Contraltos, Listeners' Favorites, Mezzo Madness, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle DropAafje Heynis, Antonio Janigro, Benjamin Britten, Bernard Greenhouse, Bernardette Greevy, Brigitte Fassbaender, Carol Smith, Christa Ludwig, Claudia Hellmann, Diethard Hellmann, Elly Ameling, Erich Itor Kahn, Franz Holetschek, Fritz Werner, Germaine Cernay, Hans Heintze, Hans Thamm, Helen Watts, Helmut Hucke, Helmuth Kahlhöfer, Helmuth Rilling, Hermann Sauter, Hilde Rössel-Majdan, Janet Baker, Johann Sebastian Bach, John Newmark, John O’Sullivan, Karl Richter, Kathleen Ferrier, Kurt Thomas, Madeleine Berkeley, Marga Höffgen, Margarethe Bence, Marian Anderson, Martha Angelici, Maureen Forrester, Maureen Lehane, Maurice Wilk, Millicent Silver, Noélie Pierront, Norma Procter, Richard Harand, Robert Bloomcountermelody

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This week I pull out all the Baroque stops (appropriately enough), to present you with an episode chock full of contraltos, all singing the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. I have chosen 28 different contraltos, active between the late 1930s and the early 2000s, who excelled in the singing and interpretation of this most spiritual, and most genius, of composers. I am dividing this episode into two separate segments, the first of which I present here, a group of singers which includes such legendary historical figures as Kathleen Ferrier and Marian Anderson, and Christa Ludwig, as well as such exceptional voices from the Americas as Maureen Forrester and Carol Smith; and, from the continent, Aafje Heynis, Germaine Cernay, Brigitte Fassbaender, Hilde Rössel-Majdan, Claudia Hellmann, Marga Höffgen, and Margarethe Bence. These women are joined by a further a group of British contraltos and mezzo-sopranos, each with distinctive and exceptional approaches to the music of Bach, including Helen Watts, Norma Procter, Maureen Lehane (for me, the big discovery of the week), and of course Janet Baker, beloved to all of us. I also pay tribute to a select group of exceptional Kapellmeister including Karl Richter, Helmuth Kahlhöfer, Fritz Werner, Kurt Thomas, and Hans Thamm, who thrived in recordings and live performances from the 1950s and beyond. If certain favorite names of yours are missing from this week’s setlist, no worries: they may well appear on next week’s episode, which continues to combine Bachian expressive profundity with plummy contralto depths.

Episode 236. Howard Hart Introduces Christa Ludwig (Listeners’ Favorites VII)

January 23, 2024African American Singers, Art Song, Bel canto, Broadway, Full-Figured Baroque, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, Gustav Mahler, Interview, Listeners' Favorites, Mezzo Madness, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Opera in Translation, Orchestral Songs, Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, Schubert, Singers in Old Age, Singers of Color, Twentieth Century Music, Wolfgang Amadeus MozartAlban Berg, Charles Spencer, Christa Ludwig, Cosi fan tutte, Das Lied von der Erde, Der Rosenkavalier, Die Frau ohne Schatten, Fidelio, Franz Schubert, Gioacchino Rossini, Gloria Davy, Gundula Janowitz, Gustav Mahler, Gwyneth Jones, Herbert von Karajan, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, Jonathan Alder, Karl Böhm, Karl Richter, La Cenerentola, Leonard Bernstein, Leopold Ludwig, Lohengrin, Lovro von Matačić, Ludwig van Beethoven, Reri Grist, Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, Victoria de los Angeles, Walter Berry, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Wozzeckcountermelody

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My friend and fellow opera podcaster Howard Hart introduces the first of this week’s Listeners’ Favorites episodes, my 2021 tribute to the superb zwischenfach singer Christa Ludwig, who died nearly three years ago. Ludwig was a singer whose repertoire centered around the great German composers but who also sang Verdi and French repertoire with stunning results; a mezzo-soprano who was unparalleled in Wagner, Mahler, and Brahms, but who also sang the great soprano heroines of Richard Strauss; a Lieder singer of great perception and textual acuity whose supple technique nonetheless was centered on legato singing: the greatness of this artist simply cannot be overestimated. I focus on the key composers (Richard Strauss, Gustav Mahler, and Richard Wagner) and conductors (Karl Böhm, Herbert von Karajan, and Leonard Bernstein) with whom she was most closely associated, while also examining some roles that might surprise you: Cenerentola, Amneris and Marie in Wozzeck. Vocal guest stars include Gloria Davy, Victoria de los Ángeles, Reri Grist, Gundula Janowitz, Gwyneth Jones, and Ludwig’s one-time husband Walter Berry. Thank you, Howard, for lending your enthusiasm and passion to my podcast in your introduction of one of your (and my) favorite singers.

Episode 135. A Woman’s Winterreise

March 11, 2022Art Song, Canadian Singers, Lieder, Margaret Price, Mezzo Madness, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, SchubertAlice Coote, Anton Kuerti, Aribert Reimann, Brigitte Fassbaender, Christa Ludwig, Coenraad V. Bos, Elena Gerhardt, Erik Werba, Franz Schubert, Hartmut Höll, James Levine, Julius Drake, Lois Marshall, Lotte Lehmann, Margaret Price, Mitsuko Shirai, Paul Ulanowsky, Thomas Dewey, Wilhelm Müller, Winterreise, Wolfram Riegercountermelody

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Today in honor of Women’s History Month and the people of Ukraine, I present a compendium of eight different Liedersängerinnen singing Franz Schubert’s song cycle Winterreise, set to poems by Wilhelm Müller. When I am in despair, I turn to Schubert, who, even in such a bleak piece as Winterreise, offers incomparable insight and empathy into our shared humanity. Though it is often held that this is a cycle that should sung exclusively by men, these eight women put the lie to that faulty premise. Featured singers are Lois Marshall, Brigitte Fassbaender, Lotte Lehmann, Elena Gerhardt, Christa Ludwig, Margaret Price, Mitsuko Shirai, and Alice Coote. Pianists are Paul Ulanowsky, Erik Werba, James Levine, Hartmut Höll, Julius Drake, Coenraad Bos, Aribert Reimann, Wolfram Rieger, Anton Kuerti, and Thomas Dewey. This is an episode that I have been planning for some time, and with so many people forced to take precarious and life-threatening winter journeys, there was no time like the present than to share this music, and these singers, with you. Warning: This is at least a six-hanky episode!

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. Bonus episodes available exclusively to Patreon supporters are currently available and further bonus content including interviews and livestreams is planned for the upcoming season.

Episode 122. Auld Acquaintance II

December 30, 2021African American Singers, Art Song, Behind the Iron Curtain, Bel canto, Full-Figured Baroque, Giuseppe Verdi, Great Baritones, Gustav Mahler, Holiday Music, Ileana Cotrubas, Lieder, Margaret Price, Mezzo Madness, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Opera in Translation, Pop Icons, Queer Pride, Richard Wagner, Singers of Color, Sylvia Sass, Twentieth Century MusicAlberta Hunter, Antal Dorati, Anton de Ridder, Armand Silvestre, Barry McDaniel, Benjamin Britten, Bethany Beardslee, Bruno Reibold, Carl Loewe, Carol Brice, Christa Ludwig, Christine Andreas, Christmas music, Daniel Saidenberg, David Garvey, Des Knaben Wunderhorn, Die tote Stadt, Die Walküre, Edda Moser, Edvard Grieg, Eide Norena, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Erik Werba, Ernesto de Curtis, Folk Songs, Francis Lopez, Francisco Araiza, Franz Lehár, Gabriel Faure, Garrick Ohlsson, Gilbert Price, Giuseppe Verdi, Grace Williams, Gustav Mahler, Gwendolyn Killebrew, Hans Schmidt, Henry Lemarchand, Hermann Reutter, Igor Gorin, Ileana Cotrubas, Ivan Törzs, James King, James Lockhart, Jean Lemaire, Johann Gabriel Seidl, Johann Sebastian Bach, Joseph Haydn, Joséphine Baker, Judith Raskin, Karl Dankwart Zwerger, Karl Weigl, Konrad Ragossnig, Lamberto Gardelli, Lawrence Brown, Magda Olivero, Margaret Price, Mel Powell, Muriel Smith, Norman Johnson, Otto Julius Bierbaum, Owen Williams, Paul Robeson, Peter Knight, Peter Schreier, Richard Müller-Lampertz, Richard Wagner, Rigoletto, Robert Hanell, Robert Helps, Ruggero Leoncavallo, Spirituals, Sylvia Sass, Thomas Carey, Tony Taño, Vincenzo Bellini, W.H. Auden, William Warfieldcountermelody

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Part Two of my “Auld Acquaintance” mini-series on Countermelody continues the exploitation of even more artists who have already been featured on the podcast, but in rare recordings that have only recently come into my collection. Today’s episode begins with a tribute to the German-based African American mezzo-soprano Gwendolyn Killebrew, who died on Christmas Eve at the age of 80. Featured artists in the main episode include Paul Robeson, Magda Olivero, Edda Moser, Ileana Cotrubas, Carol Brice, Margaret Price, Igor Gorin, Josephine Baker, Eidé Noréna, Alberta Hunter, Thomas Carey, Christa Ludwig, Sylvia Sass, Francisco Araiza, William Warfield, and many, many more singing everything from reggae to Rigoletto. 2021 gets a better send-off than it deserves, what with these singers and this music that will certainly help us all to approach the upcoming New Year “keeping the song in our hearts!”

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. Bonus episodes available exclusively to Patreon supporters are currently available and further bonus content including interviews and livestreams is planned for the upcoming season.

Episode 87. Christa Ludwig In Memoriam

May 2, 2021African American Singers, Art Song, Bel canto, Full-Figured Baroque, Giuseppe Verdi, Gustav Mahler, In Memoriam, Lieder, Mezzo Madness, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Opera in Translation, Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, SchubertAlban Berg, Charles Spencer, Christa Ludwig, Cosi fan tutte, Das Lied von der Erde, Der Rosenkavalier, Die Frau ohne Schatten, Fidelio, Franz Schubert, Gioacchino Rossini, Gloria Davy, Gundula Janowitz, Gustav Mahler, Gwyneth Jones, Herbert von Karajan, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, Jonathan Alder, Karl Böhm, Karl Richter, La Cenerentola, Leonard Bernstein, Leopold Ludwig, Lohengrin, Lovro von Matačić, Ludwig van Beethoven, Reri Grist, Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, Victoria de los Angeles, Walter Berry, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Wozzeckcountermelody

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The world of singing sustained an enormous loss a week ago: the death of the great German singer Christa Ludwig on April 24 at the age of 93. A singer whose repertoire centered around the great German composers but who also sang Verdi and French repertoire with often stunning results; a mezzo-soprano who was unparalleled in Wagner, Mahler, and Brahms, but who also sang the great soprano heroines of Richard Strauss; a Lieder singer of great perception and textual acuity whose supple technique nonetheless centered on legato singing: the greatness of this artist simply cannot be overestimated. In this, the first of several episodes that, over the next few months, I will devote to one of my favorite singers, I focus on the key composers (Richard Strauss, Gustav Mahler, and Richard Wagner) and conductors (Karl Böhm, Herbert von Karajan, and Leonard Bernstein) with whom she was most closely associated, while also examining some roles that might surprise you: Cenerentola, Amneris and Marie in Wozzeck. Vocal guest stars include Gloria Davy, Victoria de los Ángeles, Reri Grist, Gundula Janowitz, Gwyneth Jones, and Ludwig’s one-time husband Walter Berry. A bonus Patreon episode published concurrently with this one explores Ludwig’s mastery in the field of Lieder.

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.” Occasional guests from the “business” (singers, conductors, composers, coaches, and teachers) lend their distinctive insights. At Countermelody’s core is the interaction between singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. 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 including artist photos and episode setlists. And please head to my Patreon page at www.patreon.com/countermelody to pledge your monthly support at whatever level you can afford. Bonus episodes available only to Patreon supporters are currently available.

Episode 81. Happy Songs (straight up)

March 21, 2021African American Singers, Art Song, Bel canto, Broadway, Giuseppe Verdi, Happy Birthday, In Memoriam, Lieder, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Operetta, Pop Icons, Queer Pride, Richard Strauss, Voiceless WondersAaron Copland, Alberta Hunter, Andy Kim, Anthony Newley, Arlene Saunders, Arpad Sandor, Barbara [Monique Serf], Barbra Streisand, Christa Ludwig, Claramae Turner, Conchita Supervia, Dorothy Maynor, Frances Wayne, Franz Allers, Franz Lehár, George Frideric Handel, Gerald Moore, Gioacchino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi, Harold Arlen, Horace Everett, James Levine, Janet Williams, Jeff Barry, Jo Bouillon, Johannes Brahms, Johnny Nash, Joséphine Baker, Joy Clements, Kathleen Battle, Leopold Stokowski, Leslie Bricusse, Lisa Della Casa, Mahalia Jackson, Margaret Bonds, Maria Callas, Max Hansen, Nancy Wilson, Nina Simone, Norman Treigle, Oleta Adams, Peter Matz, Pointer Sisters, Ralph Benatzky, Richard Cassilly, Richard Fredricks, Richard Strauss, Robert Gilbert, Ted Koehler, The Archies, The Tender Land (Copland & Everett), Tullio Serafin, Woody Herman, Yip Harburgcountermelody

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This week I offset the gloom of last week’s music with straight-up joy. No gimmicks, no goofiness, no weird accents. Whether the composer is Giuseppe Verdi, Ralph Benatzky, Aaron Copland, Oleta Adams, or Harold Arlen, and whether sung by Nancy Wilson, Dorothy Maynor, Tina Turner, Maria Callas, Max Hansen, Conchita Supervia, Barbra Streisand, Mahalia Jackson, Lisa Della Casa, or the Pointer Sisters, all today’s selections are guaranteed to make you feel a little lighter, a little more joyous. And in today’s continuing climate of pandemic uncertainty, who doesn’t need a little more of that?

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.” Occasional guests from the “business” (singers, conductors, composers, coaches, and teachers) lend their distinctive insights. At Countermelody’s core is the interaction between singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. 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 including artist photos and episode setlists. And please head to my Patreon page at www.patreon.com/countermelody to pledge your monthly support at whatever level you can afford. Bonus episodes available only to Patreon supporters are currently available.

Episode 62. Gustav Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn (Music for a World in Crisis VI)

November 22, 2020Art Song, Gustav Mahler, Happy Birthday, In Memoriam, Lieder, Margaret Price, Mezzo Madness, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle DropAafje Heynis, Achim von Arnim, Adrian Boult, Anny Felbermayer, Bernard Haitink, Bernd Weikl, Brigitte Fassbaender, Bruno Walter, Christa Ludwig, Clemens Brentano, Des Knaben Wunderhorn, George Schick, Geraint Evans, Grete Stückgold, Gustav Mahler, György Lehel, Hans Zender, Irmgard Seefried, István Gáti, Janet Baker, Jennie Tourel, John Shirley-Quirk, Judith Raskin, Kathleen Ferrier, Klaus Tennstedt, Leonard Bernstein, Lucia Popp, Maureen Forrester, Walter Berry, Wyn Morriscountermelody

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This week I turn to the music of Gustav Mahler, specifically his orchestral settings of poems from the influential collection of folk poetry, Des Knaben Wunderhorn, collected by Achim von Arnim and Clemens Brentano and published in three separate volumes between 1805 and 1808. The themes of war, death, and humor, the latter often of the grimmest variety, pervades the texts that Mahler set. I present recordings of each of the fifteen orchestrated songs (several of which form movements of three of his symphonies) by such singers as Janet Baker, Christa Ludwig, Maureen Forrester, Lucia Popp, Brigitte Fassbaender, Irmgard Seefried, Bernd Weikl, Geraint Evans, Walter Berry, and many others, in performances conducted by Leonard Bernstein, Klaus Tennstedt, Wyn Morris, Bernard Haitink, and Adrian Boult. I also include a tribute to the Hungarian baritone István Gáti on the occasion of his 72nd birthday and a commemoration of the Dutch contralto Aafje Heynis on the fifth anniversary of her death. From chaos to transfiguration, Mahler conjures and depicts a world perhaps not far-removed from our own.

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.” Occasional guests from the “business” (singers, conductors, composers, coaches, and teachers) lend their distinctive insights. 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. Bonus episodes available only to Patreon supporters are currently available, including a new extra episode further exploring today’s topic.

Episode 58. Richard Strauss’s Vier letzte Lieder (Music for a World in Crisis IV)

October 25, 2020Art Song, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Richard StraussAlceo Galliera, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Bernard Haitink, Christa Ludwig, Claudio Abbado, Daphne, Die Ägyptische Helena, Edda Moser, Elektra, Elisabeth Soderstrom, Fritz Busch, Georg Solti, Heinrich Hollreiser, Hilde Güden, Hugo von Hoffmansthal, Karl Böhm, Leon Goossens, Lucia Popp, Marek Janowski, Margaret Price, Martin Katz, Milan Horvat, Richard Strauss, Rose Pauly, Sena Jurinac, Soile Isokoski, Teresa Żylis-Gara, Walter Berry, Zubin Mehtacountermelody

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As the worldwide pandemic renews its threat and creates general unrest, panic, anger, and depression, as well as illness and death for so many, we turn as always to music for solace. One of the central pieces that I have always turned to in times of personal turmoil has been Richard Strauss’s Vier letzte Lieder. Over the years I have listened to and derived comfort from dozens and dozens of recordings and live performances. In this episode, I feature eight different sopranos, (Elisabeth Söderström, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Edda Moser, Soile Isokoski, Margaret Price, Teresa Żylis-Gara, Lucia Popp, and Sena Jurinac), each of whom makes her mark in a distinctive way on one of the four songs in the series. I also read each of the poems in my own English translation. These performances are supplemented by excerpts from Elektra, Daphne, and Die Ägyptische Helena performed by Rose Pauly, Hilde Güden, Christa Ludwig, and Walter Berry, as well as the world premiere 1985 performance of “Malven,” Strauss’s last completed work, sung by Kiri Te Kanawa; and the Oboe Concerto played by Léon Goossens in its first commercial recording from 1947. Featured conductors in the episode include Claudio Abbado, Bernard Haitink, Zubin Mehta, Marek Janowski, Georg Solti, Karl Böhm, Heinrich Hollreiser, Fritz Busch, Alceo Galliera, and Milan Horvat. A bonus episode for my Patreon supporters will feature twelve more of my favorite sopranos, each one singing one of these autumnal Lieder. As we world citizens face the great unknown, these artists help lift our spirits and reorient our perspective.

Links to my previous Music for a World in Crisis episodes:

Episode 26: Calling You

Episode 27: That Time of Evening

Episode 29: A Social Isolation Schubertiade

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.” Occasional guests from the “business” (singers, conductors, composers, coaches, and teachers) lend their distinctive insights. 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. Bonus episodes available only to Patreon supporters are currently available, including a new extra episode further exploring today’s topic.

Episode 29. A Social Isolation Schubertiade (Music for a World in Crisis III)

April 5, 2020Lieder, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, SchubertAbram Makarov, Alexander Kipnis, András Schiff, Aribert Reimann, Barry McDaniel, Bernard Diamant, Boris Abramovich, Brigitte Fassbaender, Bruno Walter, Bryn Terfel, Christa Ludwig, Dalton Baldwin, Der Einsame, Der Winterabend, Die Taubenpost, Elisabeth Schumannn, Erik Werba, Faron Young, Frank Bibb, Franz Grillparzer, Franz Schubert, Franz von Schober, Friedrich Reil, Friedrich Rückert, Frühlingstraum, Georg Philipp Schmidt, George Schick, Gerard Souzay, Gundula Janowitz, Hans Altmann, Hans Hotter, Heinrich Heine, Heinrich Rehkemper, Helen Watts, Hermann von Nordberg, Hertha Klust, Hubert Giesen, Im Abendrot, Irmgard Seefried, Irwin Gage, Janet Baker, Johann Gabriel Seidl, Johann Ludwig Uhland, Johann Mayrhofer, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, John Newmark, John Shirley-Quirk, Judith Raskin, Karl Erb, Karl Lappe, Karl von Leitner, Leise flehen meine Lieder, Lied der Anne Lyle, Louis Halsey, Ludwig Heinrich Christoph Hölty, Ludwig Rellstab, Malcolm Martineau, Manfred Gurlitt, Paul Hamburger, Peter Schreier, Richard Tauber, Schubert Am Bach im Frühling, Schubert Am Fenster, Schubert An die Apfelbäume, Schubert An die Apfelbäume wo ich Julien erblickte, Schubert Der Atlas, Schubert Der Wanderer, Schubert Erlafsee, Schubert Frühlingsglaube, Schubert Im Freien, Schubert Lachen und Weinen, Schubert Schwanengesang, Schubert Ständchen, Schubert Winterreise, Schubert Zögernd leise, Schwanengesang, Sehnsucht, Sergei Lemeshev, Sir Walter Scott, Steuart Bedford, Viola Tunnard, Walter Berry, Walter Martin, Walter Scott, Walther Ludwig, Wandrers Nachtlied, Wilhelm Müller, Winterreisecountermelody

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Franz Schubert is the composer who speaks to me like no other. His insight into the human condition is profound: in particular, he explores that narrow strip of land where joy and sorrow meet, converse, and commiserate. I have devoted this episode entirely to performances of his Lieder, the songs divided into three separate (and often overlapping) categories: those dealing with mental states, those that seek to bridge gaps of time and space, and those that address social isolation. Featured are some of my favorite singers: Irmgard Seefried, Walter Berry, Alexander Kipnis, Janet Baker, Hans Hotter, Judith Raskin, Gundula Janowitz, Heinrich Rehkemper, Christa Ludwig, Peter Schreier, Brigitte Fassbaender, Gérard Souzay, and Karl Erb (with a few additional surprises along the way), accompanied by such great collaborative pianists as Erik Werba, Irwin Gage, Hertha Klust, John Newmark, Dalton Baldwin, Aribert Reimann, András Schiff, Paul Hamburger, and Bruno Walter, among others. I am particularly proud of this episode and hope that it brings you comfort and solace, as only Schubert can.

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 also 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 support at whatever level you can afford.

Episode 11. Janet Williams Interview III: Der ganze Unterschied

December 1, 2019African American Singers, Bel canto, Full-Figured Baroque, Interview, Singers of ColorAgrippina, Ann Panagulias, Ariadne auf Naxos, Berliner Staatsoper, Bohumil Gregor, Camilla Williams, Carl Heinrich Graun, Christa Ludwig, Cleopatra e Cesare, Dallas Opera, Daniel Gundlach, Das schlaue Füchslein, Deborah Polaski, Der Rosenkavalier, Elektra, George Frideric Handel, Geraldine Farrar, Helena Tattermuschová, Janet Williams, Janice Baird, Judith Blegen, Karina Gauvin, Kathleen Battle, Leistung und Performance Vokal Akademie Berlin, Leos Janacek, Lynn Harrell, Mack Harrell, Marschallin, Mary Mills, Příhody lišky Bystroušky, Regine Crespin, Reri Grist, Richard Strauss, Spirituals, The Cunning Little Vixencountermelody

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In the third and final part of our interview, recorded in July 2019, Janet Williams and I discuss how we reunited in 2004 (several years after our Merola connection); about her vocal studies with Régine Crespin, Denise Duplex, and David Jones; about some of the roles she sang during the illustrious career which took her around the world; and about her current activities with her newly-formed Leistung & Performance Vokal Akademie here in Berlin, where singers gain invaluable professional training in all aspects of what she calls “this illustrious but very difficult profession.” As always, the interview is interspersed with musical interludes and commentary, which are all cited on the Show Notes page (http://countermelodypodcast.com/episode-11-janet-williams-iii/).

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 5: Shirley Verrett I. La Nera Callas

October 20, 2019African American Singers, Bel canto, Giuseppe Verdi, Mezzo Madness, Needle Drop, Singers of ColorAnna Caterina Antonacci, Camille Saint-Saens, Carmen, Christa Ludwig, Christoph Willibald Gluck, Claudio Abbado, Cornelie Falcon, Covent Garden, Don Carlo, Eugene Ormandy, Eve Queler, Fritz Reiner, Georges Bizet, Giacomo Meyerbeer, Giuseppe Verdi, Grace Bumbry, Il Trovatore, Imre Pallo, Jon Vickers, Julius Rudel, Justino Diaz, La Scala, Luciano Pavarotti, Marian Anderson, Maurizio Arena, Michelangelo Veltri, Philadelphia Orchestra, Richard Cassilly, Richard Lewis, Samson et Dalila, Shirley Verrett, Tom Krause, Un ballo in maschera, Zwischenfachcountermelody

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This episode is the first of two on one of my favorite singers, the Zwischenfachsängerin Shirley Verrett. Renowned in the United States for her performances of Verdi mezzo-soprano parts, particularly Azucena in Il Trovatore and Eboli in Don Carlo, the late singer commanded an enormous repertoire, comprising bel canto and French roles, on which she left her indelible stamp. I focus in particular on the French roles she performed at the Opéra de Paris from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s, as well as her Verdi soprano roles, including Amelia in Un ballo in maschera and the title role in Aida. Known in the Italian press as La Nera Callas [The Black Callas], Verrett is heard in this episode singing Brahms, Gluck, Saint-Saëns, and Verdi roles for both soprano and mezzo-soprano. Special attention is paid to her newsworthy appearances with fellow African American mezzo-cum-soprano, Grace Bumbry, the first of which, a joint Carnegie Hall concert in 1982, honored the iconic contralto Marian Anderson on the occasion of her 80th birthday.