Tag Archives: Dmitri Shostakovich

Episode 232. Janet Williams and Paul Padillo Introduce Maria Ewing (Listeners’ Favorites III)

January 7, 2024African American Singers, Bel canto, Black History Month, Crossover, Giacomo Puccini, Gustav Mahler, In Memoriam, Listeners' Favorites, Mezzo Madness, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Operetta, Orchestral Songs, Richard Strauss, Singers of Color, Twentieth Century Opera, Verismo, Wolfgang Amadeus MozartAndrew Davis, Antonio de Almeida, Bernard Haitink, Bob Merrill, Carl Orff, Carmen, Carol Neblett, Christiane Eda-Pierre, Claude Debussy, Claudio Abbado, Claudio Monteverdi, Dale Duesing, Dennis Bailey, Dido and Aeneas, Dmitri Shostakovich, Don Giovanni, Elizabeth Collier, Eric Tappy, Francis Poulenc, François Le Roux, Funny Girl, George Bizet, Giacomo Puccini, Gioacchino Rossini, Gustav Mahler, Harold Arlen, Henri Meilhac, Henry Purcell, Horst Stein, Iain Sutherland, Idomeneo, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Jacques Offenbach, James Levine, Janet Williams, Jean Cocteau, Jean Rigby, Jerome Kern, John Pritchard, John Wilson, Jule Styne, Jules Massenet, Kurt Masur, L’incoronazione di Poppea, La Périchole, La voix humaine, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Le nozze di Figaro, Leonard Slatkin, Lorenzo da Ponte, Ludovic Halévy, Marc Soustrot, Maria Ewing, Maurice Maeterlinck, Maurice Ravel, Myung-Whun Chung, Nahum Tate, Oscar Hammerstein II, Oscar Wilde, Patrick Devin, Paul Padillo, Pelleas et Melisande, Raymond Leppard, Richard Hickox, Richard Rodgers, Richard Rodney Bennett, Richard Strauss, Romano Gandolfi, Ruggero Raimondi, Salome, Shane Hill, Shéhérazade, Siegmund Nimsgern, Simon James, Simon Rattle, South Pacific, Sylvain Cambreling, Ted Koehler, Tosca, Tristan Klingsor, Werther, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozartcountermelody

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January 9 is already the second anniversary of the death of the iconoclastic (and iconic) Maria Ewing, who died of cancer in her home outside of her native Detroit on January 9, 2022. She was an artist both admired and derided during her lifetime, whose importance since her death has only become more apparent. It so happens that two of my most faithful listeners, Janet Williams and Paul Padillo, chose the episode that I published in her honor as their favorite episode. Paul is a passionate opera advocate who maintains a blog as well as a Facebook page in which he writes with extraordinary eloquence about the musical genre we all adore. Janet is celebrated throughout the world as one of the finest singers of her generation who has gone on to become one of the most important voice teachers in the world today, teaching, with compassion and common sense, a technique grounded in the essentials of bel canto. Their spoken introductions to the episode highlight different aspects of what made Ewing so special. For Paul, he became a lifelong fan after hearing her performance of Blanche de la Force in Poulenc’s operatic masterpiece, The Dialogues of the Carmelites. For Janet, it was a shared provenance (both were natives of Detroit) as well as a common mentor, the late David Di Chiera, who founded and ran Michigan Opera Theatre, the company featured both Maria and Janet in some of their first operatic appearances. Maria’s passing hit me particularly hard because at the time of her death, I was in the midst of creating a special episode in her honor and had been immersing myself in her fascinating performances, finding myself more and more in awe of her one-of-a-kind artistry. This tribute episode is simply not to be missed.

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 137. Ukrainian Singers and Composers

March 26, 2022Art Song, Behind the Iron Curtain, Giuseppe Verdi, Great Baritones, In Memoriam, Mezzo Madness, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Singers of Color, Twentieth Century MusicAlbert Krywolt, Alexander Kipnis, Alexander Orlov, Alfredo Catalani, Anatoliy Solovyanenko, Anatoly Kotcherga, Andrij Dobriansky, Antin Rudnitsky, Arrigo Boito, Arthur Bergh, Avraham Kook, Bela Rudenko, Bogdan Lepky, Bohdan Wesolovsky, Boris Gmyrya, Boris Khaikin, Boris Lyatoshinsky, Carlo Barrera, Dmitri Shostakovich, Dmitriy Zaghul, Dmytro Hnatiuk, Elena Ruszkowska, Eugenia Miroshnychenko, Galina Nikolaneko, George Frideric Handel, George Tremblay, Giuseppe Verdi, Ira Malaniuk, Ivan Kotlyarevsky, Ivan Kozlovsky, Jacob Orlov, Kyrylo Stetsenko, Leonid Glibov, Lev Lepky, Luthando Qave, Lydia Lipkovskaya, Lyudmila Alexandrova, Maksym Rylsky, Maria Sokil, Mark Ermler, Mark Reizen, Matalya Pasichnyk, Mikhail Donets, Mikhail Dulov, Misha Raitzin, Modest Menzinsky, Modest Tchaikovsky, Mykhailo Petrenko, Mykola Arkas, Mykola Kondratyuk, Mykola Leontovych, Mykola Lysenko, National Choir of Ukraine “Dumka”, Neeme Järvi, Nina Matyienko, Pavel Muravsky, Pavlo Hunka, Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky, Reinhold Glière, Salomea Krushelnytska, Shmerke Kaczerginski, Stefa Turchak, Taras Shevchenko, Teresa Arkel, Ukrainian Folk Music, V.A. Levitov, Valentin Sylvestrov, Vasily Baryinsky, Vladimir Khyostin, Volodymyr Sirenko, Yevhen Stankovych, Yuri Mazurok, Yuriy Mynenko, Zoya Gaidaicountermelody

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Here finally is my long-promised and long-overdue episode on great Ukrainian singers. Because I am so historically oriented, I begin the episode at the dawn of recorded sound and present singers from the early twentieth century all the way through to the present day. The first voice heard is the Ukrainian-Jewish bass Alexander Kipnis, still after all these years the noblest voice that I have ever encountered. There follow Teresa Arkel, Salomea Krushelnytska, Elena Ruszkowska, Lydia Lipovska and the extraordinary heldentenor Modest Menzinsky: all voices from the distant past, though much renowned in their day. Along with the exploration of Ukrainian singers (including Boris Gmyria, Ivan Kozlovsky, Yuri Mazurok, Mark Reizen, Misha Raitzin, Ira Malaniuk, Paul Plishka, Yuriy Mynenko, Anatoly Kocherga, and Bela Rudenko, among many others), I also provide a tip-of-the-iceberg introduction to the (for me, as I suspect for many of us) nearly unexplored world of Ukrainian composers, including Reinhold Glière, Mykola Lysenko, Yevhen Stankovych, Mykola Leontovych, Kyrylo Stetsenko, Vasyl Barvinsky, Boris Lyatoschinsky, Mykola Arkas, and Valentin Sylvestrov, their work often bolstered by the powerful poetry of that 19th century bard and figurehead of Ukrainian independence, Taras Shevchenko. Some of the greatest discoveries for me in preparing this episode were the tenor Anatoliy Solovyanenko and the baritones Mykola Kondratyuk and Dmytro Hnatiuk. I trust you will have your favorites as well. I offer this episode in tribute to, and in solidarity with, the people of Ukraine. 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. Resources for learning more about Ukrainian music: Myron Yusypovych’s website on Ukrainian composers The Ukrainian Art Song Project Natalya Pasichnyk’s documentary Ukrainian Rhapsody: A Journey into Ukrainian Classical Music Viktor Ostafeychuk’s astonishing YouTube channel, featuring many historical live performances from the Kiev Opera Ukrainian Vinyl, another invaluable YouTube channel, with rare and priceless recordings

Episode 127. Maria Ewing in Memoriam (Black History Month 2022)

February 4, 2022African American Singers, Bel canto, Black History Month, Broadway, Crossover, French Opera, Full-Figured Baroque, Giacomo Puccini, Gustav Mahler, In Memoriam, Mezzo Madness, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Operetta, Richard Strauss, Singers of Color, Twentieth Century Music, VerismoAndrew Davis, Antonio de Almeida, Bernard Haitink, Bob Merrill, Carl Orff, Carmen, Carol Neblett, Christiane Eda-Pierre, Claude Debussy, Claudio Abbado, Claudio Monteverdi, Dale Duesing, Dennis Bailey, Dido and Aeneas, Dmitri Shostakovich, Don Giovanni, Elizabeth Collier, Eric Tappy, Francis Poulenc, François Le Roux, Funny Girl, George Bizet, Giacomo Puccini, Gioacchino Rossini, Gustav Mahler, Harold Arlen, Henri Meilhac, Henry Purcell, Horst Stein, Iain Sutherland, Idomeneo, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Jacques Offenbach, James Levine, Jean Cocteau, Jean Rigby, Jerome Kern, John Pritchard, John Wilson, Jule Styne, Jules Massenet, Kurt Masur, L’incoronazione di Poppea, La Périchole, La voix humaine, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Le nozze di Figaro, Leonard Slatkin, Lorenzo da Ponte, Ludovic Halévy, Marc Soustrot, Maria Ewing, Maurice Maeterlinck, Maurice Ravel, Myung-Whun Chung, Nahum Tate, Oscar Hammerstein II, Oscar Wilde, Patrick Devin, Pelleas et Melisande, Raymond Leppard, Richard Hickox, Richard Rodgers, Richard Rodney Bennett, Richard Strauss, Romano Gandolfi, Ruggero Raimondi, Salome, Shane Hill, Shéhérazade, Siegmund Nimsgern, Simon James, Simon Rattle, South Pacific, Sylvain Cambreling, Ted Koehler, Tosca, Tristan Klingsor, Werther, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozartcountermelody

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The exceptional, distinctive Maria Ewing died of cancer on January 9 at her home outside of her native Detroit at the age of 71. Even before her death, I had been planning an episode on Maria Ewing, who last fall received an enormous amount of press as the mother of actor and director Rebecca Hall, whose latest film, Passing, was hitting the screens in a big way. The film is about two light-skinned Black friends in the 1920s, one of whom makes the conscious decision to present as white. The implication in much of the press was that Maria Ewing had done the same and was being taken to task for having done so. In actuality, Maria Ewing spoke frequently about her father’s apparent African American roots, and never actively tried to hide her (at times murky) family history. But, I submit to you, this is not the real story. In this episode, the first of my Black History Month 2022 series, I attempt to present as full a musical portrait of the artist as possible, allowing listeners to experience the unique musical and dramatic genius (and I use the term advisedly) of this fascinating artist. Few singers can survive comparison with Maria Callas. Maria Ewing, for all her demonstrable flaws, was one of the few artists that merit such a comparison. In this episode we hear Ewing in a wide range of material, from Purcell’s Dido to Puccini’s Tosca, with a nod to her two most famous roles, Carmen and Salome; an emphasis on both her Mozart portrayals and a focus on her aplomb with French music; and a sampling of her flair for pop music and jazz. I also discuss her sometimes controversial vocalism and role assumptions which in turn led to her blanket dismissal by her detractors. But in the end, it is her fascinating combination of carnality and innocence which made her unique. I remain, as I always have been, a devoted member of Club Ewing. This is a long-overdue Countermelody tribute to a unique and irreplaceable singer.

Episode 91. Unforgotten (In Memoriam II)

May 30, 2021African American Singers, Art Song, Broadway, Comic Relief, Crossover, Giuseppe Verdi, Great Baritones, In Memoriam, Lieder, Mirella Freni, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Opera in Translation, Operetta, Pop Icons, Protest Songs, Renata Scotto, Sylvia Sass, Twentieth Century Music, Voiceless WondersAl Jarreau, Anthony Payne, Antoine Hodge, Celia Cruz, Chick Corea, Christopher Plummer, Dmitri Shostakovich, Eleanor Parker, Giuseppe Verdi, Jane Manning, Jim Steinman, Joan Sutherland, Joan Weldon, Johnny Pacheco, Liza Lehmann, Lorenzo Anselmi, Maria Kouba, Mary Ellen Pracht, Mary Wilson, Maxim Shostakovich, Milva, Mirella Freni, Neal Davies, Oscar Hammerstein II, Pauline Tinsley, Pervis Staples, Renata Scotto, Richard Bonynge, Richard Haydn, Richard Rodgers, Robert Gard, Robert L. Larsen, Rudolf Kelterborn, Steuart Bedford, Sylvia Sass, The Staples Singers, Theodore Lambrinos, Veronica Dunne, Yevgeny Nesterenkocountermelody

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We continue our memorial tributes this week with the second of (at least) three episodes commemorating the recent deaths of singers and musicians who have helped make our existence a little more manageable, our world a bit more beautiful. From Milva to Rudolf Kelterborn, from Yevgeny Nesterenko to Mary Wilson, from Jane Manning to Antoine Hodge, may they all rest in peace and power. Above all, this episode is dedicated to George Floyd on the first anniversary of his murder.

The two Countermelody episodes from a year ago devoted to music of protest and emancipation:

www.countermelodypodcast.com/episode-37-no-more-slavery-chains

www.countermelodypodcast.com/episode-38-something-in-the-air

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.