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If you are a like-minded (i.e., a left-minded) person, then you, too, must be rejoicing in the overwhelmingly good news coming from my home country, the US, this week. (And if you’re not, maybe you’re in the wrong place?) So much unexpected joy and hope that I have been breaking into spontaneous tears ever since I became aware of the election result. The thing is, that we are once again on the road this week (in Korea, in fact!) so I had to “pre-load” this week’s setlist. Since I wasn’t sure if we would be rejoicing or despondent, I had a challenging time choosing my setlist. It’s framed as yet another of my “Rescue Mission” series, in which I present singers who have either recently or in the more remote past, already been prominently featured on the podcast. So there is an overall sense of revisiting old friends. Those heard today include such recent subjects as Judith Blegen, whose passing was commemorated just last week, Georges Thill, José van Dam, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Jill Gomez, Maureen Forrester, Eleanor Steber, and Hanne-Lore Kuhse (who was also just featured in a bonus episode for my Patreon supporters this past week). Also heard are some perennial Countermelody favorites who have been absent in recent months, including Grace Bumbry, Jorma Hynninen, George Shirley, Carol Neblett, Maria Ewing, Edda Moser, Rachel Yakar, Sylvia Sass, Alexander Kipnis, Florence Quivar, and Gilda Cruz-Romo. There are sacred arias by Schubert, Handel, and Rossini, barnstorming operatic arias by Massenet, Verdi, Granados, and Berlioz, Lieder by Mahler, Schubert, and Kilpinen, and duets from Tosca, Fliegende Holländer, Nozze di Figaro, and Beethoven’s Leonore, his first version of Fidelio. Meanwhile, the countdown continues to Episode 500 of the podcast, which is planned as a special treat for all listeners, old and new.
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.
