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Today’s potpourri episode is a special one for anyone who has ever studied voice in a college, university or conservatory. One of the primary sources of repertoire for instructors of singing has been a book first published by G. Schirmer in 1894 entitled Twenty-Four Italian Songs and Arias, consisting primarily of arie antiche, i.e. songs from the Italian baroque (Caldara, Monteverdi, Scarlatti, Durante, and others), heavily edited, and often virtually rewritten, by musicologist Theodore Baker. Many of the works were also falsely attributed to composers (Pergolesi, Stradella, and Marcello in particular) who had nothing to do with the pieces in question. In spite of those editorial issues, these songs have figured prominently ever since in the early repertoire of most young singers. They have also been a staple of the concert platform for as long (and, truth be told, even longer), and remain so to this day. Today’s episode focuses on this repertoire as recorded by some of the greatest singers of the twentieth century. Some of these artists are Countermelody favorites (Claudia Muzio, Elly Ameling, Igor Gorin, Roberta Alexander, Irina Arkhipova, Gérard Souzay) but many others have, in spite of their stature, received relatively little exposure on the podcast (Luciano Pavarotti, Suzanne Danco, Roland Hayes, Georges Thill, Montserrat Caballé, John McCormack, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Nigel Rogers, and Beniamino Gigli, among many others presented in the episode). And let us not forget to raise a glass to Joan Sutherland, whose 99th birthday is observed today, and whose voice is the last one heard on the episode, in a rare 1960 radio recording, stunningly vocalized, that might surprise you.

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 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.