Tag Archives: I Lombardi

Episode 491. Bubbles on the Nile, Verdi Edition

September 18, 2026African American Singers, Bel canto, Bubbles on the Nile, Claudia Muzio, Forgotten Divas, Giuseppe Verdi, Listeners' Favorites, Margaret Price, Mezzo Madness, Needle Drop, NYCO Divas, Renata Scotto, Singers of ColorAchille de Lauzières, Alexandre Dumas fils, Andrea Maffei, Angelo Zanardini, Anna Moffo, Anton Guadagno, Antonio García Gutiérrez, Antonio Piazza, Antonio Somma, Arrigo Boito, Attila, Beverly Sills, Camille du Locle, Carol Neblett, Chris Nance, Claudia Catania, Claudia Muzio, Don Carlo, Edward Downes, Ernani, Ernst Märzendorfer, Eugène Scribe, Fiorenza Cossotto, Francesco Maria Piave, Friedrich Schiller, Georges Pretre, Giovanna d’Arco, Giuseppe Patanè, Giuseppe Verdi, Grace Bumbry, Gundula Janowitz, I Lombardi, John Stewart, John Wustman, Joseph Méry, La Traviata, Macbeth, Margaret Price, Margaret Tynes, Maria Callas, Massimo Freccia, Nabucco, Nello Santi, Oberto, Otello, Pál Varga, Renata Scotto, Richard Bradshaw, Salvadore Cammarano, Shirley Verrett, Temistocle Solera, Un ballo in maschera, Victor Hugo, William Shakespeare, Zacharias Wernercountermelody

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Here’s another edition of what has beocme one of my (and my listeners’) favorite series of episodes, one that I have entitled “Bubbles on the Nile.” The title refers to a wonderful 1985 LP of the same name which featured favorite divas in unfamiliar or unexpected repertoire. Since publishing my first Bubbles on the Nile episode last spring, I have revisited the “franchise” with an all-Handel episode, and today, I’m back with an all-Verdi edition. The format of these episodes is thus: we always begin with Beverly herself singing a role or aria not typically associated with her, in this case, “Ernani, involami” from a 1967 radio recording for German radio. From there, I bring you a series of surprising performances from some of my (and, I hope your) favorite singers: Gundula Janowitz singing Odabella in Attila, Claudio Muzio singing Giselda in Lombardi, Margaret Price singing the title role of Giovanna d’Arco, Shirley Verrett singing Cuniza in Verdi’s first opera Oberto, Fiorenza Cossotto singing Amelia in Ballo, Callas singing Eboli, Bumbry singing the Trovatore Leonora, a rare 1960 RAI recording of Anna Moffo singing Desdemona, Carol Neblett as the Violetta of one’s dreams, a hair-raising live performance of Renata Scotto singing Abigaille in Nabucco, and Margaret Tynes as a compelling, idiosyncratic Lady Macbeth. Be prepared for some thrilling singing coming at you from all over the place!

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.

Episode 452. Out of the Office

April 5, 2026Bel canto, Forgotten Divas, Ileana Cotrubas, Listeners' Favorites, Needle Drop, NYCO Divas, Renata Scotto, Sylvia Sass, Verismo, Wolfgang Amadeus MozartAlexandre Dumas fils, Antonio Somma, Beverly Sills, Carlo Gozzi, Charles Duveyrier, Don Giovanni, Ettore Caimi, Eugène Scribe, Felice Romani, Francesco Maria Piave, Gaetano Donizetti, Giacomo Puccini, Gilda Cruz-Romo, Giuseppe Adami, Giuseppe Giacosa, Giuseppe Verdi, I due Foscari, I Lombardi, I vespri siciliani, Ileana Cotrubas, La Traviata, Leyla Gencer, Lord Byron, Lorenzo da Ponte, Lucreza Borgia, Luigi Illica, Magda Olivero, Montserrat Caballé, Renata Scotto, Renato Simoni, Sylvia Sass, Temistocle Solera, Tommaso Grossi, Tosca, Un ballo in maschera, Victorien Sardou, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozartcountermelody

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Hello, fans and listeners! I am “Óut of the Office” for the next two weeks, hence the tongue-in-cheek title of this episode, the first of four recycled potpourri episodes bringing you four records issued on the pirate label Historical Recordings Enterprises in the 1970s. Two of them (including today’s) feature great sopranos of that era, and two of them celebrate “ten top tenors” each. A few years ago, David was preparing to downsize to a new apartment in NYC and one of my tasks was to go through his LPs. In doing so, I discovered the two soprano volumes. Low impact, perhaps, in terms of my prep level, but high calorie in terms of content! Here are some of the greatest sopranos of the 1970s (and earlier) in incendiary live performances which will leave you gasping for air (at least I was!) Included are such favorites of the Opera Queens (of whatever persuasion or orientation) as Montserrat Caballé, Leyla Gencer, Magda Olivero, Renata Scotto, and Beverly Sills in addition to such personal favorites of mine as Ileana Cotrubaș, Sylvia Sass, and Gilda Cruz-Romo. Many of these singers have been featured on their own spotlight episodes on Countermelody but the performances featured here are typical of the pirate releases of the 1970s, rare material in sometimes spotty sound but representing these sopranos at their thrilling best. There’s a lot of Verdi, but also some Puccini, Donizetti, and even Mozart. All told a thrilling and rare collection which I am thrilled to share with my pals as I step away from the mic for a couple weeks!

Episode 36. Glamour

May 24, 2020African American Singers, Crossover, Giuseppe Verdi, Needle Drop, Operetta, Pop IconsAlice Faye, Anna Moffo, Annie Lennox, Bellini I Puritani, Bernard Herrmann, Betty Carter, Canzone di Doretta, Carol Neblett, Cassandra Wilson, Cesare Andrea Bixio, Charles Gerhardt, Citizen Kane, Das Wunder der Heliane, Dave Stewart, David Garvey, Diahann Carroll, Die tote Stadt, Dorothy Kirsten, Eleanor Steber, Eurythmics, Florence Quartararo, Franz Lehár, Fritz Wunderlich, George Gershwin, Gershwin Oh Kay!, Giacomo Puccini, Giuditta (Lehár), Giuseppe Verdi, Hana Janků, Harold Arlen, Harold Simpson, Harry Revel, Helen Traubel, Hercule Gilles de Fontenailles, Hilde Güden, Hildegarde, House of Flowers, I Lombardi, I Put a Spell on You, Il Trovatore, Ira Gershwin, Italian Street Song (Naughty Marietta), James Bland, Jeanne Dortzal, José Carreras, Jules Massenet, Karl Friedrich, Kiri Te Kanawa, Knickerbocker Holiday, Kurt Weill, La rondine, Landon Ronald, Leontyne Price, Liane Augustin, Lisa Kirk, Lorenz Hart, Lotte Lehmann, Mack Gordon, Maria Nemeth, Massenet Thaïs, Miguel Fleta, Montserrat Caballé, Moonlight in Vermont, Muddy Waters, My Funny Valentine, Naughty Marietta, Ned Rorem, Noël Coward, Richard Rodgers, Richard Strauss, Robert Gilbert, Robert Stolz, Rosa Ponselle, Teresa Żylis-Gara, The Incomparable Hildegarde, Truman Capote, Victor Herbert, Vier letzte Lieder, Vincenzo Bellini, Zarah Leandercountermelody

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The Oxford English Dictionary defines “glamour” as “magic; enchantment; spell” and “a magical or fictitious beauty attaching to any person or object; a delusive or alluring charm.” Further down in the entry are “charm; attractiveness; physical allure,” certainly the definition we most closely associate with the term. And yet, it’s fascinating to examine the concept of glamour from its spellbinding origins. In the first of my episodes on Glamour, I examine many singers both from the spell-binding sense of the term and the sense of vocal and personal allure. Among others, I examine such varied singers as Alice Faye, Eleanor Steber, Annie Lennox, Carol Neblett, Betty Carter, Diahann Carroll, Teresa Żylis-Gara, Liane Augustin, Dorothy Kirsten, Florence Quartararo, Hana Janků, Helen Traubel, Hilde Güden, Kiri Te Kanawa, Leontyne Price, Lisa Kirk, Lotte Lehmann, Anna Moffo, Maria Nemeth, Montserrat Caballé, Rosa Ponselle, Zarah Leander, and The Incomparable Hildegarde with an eye to what makes their work glamourous in all senses of the term. And the gentlemen are by no means excluded: I spend particular time on the seductive and dulcet tenor tones of Fritz Wunderlich, José Carreras, Karl Friedrich, and Miguel Fleta.

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 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.