Tag Archives: John Henry Mackay

Episode 414. Sass Returns!

November 23, 2025Arie antiche, Art Song, Behind the Iron Curtain, Bel canto, Crossover, French Opera, Full-Figured Baroque, Giuseppe Verdi, Lieder, Listeners' Favorites, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Opera in Translation, Operetta, Orchestral Songs, Pop Icons, Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, Schubert, Sylvia Sass, Twentieth Century Music, Twentieth Century Opera, Verismo, Wolfgang Amadeus MozartA Kékszakállú herceg vára, Aage Haugland, Adalbert von Chamisso, Adriana Lecouvreur, Alessandro Stradella, Alexandre Dumas fils, András Schiff, András Sebestyén, Andrea Maffei, Arturo Colautti, Barry Gibb, Béla Balázs, Béla Bartók, Belfagor, Bluebeard’s Castle, Charles Gounod, Claudio Guastalla, Dusán Sztevanovity, Endre Ady, Ercole Luigi Morselli, Ernest Legouvé, Ervin Lukács, Eugène Scribe, Faust, Francesco Cilea, Francesco Maria Piave, Franz Liszt, Frauenliebe und -leben, Giuseppe Verdi, György G Dénes, György Korondi, Henri Meilhac, I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata, Il Corsaro, Iván Bradányi, Jacques Offenbach, János Bródy, Johann Rumpelmeyer, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, John Henry Mackay, Josef Kenner, Jules Barbier, Kolos Kováts, La Belle Helene, La Traviata, Lamberto Gardelli, Loránt Szücs, Lord Byron, Ludovic Halévy, Macbeth, Mathilde Wesendonck, Michel Carré, Michel Plasson, Miklós Harazdy, Nello Santi, Ottorino Respighi, Patrick Fournillier, Péter Wolf, Pietro Metastasio, Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, Robert Schumann, Robin Gibb, Sylvia Sass, Temistocle Solera, Tibor Bornai, Tommaso Grossi, Wesendonck-Lieder, William Shakespeare, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Zoltán Kodály, Zsuzsa Konczcountermelody

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Every hundred or so episodes, I feel compelled to pay a return visit to beloved Hungarian diva Sylvia Sass, for there’s always something new and delicious to discover! I’ve cleaned up another former bonus episode and expanded it with a half-dozen extra tracks, from Verdi to Mozart, from her definitive Bluebeard’s Castle to arie antiche topped with a bracing blast of verismo. Then I link up with the previously published bonus episode which samples live excerpts from the two legendary 1976 Verdi performances (Giselda and Violetta) that put Sass on the fast track to operatic superstardom, then pivot to selections from stage works by Offenbach, Respighi, and Gounod that generously flout all of Sylvia’s musical and vocal virtues. Especially treasurable are a number of performances of art song by Liszt, Schumann, Schubert, Strauss, Wagner, and Kodály that explore more deeply her career-long commitment to art song. Plus that, three pop selections recorded between 1983 and 2004, simply irresistible to me and (I hope) to you as well! Sass lovers, you’re in for a feast!

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.

Episode 390. Donath Sings Strauss

September 1, 2025Art Song, Great Contraltos, Happy Birthday, Honor Your Mentors, Lieder, Listeners' Favorites, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Orchestral Songs, Richard Strauss, Singers in Old Age, Twentieth Century Music, Twentieth Century OperaAdolf Friedrich von Schack, Albert Bonnema, Annette Jahns, Arabella, Deborah Voigt, Der Rosenkavalier, Die Ägyptische Helena, Fabio Luisi, Felix Dahn, Friedrich von Sallet, Gottfried August Bürger, Heinrich Heine, Helen Donath, Hermann Hesse, Hermann von Gilm, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Ivan Törzs, John Henry Mackay, Joseph von Eichendorff, Julia Varady, Klaus Donath, Oskar Panizza, Otto Friedrich Gruppe, Richard Strauss, Vier letzte Lieder, Vitalija Blinstrubyte, Wolfgang Sawallischcountermelody

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Beloved Countermelody favorite Helen Donath celebrated her 85th birthday on 10 July. In honor of that milestone, I once again celebrate her (which I’ve done so often, but I don’t think anyone is complaining!) This episode features the venerated soprano singing the music of Richard Strauss. In 1976 and 1981 she recorded two albums of Lieder for EMI, both accompanied by her husband, pianist and conductor Klaus Donath, each of which included a selection of songs by Strauss. In addition, I offer recordings of Donath singing various operatic excerpts, both live and studio, of her acclaimed Sophie in Rosenkavalier and Zdenka/o in Arabella. In addition, two late career Donath rarities. First is a concert performance of Die ägyptische Helena live from the Salzburg Festival in the summer of 2003 in which Donath sings the challenging role of Aithra with a freshness and radiance that is breathtaking. The episode concludes with an extraordinary live 2000 recording of Donath performing the Vier letzte Lieder, a tribute to the natural progression of her voice into the jugendlich dramatisch repertoire as she aged. Vocal guest stars include Júlia Várady (who today celebrates her 84th birthday!), Doris Soffel, and Deborah Voigt. Let us extend our hearty good wishes and affection to La Donath, who is finally living in well-earned Ruhestand, after a career that extended well into her 70s.

Episode 382. Eine Janowitzische Geburtstagfeier

August 4, 2025Art Song, Full-Figured Baroque, Happy Birthday, Interview, Johann Sebastian Bach, Lieder, Listeners' Favorites, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Operetta, Orchestral Songs, Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, Schubert, Singers in Old Age, Twentieth Century Music, Twentieth Century OperaBruno Hardt-Warden, Charles Spencer, Das Marienleben, Die Rosen der Madonna, Die Schöpfung, Emil Kuh, Franz Liszt, Georg Christian Lehms, Gottfried van Swieten, Gundula Janowitz, Herbert von Karajan, Hermann Hesse, Hermann Prey, Irwin Gage, Johann Sebastian Bach, John Henry Mackay, Joseph Haydn, Karl Friedrich Henckell, Karl Gottfried von Leitner, Mathieu Lange, Mathilde Wesendonck, Otto Tumlirz, Paul Hindemith, Peter Waters, Rainer Maria Rilke, Richard Dehmel, Richard Stamp, Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, Robert Stolz, Rudolf Barshai, Vier letzte Lieder, Waldemar Kmentt, Wesendonck-Liedercountermelody

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If you “get” Gundula Janowitz, then you really get her, and this birthday tribute will be a delectable treat. If, however, you don’t get her, or don’t think that you get her, you might want to give this episode a try, anyway, for it focuses on her work as a Lieder singer. It is my contention that she was one of the very finest song recitatlists of the late 20th century. Like Grace Bumbry, Margaret Price, Helen Donath, and a number of others, she balanced her work in opera with superlative work on the recital stage. To support my informed opinion, I have found a number of rare live recordings from Amsterdam, Tokyo, and Athens, in which the beloved soprano performs (with her pianists Irwin Gage, Charles Spencer, and Peter Waters and conductor Rudolf Barshai), songs of Strauss, Schubert, Liszt, Wagner, and Hindemith. The episode is supplemented by music by Haydn, Bach, and Robert Stolz, the last an early-career Janowitz performance of his obscure opera Die Rosen der Madonna. In these works, she is heard in duet with Waldemar Kmentt and last week’s featured singer, Hermann Prey. Herzliche (aber nachträgliche) Geburtstagsgrüße an unsere geliebte Frau Kammersängerin!

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 333. Leontyne Price Sings Richard Strauss Lieder

February 14, 2025African American Singers, Art Song, Black History Month, Black History Month 2025, Happy Birthday, Lieder, Listeners' Favorites, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Orchestral Songs, Richard Strauss, Singers in Old Age, Singers of Color, Twentieth Century MusicAchim von Arnim, Adolf Friedrich von Schack, Carlo Maria Giulini, Clemens von Brentano, David Garvey, Detlev von Liliencron, Emanuel von Bodman, Felix Dahn, Four Last Songs, Heinrich Heine, Hermann Hesse, Hermann von Gilm, John Henry Mackay, Joseph von Eichendorff, Julius Hart, Leontyne Price, Otto Julius Bierbaum, Richard Dehmel, Richard Strauss, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, Vier letzte Liedercountermelody

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On February 10th, our beloved diva Leontyne Price celebrated her 98th birthday. Of course she is recognized for her performances of the operas of Verdi, but in my opinion, she was even more suited, uniquely so, to the music of Richard Strauss. Sadly, she only sang one operatic role by Strauss, but we can be grateful that she consistently programmed his Lieder over the course of her long career. I offer you as complete a selection of Leontyne Price (assisted by her able collaborative pianist David Garvey) singing Strauss as you are likely to find anywhere, including live performances from Salzburg, St. Paul, and Carnegie Hall from between 1975 and 1991, as well as excerpts from two of her most beautifully-sung studio recordings, one from 1959, the other from 1979. The episode is capped with two of her earliest (and finest) performances of two songs from the Vier letzte Lieder, both from March 1971, one in Chicago with Carlo Maria Giulini, and the other from Carnegie Hall with Stanislaw Skrowaczewski.

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 325. Marni Nixon Revisited

January 17, 2025Art Song, Broadway, Comic Relief, Crossover, In Memoriam, Interview, Lieder, Listeners' Favorites, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Orchestral Songs, Pop Icons, Richard Strauss, Singers in Old Age, Twentieth Century MusicAaron Copland, Al Viola, Alexander Goehr, Anita Priest, Anton Webern, Armen Guzelimian, Arnold Schoenberg, Arthur Waley, Betty Ward, Brettl-Lieder, Buddy Collette, Charles Ives, Claibe Richardson, Claude Debussy, Dennis Farnon, Die tote Stadt, Don Quichotte à Dulcinée, Earl Palmer, Ed Lustgarten, Emily Dickinson, Engelbert Humperdinck, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Ernest Gold, Felix Slatkin, Gabriel Faure, Gene Cipriano, George Gershwin, Gerald Wilson, Gerard Schümann, Hans Swarowsky, Harold Adamson, Harry Warren, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Henry Mancini, Hugo Salus, Igor Stravinsky, Ira Gershwin, Jakob Haringer, Jean Richepin, Jim Bryant, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, John Avery Lomax, John Henry Mackay, John McCabe, Johnny Green, Keith Clark, Konstantin Balmont, Leo McCarey, Leonard Bernstein, Leonard Stein, Lincoln Mayorga, Manuel Bandeira, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Marjory McKay, Marni Nixon, Mary Poppins, Maurice Ravel, Oscar Hammerstein II, Paul Morand, Paul Verlaine, Pierre Boulez, Red Callender, Richard M. Sherman, Richard Rodgers, Richard Strauss, Robert B. Sherman, Robert Craft, Salvatore “Tutti” Camarata, South Pacific, Stefan George, Stéphane Mallarmé, Stephen Cole, Stephen Mitchell, Stephen Sondheim, Walter Schumann, West Side Storycountermelody

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Today I present to you the extraordinarily versatile, even chameleon-like singer and actor Marni Nixon (22 February 1930 – 24 July 2016), who is no doubt best-known today as the so-called “Ghostess with the Mostest.” Born into a musical family in California, she became involved from an early age with the movies, and by a marvelous set of circumstances became The Voice for a number of Hollywood actresses not known for their singing voices. Her skill in matching the vocal and speech characteristics of each of these performers is exceptional, but she was so much more than that. She pioneered the work of many 20th century giants, including Igor Stravinsky, Arnold Schoenberg, Charles Ives, and Anton Webern. She hosted a local Seattle children’s television program called Boomerang that netted her four Emmy Awards. She performed on opera stages and concert platforms around the world. She recorded widely, everything from Mary Poppins to Pierrot Lunaire, and in the mid-1970s was the first singer to perform and record Schoenberg’s cabaret songs, his so-called Brettl-Lieder, works that are now standard repertoire. Reminiscences of Marni are provided by my good friend Thomas Bagwell, currently a coach and conductor at The Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen, who was a colleague and good friend of Marni Nixon’s for the last 25 years of her life. This episode features a cross-section of this stunning artist’s extensive recorded output, recorded over six decades, including repertoire from Webern to Rodgers and Hammerstein. In between we have examples of Nixon’s performances of songs by Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Debussy, Ives, Fauré and her former husband Ernest Gold; concert and song repertoire by Villa-Lobos, Boulez, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Copland, and Gershwin; plus a few outliers, from a live performance of Korngold’s Mariettas Lied to the jazzed-up exotica of Buddy Collette’s Polynesia to Mr. Magoo’s Mother Goose Suite, not to mention a spoonful of Mary Poppins. Overall, “It’s a Jolly ‘Oliday with Marni!”

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.