Tag Archives: Oscar Straus

Episode 245. Tell It to the World – Germany

February 27, 2024African American Singers, Broadway, Crossover, Great Tenors, Interview, Needle Drop, Opera in Translation, Operetta, Pop Icons, Queer Pride, Singers of Color, Twentieth Century Music, Voiceless WondersAdolf Dallapozza, Alan Jay Lerner, Alfred Grünwald, Annika Meier, Axel Kottmann, Axel Wandtke, Barry Kosky, Bastian Reiber, Bendix Dethleffsen, Benedict Fellmer, Birger Heymann, Carol Schuler, Carsten Meyer, Claudia Kühne, Cole Porter, Dagmar Manzel, David Savran, Der schwarze Hecht, Der Silbersee, Eberhard Büchner, Eduard Mörike, Eine Frau die weiß was sie will, Emil Sautter, Erik Charrell, Erika Gesell, Ersan Mondtag, Franz Allers, Frederick Loewe, Fritzi Massary, Georg Kaiser, George Kranz, Gerd Natschinski, Gisela May, Gottfried Bretifuss, Guido Masanetz, Günter Neumann, Hanne Roos, Hans Schenker, Hans Schindler, Herbert Fritsch, Herr Fressack und die Bremer Stadtmusikanten, Horst Schulze, Hubert Wild, Hugo Wolf, Im weißen Rößl, In Frisco ist der Teufel los, Ira Gershwin, James Holmes, Jean-Pierre Cornu, Jessica Früh, Johannes Fehring, Julia Koci, Julia Migenes, Jürg Amstein, Jürgen Degenhardt, Karel Deseure, Karin Huebner, Kiss Me Kate, Kitty Carlisle, Koen Schoots, Kurt Weill, La Cage aux Folles, Lady in the Dark, Lawrence Leonard, Lena Schwarz, Leonard Bernstein, Linie 1, Lisa-Katrina Mayer, Louis Verneuil, Magdalena Irmann, Marcel Prawy, Matthias Witting, Mauritius Janowski, Max Hansen, Mein Freund Bunbury, Michael Brandt, Michael Wilhelmi, Miriam Maertens, My Fair Lady, Nehrun Aliev, No Ticket, Olive Moorefield, Oscar Straus, Oscar Wilde, Paul Burkhard, Paul Godwin, Rahel Hubacher, Rainer Luhn, Ralph Benatzky, Ralph Möbius, Ralph Steitz, Richard Baravalle, Richard Wester, Rio Reiser, Robert Hanell, Robert Hunger-Bühler, Roland Gilbert, Roman Hinze, Roman Vinuesa, Ruth Rosenfeld, Stephen Sondheim, Susanne Wolf, Tags: Jerry Herman, Tell It to the World, The Black Rider, Tom Waits, Ton Scheine Scherben, Volker Ludwig, West Side Story, White Horse Inn, William Gaxton, William S. Burroughscountermelody

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:18:12 — 85.4MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More

Here is the second of a two part series in celebration of David Savran’s new book, Tell It to the World: The Broadway Musical Abroad, a monumental study on transnationalism and the Broadway-style musical. In the first part, David and I spoke about (and played examples from) the rich culture surrounding musicals in South Korea. Today’s episode focuses on Germany and the influx of Broadway musicals since World War II. Although the German-speaking world has a long tradition of popular music theatre, most notably operetta, the arrival of American musicals (beginning in 1955 with Kiss Me, Kate) made a very big splash. In 1961, My Fair Lady opened in West Berlin, became a sensational success, and permanently changed the shape of German musical theatre. Both Kiss Me, Kate and My Fair Lady are part of the first wave of Broadway musicals that have become part of the standard repertoire in state-subsidized theatre (the others include Cabaret, Anatevka (Fiddler on the Roof), West Side Story, La Cage aux Folles, and Hair).

We also look at the development of home-grown Broadway-style musicals in both West and East Germany from the 1960s through the 1980s and their subsequent impact on the work of experimental theatre makers. The next to last chapter of the book studies the musical farces directed by the great theatrical innovator, Herbert Fritsch, since 2011. The last focuses on the work of Barrie Kosky at the Komische Oper Berlin and how he turned that house into the foremost theatre in Germany for innovative re-imaginings of Broadway musicals, with emphasis on iconoclastic stagings by Kosky (and other directors) of the work of Kurt Weill. We play examples from many of the thrilling productions about which David writes which deserve to be known by a much wider audience. Along the way we also listen to nearly a century’s worth of performances by some legendary performers of German operetta and musicals, including Fritzi Massary, Olive Moorefield, Gisela May, Max Hansen, Dagmar Manzel, Horst Schulze, Ruth Rosenfeld, Julia Migenes, Julia Koci, and the late Rainer Luhn.

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 180. Anna Moffo Reappraised

January 20, 2023Art Song, Bel canto, Broadway, Crossover, French Opera, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, Lieder, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Operetta, Richard Strauss, Twentieth Century MusicAdolf von Schack, Afro Poli, Alexandre Dumas, Alfred Grünwald, Anna Moffo, Anton Coppola, Anton Guadagno, Antonio Amurri, Arleen Augér, Berislav Klobučar, Billy Smith, Carlo Bergonzi, Carlo Felice Cillario, Charles Gounod, Don Giovanni, Emmerich Kálmán, Erich Leinsdorf, Falstaff, Fernando Previtali, Francesco Maria Piave, Francesco Molinari-Pradelli, Franco Ferrara, Franz Lehár, Friedrich Schiller, Fritz Löhner-Beda, Gaetano Donizetti, George Gershwin, Georges Bizet, Georges Pretre, Gerald Moore, Giacomo Puccini, Gian Francesco Malipiero, Gianni Ferrio, Gino Gorini, Giovanna d’Arco, Giuditta (Lehár), Giulio Fioravanti, Giuseppe Adami, Giuseppe di Stefano, Giuseppe Giacosa, Gräfin Mariza, Hans Carste, Hans Rosbaud, Heinrich Hart, Henri Meilhac, Henri René, I Puritani, Ira Gershwin, Jacopone da Todi, James King, Jane Berbié, John Orrick, Jules Barbier, Jules Massenet, Julius Brammer, Kurt Eichhorn, La rondine, La sonnambula, La Traviata, Lehman Engel, Leopold Stokowski, Lorenzo da Ponte, Lorin Maazel, Lucia di Lammermoor, Ludovic Halévy, Luigi Illica, Madama Butterfly, Manon, Mario Lanfranchi, Mario Rossi, Michel Carré, Miti Truccato Pace, Oliviero de Fabritiis, Oscar Straus, Paul Knepler, Peter Maag, Philippe Gille Abbé Prévost, Piero Piccioni, Piero Umiliani, Prosper Mérimée, Renato Simoni, René Leibowitz, Richard Fredericks, Richard Hundley, Richard Strauss, Roméo et Juliette, Rudolf Friml, Rudolf Schock, Salvadore Cammarano, Sergio Franchi, Sergio Lorenzi, Skitch Henderson, Temistocle Solera, The Chocolate Soldier, Tosca, Tullio Serafin, Turandot, Victor Herbert, Victorien Sardou, Vincenzo Bellini, Walter Scott, Werner Schmidt-Boelcke, William Shakespeare, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozartcountermelody

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:40:54 — 113.7MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More

Podcast (https-countermelody-blubrry-net-feed-podcast): Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:40:54 — 113.7MB) | Embed

Subscribe: RSS

The Italian-American lyric coloratura soprano Anna Moffo (1932-2006) is, for many, one of the great singers of the past century. My first exposure to this artist was one of two, frankly, disastrous recordings released in the mid-1970s, in which the voice was a mere shadow of its former self, and in which her vocal defects and mannerisms had overtaken the intrinsic beauty of her voice. But there are so many exceptional qualities to Moffo as an artist, musician, and media star, that I felt compelled to do a frank reappraisal of her contribution to the lyric art. And am I glad that I did! I discovered an artist of great integrity who, in her best work, attained a similar level to any of the other great singers performing during that period. Unlike any other opera singer that I can think of, she conquered three distinct markets with equal success: first in Italy (where she rose to overnight stardom in the late 1950s and went on in the 1960s to become the star of her own eponymous television series); then in the United States throughout the 1960s; and finally, in the late 1960s and 70s, in Germany. But hers is also a cautionary tale of “too much, too soon” and the potentially destructive power of the media which has significance also in today’s opera world. Throughout the episode, live and studio examples of Moffo’s work, both bad and (mostly) good over the course of more than twenty years, are offered to support my discussion of her importance and influence as an artist, one that continues to this day. Vocal guest stars include tenors Carlo Bergonzi, Rudolf Schock, Giuseppe di Stefano, and Sergio Franchi, and musical collaborators include Tullio Serafin, Gerald Moore, Lorin Maazel, Hans Rosbaud, Fernando Previtali, Lehman Engel, Oliviero de Fabritiis, René Leibowitz, Kurt Eichhorn, Berislav Klobučar, and Franco Ferrara. For those who love Moffo, for those who hate her, and for those who find themselves somewhere in between, this episode is (dare I say it?) required listening.

Episode 144. Mad about Mesplé

May 13, 2022Art Song, Comic Relief, Crossover, French Opera, Giuseppe Verdi, Great Baritones, In Memoriam, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Opera in Translation, Operetta, Richard Strauss, Twentieth Century MusicAlain Vanzo, Aldo Ciccolini, Ambroise Thomas, André Messager, Ariadne auf Naxos, Armand Silvestre, Arnold Schoenberg, Bruno Amaducci, Charles Chaynes, Charles Gounod, Claude Debussy, Dalton Baldwin, Don Procopio, Erik Satie, Fiançailles pour rire, Francis Poulenc, Fritz Kreisler, Gabriel Bacquier, Gabriel Faure, Gabriel Tacchino, Georges Bizet, Georges Pretre, Gilbert Amy, Gioacchino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi, Hamlet (Thomas), Hugo von Hoffmansthal, Jacques Offenbach, Jane Berbié, Janine Reiss, Jean Cocteau, Jean Moréas, Jean-Claude Hartemann, Jean-Pierre Marty, La Dame de Monte-Carlo, Les trois valses, Louis Ganne, Louise de Vilmorin, Mady Mesple, Maurice Maeterlinck, Michel Dens, Michel Legrand, Michel Plasson, Michel Trempont, Mignon (Thomas), Orphée aux Enfers, Oscar Straus, Peter Maag, Pierre Dervaux, Reynaldo Hahn, Richard Strauss, Rigoletto, Stéphane Mallarmécountermelody

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:30:53 — 105.4MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More

Two years ago this month, the world lost the great French soprano Mady Mesplé at the age of 89. Celebrated as the finest French coloratura of her era (and one of the best examples ever of that dying breed), Mesplé was officially diagnosed in 1996 with Parkinson’s, which had already gravely affected her health for years. For me there is a personal connection here, as next week it is eleven years since my own father died of the same disease. The focus this week, however, is on not on Mesplé’s disease, but her extraordinary vocalism, musicianship, and versatility. Not only was she unmatched in the operatic repertoire for which she was justly celebrated, she was also a mistress of the mélodie, a charming interpreter of French operetta, and a fearless interpreter of contemporary repertoire. This episode examines her contributions in all of those genres, as well as celebrating her delicious expressions of musical humor, and her surprising depth, even profundity, in examining the darker recesses of human experience. On this episode, Mesplé is aided by fellow singers Gabriel Bacquier, Michel Dens, Jane Berbié, Alain Vanzo, and Michel Trempont; pianists Aldo Ciccolini, Jeanine Reiss, Dalton Baldwin, Gabriel Tacchino, and Michel Legrand; and conductors Georges Prêtre, Pierre Dervaux, Michel Plasson, Jean-Pierre Marty, Gilbert Amy, and Jean-Claude Hartemann.

Episode 43. Gl’amour I (Bastille Day 2020)

July 12, 2020African American Singers, Operetta, Pop IconsAndrée Esposito, Bizet Carmen, Charles Gounod, Christoph Wilibald Gluck, Denise Duval, Depuis le jour, Emma Calvé, Emma Luart, Fanny Heldy, Francis Poulenc, Françoise Pollet, Géo Koger, Georges Bizet, Geraldine Farrar, Germaine Cernay, Germaine Féraldy, Giacomo Meyerbeer, Giuseppe di Stefano, Glamour, Gounod Faust, Gounod La Reine de Saba, Gounod Mireille, Grace Bumbry, Gustave Charpentier, Gustave Cloëz, Janine Micheau, Jennie Tourel, Jessye Norman, Joséphine Baker, Jules Massenet, Léo Delibes, Leo Robin, Lisette Oropesa, Mady Mesple, Mary Lewis, Massenet Hérodiade, Massenet Le Cid, Massenet Manon, Massenet Thaïs, Maurice Chevalier, Orphée et Eurydice, Oscar Straus, Pleurez mes yeux, Regine Crespin, Renée Doria, Robert le Diable, Shirley Verrett, Teresa Żylis-Gara, Vincent Scottocountermelody

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:15:23 — 81.5MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More

Another nation, la belle France, has a birthday right around the corner, and today I hoist the Tricolore to celebrate La Fête Nationale. I had planned this episode several weeks ago but when the worldwide #BlackLivesMatter protests began, I felt the need to respond in kind with two episodes featuring music of protest and hope. Today I present the first of two consecutive episodes on French Glamour, for after all, who does Glamour better than the French? I also consider the manner in which exoticism and imperialism make an appearance in French opera in particular. I present a veritable mad rush of great French singers, all possessed of personal poise and vocal appeal. Singers range from such classical artists as Mady Mesplé (whose recent passing we belatedly acknowledge), Régine Crespin, Janine Micheau, Germaine Cernay, Emma Calvé, Renée Doria, Jennie Tourel, Denise Duval, Andrée Esposito, Germaine Féraldy, Françoise Pollet (as well as exemplary Belgian sopranos Emma Luart and Fanny Heldy) to pop singers Joséphine Baker (French by adoption!), and Maurice Chevalier. We allow such non-French interlopers as Geraldine Farrar, Giuseppe di Stefano, Grace Bumbry, Mary Lewis, Teresa Żylis-Gara, Lisette Oropesa, and my beloved Shirley Verrett, many of whom also lived extensively in France, to make their contributions in song to this celebration. And who better than the late Jessye Norman to cap the episode with her rousing rendition of La Marseillaise, as she did in 1989 for the French Bicentennial?

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 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.

Episode 10. Régine Crespin: Un doux privilège

November 24, 2019Art Song, Crossover, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, Mezzo Madness, Needle Drop, Operetta, Richard Strauss, Richard WagnerAnneliese Rothenberger, Bell Telephone Hour, Brigitte Fassbaender, Carlos Kleiber, Claude Debussy, Daniel Gundlach, Denise Duval, Denise Scharley, Der fliegende Holländer, Eliane Lubin, Elisabeth Soderstrom, Fidelio, Franco Corelli, Georges Jouatte, Georges Sébastien, Germaine Lubin, Glyndebourne, Gwyneth Jones, Irene Joachim, Janet Williams, Je tremble en voyant ton visage, John Wustman, José Luccioni, Le promenoir des deux amants, Les dialogues des Carmélites, Les trois valses, Lotte Lehmann, Ludwig van Beethoven, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Mady Mesple, Maria Ewing, Oscar Straus, Paul Finel, Regine Crespin, René Bianco, Richard Wagner, Rita Gorr, Roger Soyer, Shirley Verrett, Suzanne Cesbron-Viseur, Suzanne Sarroca, Xavier Depraz, Yvonne Printempscountermelody

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:41 — 89.7MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More

Régine Crespin, whose Metropolitan Opera debut as the Marschallin in Richard Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier occurred exactly 57 years ago this week, is featured on this week’s episode. I give an overview of her major roles, with a few surprises, both monumental and insouciante, tossed in. Because of her enormous range and versatility, I will have to return to my subject in the near future in order to do full justice to this great artist.

Countermelody is a new 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 also visit the Countermelody website for updates, additional content, and to pledge your support. www.countermelodypodcast.com