Tag Archives: Rudolf Friml

Episode 299. Rogue Tenors

October 18, 2024African American Singers, Broadway, Crossover, Great Tenors, Listeners' Favorites, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Operetta, Pop Icons, Singers of Color, Twentieth Century Music, Voiceless WondersAndrew Lloyd Webber, Anton Dermota, Armin Robinson, Arne Dorumsgaard, Arthur Rebner, Arthur William Halifax, Arturo Buzzi-Peccia, Bertolt Brecht, Billy Rose, Billy Strayhorn, Charles Cerné, Charles Mackerras, Consuelo Velázquez; Francis Blanche, Curt Schulz, Damien Sneed, Die Dreigroschenoper, Edward Eliscu, Edward Heyman, Enrico Caruso, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Ernst Dobrindt, Ethelbert Nevin, F. Charles Adler, Fred G. Bowles, Fritz Wunderlich, Geoffrey O’Hara, Gigi Pisano, Giuseppe Cioffi, Giuseppe di Stefano, Günther Schwenn, Hans Adler, Hans Carste, Hans Schleger, Hans Sommer, Hans Totzauer, Harry Parr Davies, Helge Rosvaenge, Herbert Ernst Groh, Hermann Jadlowker, Hermann Krome, Iller Pattacini, Jacob Gade, Jan Kiepura, Jan Peerce, Jerry Hadley, Jimmy Webb, Jochen Rider, John Constable, Jonas Kaufmann, José Carreras, Joseph Maria Lacalle, Joseph Schmidt, Julius Patzak, Jürgen Hermann, Kenneth McKellar, Kurt Weill, Lawrence Brownlee, Luigi Alva, Marcel Wittrisch, Max Schönherr, Melle Weersma, Ned Washington, Nicholas Brodszky, Noah Stewart, Oscar Hammerstein II, Otto Harbach, Patience Strong, Paul Gemignani, Peter Schaeffers, Peter Schreier, Phil Green, Raymond Legrand, Reginald Boardman, Richard Genée, Richard Kerr, Richard Lewis, Richard Tauber, Robert Cameron Rogers, Robert Farnon, Robert Gilbert, Robert Stolz, Roger Quilter, Roland Hayes, Rudolf Friml, Rudolf Sieczyński, Sammy Cahn, Sandor Harmati, Sebastian Knauer, Stuart Burrows, Sylvan Levin, T.S. Eliot, Tino Rossi, Victor Young, Vincent Youmans, Walter Reisch, Walther Ludwig, Werner Richard Heymann, Will Jennings, Willi Stech, William Shakespeare, Winifred Maycountermelody

Podcast: Play in new window | Download () | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More

Remember the summer of 2020? The good old days of lockdown? That was the first summer that I was producing Countermelody, and during that time I tried to inject a little levity into the podcast by doing a long series on crossover. One such episode was devoted to a century of tenors singing crossover, reaching back further than a century from Hermann Jadlowker and Caruso himself and extending to the present day. There was such a wealth of gorgeous material which led to an additional bonus episode on such “Rogue Tenors,” which includes (among the German-speaking singers) Helge Rosvaenge, Fritz Wunderlich, Peter Schreier, Richard Tauber, Marcel Wittrisch, Jonas Kaufmann, Anton Dermota, Walther Ludwig, Herbert Ernst Groh, Joseph Schmidt, Jan Kiepura, and Julius Patzak; others include Stuart Burrows, Roland Hayes, Richard Lewis, Lawrence Brownlee, Jan Peerce, José Carreras, Kenneth McKellar, Noah Stewart, Tino Rossi, Luigi Alva, Giuseppe di Stefano, and Jerry Hadley in a wide range of repertoire and styles ranging from Neapolitan songs Kurt Weill; from folk songs to Victorian parlor songs; from operettas and Tonfilm Schlager to jazz and rock. It’s a rollicking good ride; hold on tight and enjoy!

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.

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. Bonus episodes available exclusively to Patreon supporters are currently available and further bonus content including interviews and livestreams is planned for the upcoming season.

Episode 51. Legitimate Broadway (Crossover Classics VII)

September 6, 2020African American Singers, Broadway, Crossover, Needle Drop, OperettaAlexander Borodin, Alfred Drake, Anderson), Anne Jeffreys, Barbara Cook, Bitter-Sweet (Coward), Blossom Time (Friml), Brenda Lewis, Brian Sullivan, Candide, Carol Brice, Claramae Turner, Cris Groenendaal, Dennis King, Edvard Grieg, Eleanor Steber, Elmer Rice, Erie Mills, Follies (Sondheim), Frank Loesser, Franz Allers, Franz Lehár, Fritzi Scheff, George Dvorsky, George Forrest, George Metaxa, Gian Carlo Menotti, Helen Goes to Troy, Helena Bliss, Helena Scott, Henry Calvin, Inia Te Wiata, Irra Petina, Jacques Offenbach, Jan Kiepura, Jarmila Novotna, Jeanne Lehman, Jerome Kern, Jo Sullivan, John Brownlee, John McGlinn, John Reardon, John Stanford, Kalem Kermoyan, Kismet, Kurt Weill, Langston Hughes, Lawrence Tibbett, Lee Venora, Leo Robin, Leonard Bernstein, Licia Albanese, Lotte Lenya, Lydia Fredericks, Marc Blitzstein, Marie Powers, Marta Eggerth, Maurice Abravanel, Mlle Modiste (Herbert), Noël Coward, Norman Cordon, Oscar Hammerstein II, Patricia Neway, Peggy Wood, Polyna Stoska, Rebecca Luker, Regina, Richard Banke, Richard Wilbur, Robert Rounseville, Robert Weede, Robert Wright, Rudolf Friml, Samuel Krachmalnick, September Song (Weill, Sigmund Romberg, Song of Norway, Stephen Sondheim, Street Scene, Sylvan Levin, Tandy MacKenzie, The Consul (Menotti), The Girl in Pink Tights, The Happiest Girl in the World, The Medium (Menotti), The Most Happy Fella, The New Moon (Romberg), The Vagabond King (Friml), Very Warm for May, Victor Herbert, Walter Cassel, Yip Harburgcountermelody

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:54:09 — 125.8MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More

Today’s topic is operetta and opera on Broadway. From the early days of the Great White Way, a large amount of the musical theatre repertoire was actually operetta. I begin with a discussion of the composers of such operettas (Victor Herbert, Rudolf Friml, and Sigmund Romberg, with a significant nod to Jerome Kern as well) and the singers who appeared in those works. Then I present an array of works adapted from the classical repertoire (primarily Wright and Forrest’s Song of Norway and Kismet), followed by examples of that curious hybrid, Broadway opera, including Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Medium and The Consul; Marc Blitzstein’s Regina; Frank Loesser’s The Most Happy Fella; Kurt Weill and Langston Hughes’s Street Scene; and Leonard Bernstein’s Candide. A wide range of singers is included, some celebrated (Lotte Lenya, Patricia Neway, Barbara Cook, Marta Eggerth, Lawrence Tibbett), some less so (Helena Scott, Lee Venora, Fritzi Scheff, Robert Rounseville), the careers of some of whom stretch back to the beginning of the century, but all singers which straddled the fence between musicals, operetta, and opera. But rest assured: this is no dry history lesson: it’s a fast-paced romp through a fun and fascinating topic!

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.” Occasional guests from the “business” (singers, conductors, composers, coaches, and teachers) lend their distinctive insights. 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. Bonus episodes available only to Patreon supporters are currently available!