Tag Archives: Thomas Carey

Episode 234. David Savran Introduces Carol Brice (Listeners’ Favorites V)

January 14, 2024African American Singers, Art Song, Black History Month, Broadway, Comic Relief, Crossover, Full-Figured Baroque, Gustav Mahler, Lieder, Listeners' Favorites, Mezzo Madness, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Operetta, Orchestral Songs, Pop Icons, Protest Songs, Schubert, Singers of Color, Twentieth Century Music, Twentieth Century OperaAlto Rhapsody (Brahms), Black History Month 2021, Burton Lane, Carol Brice, Claibe Richardson, David Savran, DuBose Heyward, Edward H. Boatner, El amor brujo, Finian’s Rainbow, Franz Schubert, Frederick John Easthope Martin, Fritz Reiner, George Gershwin, Giuseppe Sarti, Gustav Mahler, Hall Johnson, Harold Arlen, Jean Berger, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, John Alden Carpenter, John DeMain, Johnny Mercer, Jonathan Brice, Kenward Elmslie, Larry Marshall, Leo Taubmann, Lucretia West, Magnificat (Bach), Manuel de Falla, Marc Blitzstein, Mercer), Odette Myrtil, Porgy and Bess, Regina (Blitzstein), Robert Franz, Robert MacGimsey, Robert Shaw, Roland Hayes, Samuel Krachmalnick, Saratoga (Arlen, Serge Koussevitzky, Spirituals, Stephen Foster, Sweet Little Jesus Boy, The Grass Harp, Thomas Carey, We Shall Overcome, Yip Harburgcountermelody

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:23:54 — 90.4MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More

This Listeners’ Favorites episode serves a dual purpose: first it is a celebration the publication this week of my partner David Savran’s new book, Tell It to the World: The Broadway Musical Abroad, by Oxford University Press. (I’ll be doing two episodes with David on this book in March in conjunction with the book launch.) Second, David introduces us to one of his favorite Countermelody episodes, a 2021 Black History Month celebration of the life, voice, and career of the great African American contralto Carol Brice (1916-1985), whose career encompassed both Broadway and opera. It’s that very versatility that most attracted David to Brice’s work. He describes to us his first exposure to a variety of her recordings, from Falla to Finian’s Rainbow. I myself first heard Carol Brice in her recording of “Sweet Little Jesus Boy,” which exemplifies all her musical virtues: simplicity and directness of utterance, lack of sentimentality, and deep identification with both text and music. Add to this a voice of such depth and refinement and a technique so secure that she is almost without equal. From her early career outings as the first African American to win the coveted Naumburg Award, through her appearances on the Broadway stage and in Porgy and Bess, Carol Brice brought an emotional honesty to her performances such as is rarely encountered in any field of genre. On this episode I feature her in a wide range of live and commercial recordings from Marc Blitzstein’s Regina to concert pieces by Brahms and Mahler, focusing in particular on a matchless 1947 song recital with her brother Jonathan Brice as her collaborator. Brice’s second husband, the baritone Thomas Carey is also featured in a pair of recordings. Thank you, David, for re-introducing my listeners to this great artist, and congratulations on your monumental new book!

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 122. Auld Acquaintance II

December 30, 2021African American Singers, Art Song, Behind the Iron Curtain, Bel canto, Full-Figured Baroque, Giuseppe Verdi, Great Baritones, Gustav Mahler, Holiday Music, Ileana Cotrubas, Lieder, Margaret Price, Mezzo Madness, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Opera in Translation, Pop Icons, Queer Pride, Richard Wagner, Singers of Color, Sylvia Sass, Twentieth Century MusicAlberta Hunter, Antal Dorati, Anton de Ridder, Armand Silvestre, Barry McDaniel, Benjamin Britten, Bethany Beardslee, Bruno Reibold, Carl Loewe, Carol Brice, Christa Ludwig, Christine Andreas, Christmas music, Daniel Saidenberg, David Garvey, Des Knaben Wunderhorn, Die tote Stadt, Die Walküre, Edda Moser, Edvard Grieg, Eide Norena, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Erik Werba, Ernesto de Curtis, Folk Songs, Francis Lopez, Francisco Araiza, Franz Lehár, Gabriel Faure, Garrick Ohlsson, Gilbert Price, Giuseppe Verdi, Grace Williams, Gustav Mahler, Gwendolyn Killebrew, Hans Schmidt, Henry Lemarchand, Hermann Reutter, Igor Gorin, Ileana Cotrubas, Ivan Törzs, James King, James Lockhart, Jean Lemaire, Johann Gabriel Seidl, Johann Sebastian Bach, Joseph Haydn, Joséphine Baker, Judith Raskin, Karl Dankwart Zwerger, Karl Weigl, Konrad Ragossnig, Lamberto Gardelli, Lawrence Brown, Magda Olivero, Margaret Price, Mel Powell, Muriel Smith, Norman Johnson, Otto Julius Bierbaum, Owen Williams, Paul Robeson, Peter Knight, Peter Schreier, Richard Müller-Lampertz, Richard Wagner, Rigoletto, Robert Hanell, Robert Helps, Ruggero Leoncavallo, Spirituals, Sylvia Sass, Thomas Carey, Tony Taño, Vincenzo Bellini, W.H. Auden, William Warfieldcountermelody

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:32:28 — 108.5MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More

Part Two of my “Auld Acquaintance” mini-series on Countermelody continues the exploitation of even more artists who have already been featured on the podcast, but in rare recordings that have only recently come into my collection. Today’s episode begins with a tribute to the German-based African American mezzo-soprano Gwendolyn Killebrew, who died on Christmas Eve at the age of 80. Featured artists in the main episode include Paul Robeson, Magda Olivero, Edda Moser, Ileana Cotrubas, Carol Brice, Margaret Price, Igor Gorin, Josephine Baker, Eidé Noréna, Alberta Hunter, Thomas Carey, Christa Ludwig, Sylvia Sass, Francisco Araiza, William Warfield, and many, many more singing everything from reggae to Rigoletto. 2021 gets a better send-off than it deserves, what with these singers and this music that will certainly help us all to approach the upcoming New Year “keeping the song in our hearts!”

Episode 78. Twentieth Century Pioneers (Black History Month 2021 VI)

February 28, 2021African American Singers, Art Song, Black History Month, Mezzo Madness, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (Bernstein & Lerner), A Picnic Cantata (Bowles & Schuyler), Adele Addison, Adolph Green, Alan Jay Lerner, Amadou Moustapha Wade, Andre Previn, Arthur Gold, Barbara Hendricks, Betty Comden, Carl Sandburg, Carol Brice, Charles Chaynes, Charles Holland, Chester Kallman, Christiane Eda-Pierre, Colin Davis, David Del Tredici, David Garvey, David Robertson, Dennis Russell Davies, Eberhard Wächter, El Cimarrón (Henze), Elisabeth Höngen, Emma Lazarus, Franz Kafka, Gian Carlo Menotti, Gilbert Amy, Gloria Davy, Hall Johnson, Hans Werner Henze, Helen Thigpen, Howard Swanson, Igor Stravinsky, James Schuyler, Jessye Norman, Jill Gomez, John Nelson, Josephine Barstow, Judith Weir, Julius Rudel, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Kathleen Battle, Langston Hughes, Lawrence Winters, Lee Hoiby, Leonard Bernstein, Leontyne Price, Lewis Carroll, Lukas Foss, Mareda Gaither, Margaret Bonds, Martha Flowers, Martina Arroyo, Maya Angelou, Ned Rorem, Nelly Sachs, Olive Moorefield, R. Nathaniel Dett, Raimund Herincx, Robert Fizdale. Paul Bowles, Robert Tear, Roberta Alexander, Shulamit Ran, The Knot Garden (Tippett), The Old Maid and the Thief (Menotti), The Ordering of Moses (Dett), The Rake’s Progress (Stravinsky), Thomas Carey, Toni Morrison, Troubled Island (Still), W.H. Auden, William Grant Still, William Levi Dawson, William Pearson, Yvonne Mintoncountermelody

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:39:15 — 109.0MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More

To round off #BlackHistoryMonth2021, I bring you an array of artists singing a wide range of 20th Century repertoire. Included are singers who have previously been featured in full episodes (including Lawrence Winters, Gloria Davy, Charles Holland, and Carol Brice), legendary favorites (including Leontyne Price, Martina Arroyo, Roberta Alexander, and Barbara Hendricks), important concert singers (including Adele Addison and Betty Allen), lesser-known artists (including Helen Thipgen, Martha Flowers, William Pearson, Mareda Gaither, and Olive Moorefield), and iconic singers (including Jessye Norman, Kathleen Battle, and Christiane Eda-Pierre) for whom important new work was created by Judith Weir, André Previn, and Charles Chaynes. The range of composers represented is equally vast and includes Leonard Bernstein, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Virgil Thomson, Michael Tippett, Lee Hoiby, Shulamit Ran, Gian Carlo Menotti, Judith Weir, Paul Bowles, Lukas Foss, and David Del Tredici. with special attention given to African American composers Margaret Bonds, Howard Swanson, William Grant Still, Hall Johnson, and Robert Nathaniel Dett. In other words: something for everyone and just a foretaste of future Countermelody programs that will continue to celebrate the contributions of African American singers.

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. 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 including artist photos and episode setlists. And please head to my 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.

Episode 73. Carol Brice (Black History Month 2021 I)

February 7, 2021African American Singers, Art Song, BHM2023WK3, Black History Month, Broadway, Crossover, Full-Figured Baroque, Lieder, Mezzo Madness, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Protest SongsAlto Rhapsody (Brahms), Black History Month 2021, Burton Lane, Carol Brice, Claibe Richardson, DuBose Heyward, Edward H. Boatner, El amor brujo, Finian’s Rainbow, Franz Schubert, Frederick John Easthope Martin, Fritz Reiner, George Gershwin, Giuseppe Sarti, Gustav Mahler, Hall Johnson, Harold Arlen, Jean Berger, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, John Alden Carpenter, John DeMain, Johnny Mercer, Jonathan Brice, Kenward Elmslie, Larry Marshall, Leo Taubmann, Lucretia West, Magnificat (Bach), Manuel de Falla, Marc Blitzstein, Mercer), Odette Myrtil, Porgy and Bess, Regina (Blitzstein), Robert Franz, Robert MacGimsey, Robert Shaw, Roland Hayes, Samuel Krachmalnick, Saratoga (Arlen, Serge Koussevitzky, Spirituals, Stephen Foster, Sweet Little Jesus Boy, The Grass Harp, Thomas Carey, We Shall Overcome, Yip Harburgcountermelody

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:13:18 — 79.7MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More

Countermelody’s Black History Month celebration for 2021 begins with the great African American contralto Carol Brice (1916-1985) who had a distinguished and varied career singing everything from Bach to Harold Arlen. I first heard Carol Brice many years ago in her recording of “Sweet Little Jesus Boy,” which exemplifies all her musical virtues: simplicity and directness of utterance, lack of sentimentality, and deep identification with both text and music. Add to this a voice of such depth and refinement and a technique so secure that she is almost without equal. From her early career outings as the first African American to win the coveted Naumburg Award, through her appearances on the Broadway stage and in Porgy and Bess, Carol Brice brought an emotional honesty to her performances such as is rarely encountered in any field of genre. On this episode I feature her in a wide range of live and commercial recordings from Marc Blitzstein’s Regina to concert pieces by Brahms and Mahler, focusing in particular on a matchless 1947 song recital with her brother Jonathan Brice as her collaborator. I also feature her husband, the baritone Thomas Carey in a pair of recordings. I hope you will be as moved by Carol Brice’s singing as I am every time I hear this radiant artist.

This week’s bonus episode for my Patreon supporters features another great African American contralto, Lucretia West, who spent a significant portion of her life and career in Germany, where she was celebrated for her performances of Mahler and Lieder in particular.

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. 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 including artist photos and episode setlists. And please head to my 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.