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!

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.