Countermelody

Countermelody


Latest Episodes

Episode 370. Lesbian Concentrate and Beyond (Pride 2025)
June 23, 2025

Continuing the Countermelody show of Pride for this months LGBTQ+ celebrations, I take a look back at the Womens Music Movement of the mid-1970s as reflected in the 1977 Olivia Records release Lesbi

Episode 369. Joséphine Baker Revisited (Live Edition)
June 20, 2025

Yesterday was a crucial celebration for all US-Americans: Juneteenth. In honor of that event and in continuing observation of Pride 2025, I offer today an episode in honor of the great Josphine Baker

Episode 368. Gay Eccentrics (Pride 2025)
June 17, 2025

Somewhere along the line in planning my Pride 2025 episodes, I hit upon the idea of paying tribute to Gay Eccentrics. (Maybe because I am one of them myself?) There are many mad queer geniuses in the

Episode 367. Bernac Sings Not-Poulenc (Pride 2025)
June 13, 2025

Continuing our exploration of queer pride in classical music, I bring you the great baryton-martin Pierre Bernac (1899 1979), known first and foremost as a creator of some of the most exquisite mlo

Episode 366. Donald Gramm Revisited (Pride 2025)
June 08, 2025

Im going all out (literally) for this years Pride celebrations, especially because the haters are out there in such force. Today I pay tribute to my fellow Milwaukeean, the marvelous bass-baritone D

Episode 365. Flying Down to Rio (Latin American Song II)
June 06, 2025

Today is the second part of my Latin American orchestral song tribute. Last week we explored Villa-Lobos and Revueltas; today we devote ourselves to Argentina, and primarily two composers: Alberto Gin

Episode 364. Grace Bumbry: Proud Soprano (Live Edition)
June 02, 2025

Its Pride Month, and what better time to focus on queer musical culture in all its various manifestations! As far back as I can remember, I have been an Opera Queen, and today I kick off our queer ce

Episode 363. Orchestral Song of Latin America, Part 1
May 31, 2025

A few weeks ago I had the idea of doing a program devoted to American orchestral song. It did not take me long to realize that once again American [that is to say, US] Exceptionalism was distorting

Episode 362. No More Slavery Chains
May 26, 2025

Five years ago, I awoke to the horrifying news of the murder of George Floyd by a member of the Minneapolis Police Department. I had been working on cobbling together an episode on French Glamour, whi

Episode 361. Russell Oberlin Revisited
May 23, 2025

Ive been so lucky this week to cross paths with several beloved friends and colleagues, in some cases for the first time in ages. One of those friends of many years standing is the legendary counter