Episode 398. Leontyne Price (Jane’s Divas I)

I tried at the end of last week to do a memorial episode honoring my mother who died just a week ago. At the time I couldn’t quite manage it, but I am back again using a different approach: I tell vignettes of mine and my mother’s lives as they intertwined with the voice and presence of a singer we both enormously admired and enjoyed: Miss Leontyne Price. In between the personal stories, which extend from my earliest childhood to the day before my mother died, I weave in recordings of Leontyne in opera (Aida, La forza del destino, Antony and Cleopatra, Porgy and Bess), song (Hermit Songs, Vier letzte Lieder), spirituals, and more. There will be one more memorial tribute featuring another of Jane’s Divas within the week. Thank you again for your empathetic and loving wishes. 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 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.