Nothing brings me greater joy than when a deep exploration into the artistry of a favorite singer yields even more delights than I could have possibly imagined. And when I have a personal friendship with that singer, my cup truly runneth over. A week ago the music world once again celebrated the birthday of the treasurable soprano Roberta Alexander. Today, in a belated birthday tribute, I offer recordings of Roberta singing the music of composers of The Netherlands, where she has made her adoptive home since the mid-1970s. As befits Roberta Alexander’s eclecticism, the range of musical styles is wide, ranging from the baroque oratorio Joseph, by Willem de Fesch, to the romanticism of early 20th-century composers Hendrik Andriessen, Alphons Diepenbrock, and Julius Röntgen, to the more astringent (yet still lush and colorful) idiom of Robert Heppener and Willem Frederik Bon. Prepare yourself to be swept away by these magnificent works in brilliant performances recorded between 1979 and 2000 in which Roberta Alexander is joined by fellow singers Claron McFadden and Nico van der Meel, and accompanied by Bernard Haitink, Rudolf Jansen, David Porcelijn, Ed Spanjaard, and Jed Wentz. If you are thinking of passing this episode by because of the obscure repertoire, I encourage you to take a chance, not only because these recordings present Alexander in all her glory, but because you will get to hear fascinating music by composers you might not have heard before, ranging from a dramatic Baroque seduction scene between Joseph and Potiphar’s wife, to an erotically-charged setting of Verlaine, to exquisite settings of meditative texts for the Lenten season.

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 or yearly support at whatever level you can afford.