Today, December 19, would have been my late mother’s 90th birthday. These past three months since her death have been so emotionally draining for me, and would have been even without the shitshow that the world has become in that time. On the other hand, I have been able to appreciate more fully the complicated bond that she and I shared. At the time of her death, I did two memorial tributes to “Jane’s Divas” and today, in honor of her birthday, I present a singer that we both adored, the Dutch doyenne of art song, Elly Ameling. And because I’ve offered so many Elly Ameling episodes already on Countermelody, I thought it completely fitting to celebrate our beloved Elly in the repertoire in which she had virtually no peer: the Lieder of Franz Schubert. I’ve chosen a setlist of some of my favorite Schubert songs, in performances ranging over nearly 30 years of Ameling’s career. And leave it to me, there are more than a few surprises to be encountered herein!

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.