Countermelody

Episode 48. Cesare Siepi (Crossover Classics IV)


Listen Later

Last month marked the tenth anniversary of the death of the great Italian basso Cesare Siepi, one of the most important basses of the twentieth century, after such figures as Nazzareno de Angelis, Tancredi Pasero, and, particularly, Ezio Pinza, the latter, like Siepi, particularly associated with the title role of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. His dashing good looks, solid technique, sonorous voice and appealing artistry, placed him in the forefront of the opera world, particularly in the 1950s through the 1970s. In this episode, rather than his celebrated Mozart and Verdi portrayals, however, we will focus primarily on his 1958 Decca/London album, Easy to Love: The Songs of Cole Porter. Siepi also made two appearances on Broadway, including 1962’s Bravo, Giovanni, from which we hear two excerpts. Other musical selections in this episode include two operatic arias, several favorites from the Neapolitan song repertoire, and live and television performances from Brahms to Sigmund Romberg. Revisiting this artist, and particularly his spot-on Cole Porter performances, is a nostalgic journey for me, and I hope to convey to you his enormous appeal.
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

CountermelodyBy DANIEL GUNDLACH

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

45 ratings


More shows like Countermelody

View all
Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Freakonomics Radio

32,275 Listeners

The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker Radio Hour

6,830 Listeners

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! by NPR

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

38,847 Listeners

Opera Box Score by Opera Box Score

Opera Box Score

61 Listeners

Pod Save America by Crooked Media

Pod Save America

87,466 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

112,882 Listeners

Stay Tuned with Preet by Preet Bharara

Stay Tuned with Preet

32,358 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

16,223 Listeners