Singing and other Sins was broadcast on Hawaii Public Radio until 9 April 2022. You can read more about the history of the program and its name. Previous programs are not being broadcast, but you can listen to many of them in the archive below.
The archive contains shows from 2011 (and earlier) to 2022.
Listen to as little or as much of a program as you like. If you have requests, comments, or suggestions, please let us know.
Here are a few other suggestions of my favorite programs: Beethoven Lite: 11 May 2019 The scowling Beethoven is not heard on this edition of Singing and other Sins. Rather, his light-hearted Lieder, folk songs, and instrumental works. You’ll hear Hermann Prey, Lotte Lehmann, and many other singers and pianists with special Beethoven talents.
Liszt/Petrarch: 25 November 2012. Liszt was inspired by Petrarch’s sonnets to write songs, then pianos pieces based on the songs, and finally a revision for low voice of the original songs. We’ll hear all of these! The tenor is John Aler, the baritone is Thomas Quastoff.
For those who don’t like art song, there are plenty of introductory programs such as: Alma’s Songs/Art Songs for People Who Don’t Like Art Songs: 12 January 2019. Gary’s good friend Alma McGoldrick has known him for over 35 years, loves opera, symphonic music, etc., but has never come to enjoy art songs. Gary assembled the songs on this program to prove to her that, deep down, she really does love art song.
Jump ahead to:
2022
Farewell Program: 9 April 2022. After guiding first Great Songs, then Singing and other Sins, since 1988, I decided to stop producing art song programs for HPR. In this final program I trace my radio history, from 1972 WBAI in New York City, to HPR in 1988. You’ll hear excerpts from my interviews with Lotte Lehmann, Hermann Prey, and Ned Rorem. There are songs performed by two winners of the Art Song Contest that Great Songs sponsored: Jordan Shanahan and Quinn Kelsey. Both of these baritones are making their mark on international opera stages.
On this farewell programs I include many songs of goodbye. It has been a joy for me to share art song with listeners, whether in New York City or throughout the Hawaiian Islands.
My Lotte Lehmann Memories: 26 February 2022. A personal memoire, in sound, of my Lotte Lehmann life. I first met her in 1961 when I was 20 and she 73. Besides being one of the few geniuses that I’ve known, Mme Lehmann became a kind of “grandmother” figure to me, writing me encouraging letters as I traveled the world as a bassist. And, after a lot research following her passing in 1976, I’ve become somewhat of a Lehmann expert. I hope you’ll understand all this better after hearing this program.
Solo Pianists As Accompanists Part Two: 15 January 2022: Most solo pianists seem happy to remain in that position, but there are those who occasionally record with an art song singer. This is the second of two programs to share these artists’ pursuits, including a sample of both genres. You’ll hear: Garrick Ohlsson, Stephen Hough, Alicia de Larrocha, Alexis Weissenberg, Leif Ove Andsnes, and Christoph Eschenbach.
Fun German Songs: 8 January 2022: Many people assume Germans and their Lieder to be serious, without fun. You’ll hear many silly, crazy, and funny songs that include composers such as Haydn, Beethoven, Loewe, Brahms, and Hugo Wolf.
Composers’ Choice: 1 January 2022: I asked composers to send their favorite art song (of theirs) and here’s what went into the program: Larry Alan Smith’s “Lia” from his set called Epigrams; Lori Laitman’s “Orange Afternoon Lover”, from her cycle Against Still Life; Tom Cipullo’s “Of a Certain Age” from his cycle called The Garden; Arthur Keegan-Bole chose his setting of Thomas Hardy’s “The Walk”; Ricky Ian Gordon chose his “Lullaby,” from a set called Way Back to Paradise; Libby Larson sent us her song called “Boy’s Lips”; Donald Womack chose the song called “You” from his 23 Chinese Proverbs; Juliana Hall sent “Sonnet” from her set called Night Dances; Bill Bolcom chose “Amor”; Jake Heggie’s chosen song was “The Gossips” from his set called Camille Claudel: Into the Fire; Paula Kimper chose “Looking Back”; Garth Baxter sent “Nights without Sleep”; Bob McCauley sent “The Steps” from his A Seven of Sonnets; Larry Desner chose “She Walks in Beauty.”
2021
Christmas Carols Sung by the Greats: 25 December 2021: I’ve designed this program to not only feature wonderful singers, but to also engage the listener by having them guess each soloist. I divulge their names after they carol is over. Naming a few here, won’t spoil the game, because one doesn’t know the order: Joan Sutherland, Kiri Te Kanawa, Placido Domingo, Marilyn Horne, Leontyne Price, etc., etc.
Solo Pianists As Accompanists Number One: 11 December 2021: Most solo pianists seem happy to remain in that position, but there are those who occasionally record with an art song singer. This is the first of two programs to share these artists’ pursuits, including a sample of both genres. Here are the pianists on this program: Richter, Browning, Cortot, Ashkenazy, Brendel, Lupu, and Shelley.
Final Ravel and Fauré Song Cycles: 25 September 2021: Two great song cycles were composed by these French masters shortly before their deaths. By an historic coincidence two excellent baritones (Panzera and Singher) recorded their interpretations, so you can hear those as well as modern recordings of L’horizon chimerique and Don Quichotte á Dulcinée.
Kindertotenlieder: 18 September 2021: Though a morbid thought today, in Mahler’s time and even more so in the time of Rückert, the poet of this cycle, the death of children was commonplace. In any case, the music is beautiful and we hear it sung by the sensitive baritone Thomas Hampson and in the iconic recording with Bruno Walter by Kathleen Ferrier.
Conductors as Accompanists: 11 September 2021: Some conductors drop their batons to sit at the piano and accompany singers in art songs. You’ll hear historic combinations of Lehmann and Ferrier with Bruno Walter at the piano. Furtwängler accompanies Schwarzkopf, Arthur Nikisch with Elena Gerhardt, etc.
Strauss Accompanies Strauss: 4 September 2021: Luckily for history, Richard Strauss was recorded as the pianist as far back as 1920 and with many excellent singers: Heinrich Schlusnus, Peter Anders, Julius Patzak, Anton Dermota, and Hilde Konetzni. These are compared with modern recordings of the same songs.
My Favorite Recordings: 24 July 2021: These are personal favorite recordings, that for me, bring together the combination of pianist, singer, poet, and composer to produce what I deem “just right.” Some of the examples include: Elgar’s “Where corals lie” with Janet Baker, Schubert’s “Die Liebe hat gelogen” with Karl Erb; Phidylé by Duparc with Gérard Souzay and Dalton Baldwin; Kathleen Ferrier singing Mahler’s “Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen,” or Kathleen Battle with Christopher Parkening in Dowland’s “Come again sweet love.”
Herman Prey Program Number Two: 22 May 2021: See the information below. On this second program Prey discusses how important it was for him to hear playbacks of his recordings. It was his best teacher! He also discusses his longing for singable contemporary opera and art song. You’ll hear him sing Lieder by Brahms, Schubert, Beethoven and Strauss. There’s also an excerpt from a Lortzing operetta.
Hermann Prey Program Number One: 15 May 2021: In 1973 while living and working in Munich I interviewed Prey. He’d just about finished the huge project of recording the history of the Lied. On this first program that’s the main topic of discussion. This leads to many examples of his singing of Lieder from the Middle Ages until modern songs with the composers accompanying. Along the way, you hear Prey sing Rossini, Mozart, Schubert, and many more favorites.
Christa Ludwig Memorial: 1 May 2021: We recognize the passing of one of the great voices of the recent past with examples of her singing opera, Lieder, and cantata. We have included many excerpts from our 85th birthday interview with Mme Ludwig, that will provide background and a lot of her laughter.
Borrowed From His Own Lieder: 13 March 2021: replay of 3 August 2019: Gary offers the chance to hear how composers have used their art songs in other works, whether opera, symphonic, chamber music or solo piano. The examples range from Mahler to Liszt.
Lotte Lehmann Birthday: 27 February 2021: You’ll hear Lehmann sing followed by one of her students in the same song. Many of them also speak about studying with her. You’ll hear Marilyn Horne, Grace Bumbry, Benita Valente, Mildred Miller, and others.
Roland Hayes: 20 February 2021: This wonderful tenor sang first in 20th century acoustic recordings and throughout his long life was able to make recordings until the 1960s. Son of emancipated enslaved parents, Hayes studied in the U.S., but made his name in Europe before returning to tour the States for years. You’ll hear live and studio recordings of German, French, and English art songs, as well as his own arrangements of spirituals. There’s a portion in which he speaks of his devotion to singing these last mentioned songs.
2020
Jan DeGaetani Program2: 20 June 2020 There was no way that I could present this mezzo-soprano in just one program. On this one you’ll enjoy her singing of German Lieder by Schubert (including the fastest Musensohn ever!), Schumann, Brahms, and Wolf. Her Cole Porter is equally good.
Opera vs Recital: 30 May 2020 This program features opera singers singing an aria followed by an art song. We’ll hear how well they can perform in the different genres. You’ll hear Nicolai Gedda, Christa Ludwig, Renée Fleming, Leontyne Price, Fritz Wunderlich, Kirsten Flagstad, and others.
Schubert Variations: 25 April 2020 Schubert used his own Lieder as a source for variation movements for his instrumental works. You’ll hear both the songs that inspired them, as well as the instrumental pieces that resulted. Such works as his Death and the Maiden string quartet, the Wanderer Fantasie, the Trout Quintet, and others, are included.
Jan De Gaetani (First Program): 21 March 2020. In all the years since we began broadcasting art song in Hawaii, we’d never devoted a whole program to the mezzo-soprano who almost exclusively sang art song, Jan de Gaetani. There was so much to choose from that we’ll do a second program soon. On this one, you’ll hear her sing Dowland, Chausson, Debussy, Ravel, Ives, Foster, Bolcom, Crumb, and more.
Multiple Songs of One Poem: 7 March 2020 You’ll hear how many composers have set Frost’s “Stopping by Woods,” Millay’s “What Lips my Lips Have Kissed,” Dickinson’s “To Make a Prairie,” “Wild Nights,” and Hughes’ “Black Pierrot.”
Lotte Lehmann Recently Released 6CD Box: 29 February 2020 A slightly late Lehmann birthday tribute (born 27 February) and a chance to hear the Marston Records treatment of her recordings made from 1927–1933. She was in her prime, the microphone had been invented, and now we can hear these recordings without the surface noise. The concentration was on the Lieder recordings, but Gary included a few pop numbers and lighter songs.
Tonal Schoenberg Songs: 15 February 2020 Most listeners associate Schoenberg’s name with atonality or serial composition techniques. Though that’s a correct assumption, he did write tonal works also, and Gary assembled one cabaret song and many of his tonal art songs for this program.
2019
Crazy In Love: 14 December 2019 The thrill of love in songs by Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Bartok, Elgar, Fauré, Debussy, Gounod, Schumann, Strauss, and American composers Thomson, Larry Allen Smith, George Walker, Lee Hoiby, John Musto, Lori Laitman, and Leonard Bernstein.
Japanese Western Art Song Second Program: 17 August 2019 This is the second half of the program listed below.
Japanese Western Art Song First Program: 10 August 2019 From a 1992 Great Songs program, we’ll hear Gary interview baritone/professor Katsuumi Niwa about the history of Western Japanese Art Song. With Gary is Noriko Kawaura helping with translation and pronunciation. There’s a lot more than just “Sakura, sakura.” This is the first of two such programs.
Borrowed From His Own Lieder: 3 August 2019 Gary offers the chance to hear how composers have used their art songs in other works, whether opera, symphonic, chamber music or solo piano. The examples range from Mahler to Liszt.
Beethoven Lite: 11 May 2019 The scowling Beethoven is not heard on this edition of Singing and other Sins. Rather, his light-hearted Lieder, folk songs, and instrumental works. You’ll hear Hermann Prey, Lotte Lehmann, and many other singers and pianists with special Beethoven talents.
Sanford Sylvan Memorial: 23 March 2019 To mark the recent passing of the American baritone, Gary recorded this tribute that allows the listener to enjoy the broad range of Sylvan’s art, from Fauré, Barber, to Copland.
Beebe Freitas Memorial #2: 16 March 2019 Gary provides the tribute to this greatly beloved Honolulu pianist, on the second anniversary of her passing. She speaks and demonstrates and there are plenty of examples of her playing for many fine local singers.
Lotte Lehmann Sings Non-German Songs: 23 February 2019 Gary presents Lehmann, certainly best known for her performances of Lieder, performing English, Italian, and French art songs. You’ll hear everything from the most sophisticated Renaldo Hahn mélodie to Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America.
Alma’s Songs/Art Songs for People who Don’t Like Art Songs: 12 January 2019 Gary’s good friend Alma McGoldrick has known him for over 35 years, loves opera, symphonic music, etc., but has never come to enjoy art songs. He assembled the songs on this program to prove to her that, deep down, she really does love art song.
2018
Alto Rhapsody: 4 August 2013 For some strange reason this earlier program was never archived. Here’s your chance to hear various wonderful mezzos and contraltos singing the amazing work of Brahms.
Dominick Argento’s 91st B’day: 27 October 2018 Blair and Gary interview Mr. Argento and intersperse his art songs with the narrative. Mr. Argento’s favorite instrumental work as well as selections from his iconic Casa Guidi with Frederica von Stade are included.
Schubert Variations: 20 October 2018 Schubert used his own Lieder as a source for variation movements for his instrumental works. You’ll hear both the songs that inspired them, as well as the instrumental pieces that resulted. From such works as his Death and the Maiden string quartet, the Wanderer Fantasie, the Trout Quintet, and others, you’ll hear many beautiful works.
Maggie Teyte: 19 May 2018 Blair provides a retrospective of Teyte performing treasures from the French song repertoire for which she is so well known: Fauré. Hahn, Duparc, and Debussy.
Richard Hundley Memorial: 28 April 2018 Gary offers this tribute to the great American art song specialist Richard Hundley who recently passed. The program includes historic live performances by Anna Moffo, John Reardon and Frederica von Stade. You’ll also hear many modern recordings of Hundley’s gems.
Art Song Contest Winners Recital (Second Half): 21 April 2018 Blair presents the remaining three winners of the SaoS International Art Song Vocal Competition. You’ll hear the talented voices of soprano Min Jim Kim, soprano, Laure Meloy, and Baritone, Christian Bester.
Beebe Freitas Memorial Tribute: 3 March 2018 From a 1992 program that Beebe provided for Great Songs (the name of the program then) she demonstrates the art of the accompanist. She talks about her life as a pianist and actually talks while playing the piano! You’ll also hear her playing for winners of the local art song contest in live recitals.
Art Song Contest Winners Recital: 3 February 2018 Since we had six winners this year, you’ll hear three of them on this recital and the final three on a later program. The three mini-recitals on this program are sung by Natalie Mann, Jie Yin, and Anna Tonna.
Hvorostovsky Memorial: 27 January 2018 Blair pays tribute to the late, great baritone, Dmitri Hvorostovsky. You’ll hear Tchaikovsky, Purcell, and Mahler, as sung by Hvorostovsky.
2017
International Art Song Contest Semi-Finalists: 16 December 2017 Host Gary Hickling announces the semi-finalists and the winners, with their wonderful recordings as evidence. Here are the names of the Semi-Finalists and (Winners): Anna Tonna (Winner); Véronique Fallout; Ryan Brock; Minji Kim (Winner); Jie Yin (Winner); Laure Meloy (Winner); David John Davani; Richard Mix; Christian Bester (Winner); Winnie Nieh; Kelsi Folsom; Natalie Mann (Winner); Samantha Dearborn. Usually we choose three winners, but the level was so high that six were selected. They’ll be invited to send mini-recitals that will be heard on a future broadcast.
Les Six: 18 Nov 2017 Host Blair Boone-Migura discusses French composers, Georges Auric, Louis Durey, Arthur Honegger, Darius Milhaud, Francis Poulenc, and Germaine Tailleferre who informally formed the group Les Six under the guidance of composer Erik Satie and filmmaker Jean Cocteau.
John Aler Tribute: 28 Oct 2017 Host Blair Boone-Migura spends the hour playing many memorable recordings by American tenor, John Aler. The program features a range of composers like Franz Liszt, George Frederick Handel, Camille Saint-Saens and Gioachino Rossini.
Lotte Lehmann Studio vs Live: 25 February 2017 We celebrate Lehmann’s birthday by listening to studio recordings compared with the same song performed on the recital stage. You be the judge. Does one sound more spontaneous or immediate?.
2016
Symphonic Voices: 13 November 2016 A chance to hear “songs” inbeded in a symphony orchestra’s sound. Everything from Mahler to Shostakovich.
Rorem: 23 October 2016 Host Blair Boone-Migura joins Gary in a telephone interview with the great American composer, pianist, and author Ned Rorem to celebrate his 93rd birthday. We play recordings of favorite Rorem songs, chamber music, and other instrumental works.
Lotte Lehmann B’day: 28 February 2016 You can hear arias and art songs (Lieder) along with excerpts from my iBook: Lotte Lehmann & Her Legacy.
2015
HPR’s International Art Song Contest Winners 2015: 20 December 2015 Three Winners perform mini-recitals of art songs. The Winners are: Ina Kancheva with pianist Ludmil Angelov; Jennifer Piazza-Pick with pianist Cheryl Cellon Lindquist; Franco Pomponi with pianist Michael Fennelly. Translations
Ned Rorem 2015: 25 October 2015 Celebrating Rorem’s 92nd b’day: phone interview and classic recording of his songs.
Art Song Contest Semi-Finalists 2015: 18 October 2015
Stoner Art Songs: 4 January 2015. Not just “Jabberwocky,” but spacey songs by Brahms, Schubert, and even Mussorgsky.
2014
Guess the Composers: 28 December 2014. Gary plays ten composers and give hints as to who they are. Some of the hints are facts, others about the art song. You identify the composer.
Mildred Miller 90th B’day I : 14 December 2014. The first of two programs honoring the great American mezzo soprano, Mildred Miller. On this first one she sings the classic Bruno Walter/New York Philharmonic version of Mahler’s Lied von der Erde. Translation
Mildred Miller 90th B’day II: 21 December 2014. The interview with Ms. Miller continues and she sings Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen and the Brahms Alto Rhapsody with Bruno Walter conducting. Then excerpts from Robert Schumann’s Op. 39 Liederkreis with John Wustman, piano.
21st Century Art Songs (First): 2 November 2014. The first of five programs celebrating the art songs of our time.
21st Century Art Songs (Second): 9 November 2014. The second of five programs celebrating the art songs of our time.
21st Century Art Songs (Third): 16 November 2014. The third of five programs celebrating the art songs of our time.
21st Century Art Songs (Fourth): 23 November 2014. The fourth of five programs celebrating the art songs of our time.
21st Century Art Songs – Dickinson (Fifth): 30 November 2014. The fifth of five programs celebrating the art songs of our time, with an emphasis on those written to Dickinson poems.
Rorem: 19 October 2014. Songs and instrumental works to celebrate the composer’s 91st birthday. He was kind enough to allow a phone interview, which also is available as part of this program.
Folk Songs as Art Songs: 7 September 2014. This theme works in both directions: some composers have arranged folk songs as art songs. Brahms, Bartok and Britten were prime examples. From the other direction, we know of art songs by Schubert and Brahms et al which, though they began as art songs, become folk songs.
Brahms 4 May 2014. We celebrate the birthday of Johannes Brahms with the complete Magelone Lieder, his only song cycle. Four singers and their pianists were chosen to best fit the “speaker” of the song: Britgitte Fassbaender, mezzo soprano, with Elisabeth Leonskaja, piano; Hans Peter Blochwitz, tenor and Eric Schneider, piano; Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone, with Sviatoslav Richter, piano, and finally a vintage recording of Hans Hotter, bass-baritone, with Michael Raucheisen, piano. Translations
2013
Rorem 2013: Part One 20 October 2013. Celebrating the 90th b’day of Ned Rorem with his song cycle for four voices called Evidence of things not Seen. You’ll hear an interview with Mr. Rorem, especially recorded for this program. Evidence
Rorem 2013: Part Two 27 October 2013. Evidence of things not Seen is so long that it takes two programs. More of Rorem’s interview, as well. Evidence
25th Anniversary: Part Two 29 September 2013. There were so many “favorite” songs that it took two programs!
25th Anniversary: Part One 1 September 2013. Gary chose his favorite recordings of his favorite songs to celebrate the silver anniversary of Great Songs and Singing and other Sins.
Dvorak Gary commemorates the birthday of Dvorak with two versions (one with mezzo soprano and the other with tenor) of his Biblical Songs. Translations
2012
Flicka 3 June 2012. Frederica von Stade sings French songs with Martin Katz at the piano. When she visited Honolulu she consented to an interview that you’ll hear on this program.
Meyerbeer Songs 20 May 2012. Best known for his grand operas, Meyerbeer did also write songs. University of Hawaii professor Dr. Wright is my guest guiding us through these wonderful works.
Lotte Lehmann’s B’day 29 February 2012. Not only do we hear Lehmann, but we have a chance to hear how other singers perform the selections.
Liszt/Petrarch 25 November 2012. Liszt was inspired by Petrarch’s sonnets to write songs, then pianos pieces based on the songs, and finally a revision for low voice of the original songs. We’ll hear all of these!
2011
Undated
Baudelaire: From and unknown date. The great French poet inspired many composers to write sophisticated mélodie. Translations
Hölderlin: A Great Songs program from July 2004 with art songs that use the poetry of the great German Friedrich Hölderlin (1770-1843). As you’ll learn, much of his poetry is in fragments, which is perfect for the condensed genre of art song.
Lotte Lehmann Comparisons: from a 2014 broadcast featuring the 5 CD set of live and other rare Lehmann recordings with comparisons to modern ones. Translations
Seniors Sing A program from a Great Songs broadcast many years ago.
Dan Welcher: From the Great Songs period, Gary interviews the composer and plays his songs with Dan’s introductions.