Norwegian composer Agathe Backer-Gröndahl (1847-1907) studied piano with Franz Liszt and became a concert pianist well-known for performing Chopin and Beethoven. She took some time off performing when she married, but when her husband supported her return to performing, she started playing her own music!

In case you want to try the Tongue Twister we mentioned: Im dichten Fichtendickicht nicken dicke Fichten tüchtig

Much of the information this season comes from Karin Pendle's Women and Music: A History.

Musical clips performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, piano:

Op 14 Deutsche Lieder

• No 1 Ein Fichtenbaum
• No 5 Unruhe

Op 60 Deutsche Liebeslieder

• No 3 Namenloses Weh
• No 5 Es muss was Wunderbares sein

Recorded at Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA.

Exactly Counter--Ellen 1, Toni 0

***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.

You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree

This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.

Clara Kathleen Rogers (1844-1931) was the youngest child of a British opera composer (John Barnett), who studied music at the conservatory in Leipzig, Germany. She became a prima donna opera singer in Italy under the pseudonym Clara Doria before settling in the US in Boston, MA. She went on to join the music faculty at the New England Conservatory of music and she wrote a book on English Diction!

Musical clips performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, piano:

Op 27 Browning Songs, First Series

• Apparitions
• Ah, Love, but a Day
• The Year's at the Spring

Op 32 Browning Songs, Second Series

• My Star

Recorded at Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA.

Exactly Counter--Ellen 2, Toni 0

***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.

You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree

This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.

Elfrida Andrée (1841-1929) was a leader in the equal rights movement in Sweden--she fought to change the law that kept women from church jobs, and was one of the first women to be appointed as organist of a church in Sweden. Her sister became an opera singer and Elfrida made a career as a conductor as well as organist and composer.

We mentioned the Swedish Musical Heritage website, where they are cataloguing and uploading scores of Swedish composers. Look for the little crown emblem for songs that are available for download.

If you want to study up on your Swedish diction, check out Anna Hersey's Scandinavian Song, a diction book that covers Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish.

Much of the information this season comes from Karin Pendle's Women and Music: A History.

Musical clips performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, piano:

Opus 8 (Three songs with piano) (the score download is available at the bottom of the page)

• En vacker höstdag
• Vi ses igen
• Visa en vårmorgon

Recorded at Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA.

"Exactly" counter--Ellen 1, Toni 0

***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.

You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree

This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.

We're wrapping up 2025 by bringing Cincinnati Song Initiative's podcast hosts together for our annual Holiday Party! Join us in looking back on a wonderful year with peaks and pits from all of our hosts, then test your knowledge with games like "Guess that Song" and "Two Truths and a Lie: Composer Edition." Which composer walked the streets of Paris with a hammer in his suit pocket? Which composers did - and didn't - study with Nadia Boulanger? (Spoiler: even our hosts get stumped plenty of times!)

Thanks for a great year of song, and here's to a musically rewarding 2026!

Follow Song Cycle with Sam Martin and Laura Strickling here.
Follow Follow the Lieder with Mandee Madrid-Sikich here.

***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.

You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree

This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.

Ingeborg Bronsart (1840-1913) was a concert pianist who continued her musical career even after her marriage. She was close with many of the important composers of the time, including Berlioz and Wagner, as well as studying piano with Lizst. Bronsart also composed operas, which shines through in her Lieder compositions!

Musical clips performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, piano:

• Die Loreley
• Op. 25 Drei Lieder
  • Sang wohl, sang das Vogelei
  • Heidenröslein
  • Ich stand in dunkeln Träumen
• Abendlied (Op. 16 No. 1)

Recorded at Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA.

***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.

You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree

This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.

Pauline Viardot (1821-1910) was one of the most important musicians of her time. An opera singer and concert pianist as well as a composer, she spoke at least 5 languages fluently and composed stylistically correct in each of those languages! She also taught voice and composed many of her songs to teach her students. This episode focuses on her French mélodies.

We are very excited to have Dr. Melanie Taylor, soprano, with us for this episode; she did her doctoral thesis on Pauline Viardot's songs, and has lots of incredible stories of her life to share with us! Her thesis was titled The Songs of Pauline Viardot-Garcia: Proposed Alternatives to Commonly Assigned Repertoire in the University Voice Studio.

Musical clips performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, piano:

• Havanaise
• Haï luli
• Bonjour mon cœur
• Mazurka No. 31 in Ab (Chopin)
• Seize ans

Recorded at Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA.

***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.

You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree

You can find out more about Dr. Melanie Taylor at her website.

This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.

In the 1800s, women in America were mostly only allowed to compose "Parlor Songs", sentimental pieces that were intended to be sung at home by amateurs rather than on the recital stage. But there are a lot of beautiful pieces that came out of this time period! This episode focuses on Augusta Browne (1820-1882), Jane Sloman (1824-after 1850), and Faustina Hasse Hodges (1823-1895).

Musical clips performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, piano:

• Browne-The Courier Dove
• Browne-The Song of the Skylark
• Sloman-Queen of the Night
• Hodges-The Dreary Day

Recorded at Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA.

"Exactly" counter--Ellen 2 (21), Toni 1 (4)
***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.

You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree

This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.

Josephine Lang (1815-1880) came from a musical family in Munich and her musical talent developed very early. She composed her first songs at age 13 and has about 150 Lieder to her credit, many of which were published by major publishing houses during her lifetime. Her songs are full-on Romantic, with incredible melodies and often a wide range required of the singer with a somewhat operatic sweep.

Musical clips performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, Troy Cook, baritone, and Ellen Rissinger, piano:

All of these songs are found in Josephine Lang: Selected Songs. Hildegard Publishing also has published two volumes of her songs.

• O sehntest du dich so nach mir
• Scheideblick (sung by Troy)
• Lied (Immer sich rein)
• Ob ich manchmal dein gedenke
• Und wüssten's die Blumen (sung by Troy)

Recorded at Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA.

"Exactly" counter--Ellen 3 (19), Toni 1 (3)
***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.

You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree

You can find out more about Troy Cook on his website, https://www.troycookbaritone.com/

This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.