Seven Deadly Sins

Seven Deadly Sins

Track Listings

1. Sloth

2. Wrath

3. Greed

4. Lust

5. Gluttony

6. Pride

7. Envy

8. Eighth Sin

Tracks:

The Seven Deadly Sins: Prologue: Andante sostenuto
The Seven Deadly Sins: Idleness: Allegro vivace
The Seven Deadly Sins: Pride: Allegretto, quasi andantino - Schneller Walzer
The Seven Deadly Sins: Anger: Molto agitato
The Seven Deadly Sins: Gluttony: Largo
The Seven Deadly Sins: Lust: Moderato
The Seven Deadly Sins: Avarice: Allegro giusto
The Seven Deadly Sins: Envy: Allegro non troppo - Alla marcia, un poco tenuto
The Seven Deadly Sins: Epilogue: Andante sostenuto
The Threepenny Opera: 'Moritat vom Mackie Messer'
The Threepenny Opera: 'Barbara-Song'
The Threepenny Opera: 'Seerauberjenny'
Aufstief und Fall der Stadt mahogany: 'Havanna-Lied'
Aufstief und Fall der Stadt mahogany: 'Alabama-Song'
Aufstief und Fall der Stadt mahogany: 'Denn Wie Man Sich Bettet'
Happy End: 'Bilbao-Song'
Happy End: 'Surabaya-Johnny'
Happy End: 'Was die Herren Matrosen sagen'
Das Berliner Requiem: 'Ballade vom ertrunkenen Madchen'
Der Silbersee, Ein Wintermarchen: 'Lied der Fennimore'
Der Silbersee, Ein Wintermarchen: 'Casar Tod'

Amazon.com essential recording

Whether playing Anna in The Seven Deadly Sins or singing "Moritat vom Mackie Messer" ("Mack the Knife"), Lotte Lenya helped define the music of her husband, Kurt Weill. The duo literally created the soundtrack for the prewar Berlin of our fantasies--an exotic land of nicotine and nightlights--where cabaret, jazz, and the odd American instrumental influence all coexist happily. Now remastered, this collection gathers Lenya's legendary 1957 recordings of Sins and her 1955 recording Sings Berlin Theatre Songs. Forget subtlety--Lenya is all about emotion. On cuts like "Pirate Jenny," Lenya's voice sounds fluttery and frantic, and on "Surabaya-Johnny," her German sounds fragile and sweet, but mostly she's just herself--bittersweet, raw, and (most of all) human. In spirit, Marianne Faithfull, PJ Harvey, and a host of others all kept the torch of Lenya's style going. But after listening to these Berlin theater songs in classic form (and in their original tongue), you'll never hear them the same way again. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

One of the greats.......2007-04-17

When I was a student in 1965, the turntable in my college apartment was kept busy spinning The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Broadway show cast albums, Nina Simone and Lotte Lenya. Lotte Lenya? Yes, the widow of German composer Kurt Weill and the star of the legendary 1950s off-Broadway revival of THE THREEPENNY OPERA, who also played James Bond's adversary Rosa Kleb in the movie FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE. (Rosa Kleb was a martial arts expert with poison knives in the toes of her shoes.) But my theory is that Lotte Lenya enjoyed great cachet with the baby-boomers primarily because of the cover of Bob Dylan's 1965 "Bringing It All Back Home" album. That cover shows Dylan and a brunette woman in a rather elegant setting crammed with books and phonograph records. Prominent among the stack of recordings is Lenya's "Berlin Theatre Songs of Kurt Weill" album. Even though this was the age of "Don't trust anyone over thirty," if Bob Dylan liked Lotte Lenya, then she was okay. I loved everything about her Berlin Theatre Songs album, from the expressionistic cover portrait to all the unfamiliar songs sung in quavery German.

Now that CDs have made phonograph records obsolete, I've wanted to replace my LP version of the Berlin Theatre Songs for some time. Well, I feel that I've hit the jackpot with this Masterworks Heritage CD reissue which is packaged with the Brecht-Weill THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS, an experimental dance-drama that Brecht and Weill created in Paris after fleeing Nazi Germany. I had never heard THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS. It is a revelation. It could have been written by no one else. The haunting melodies, the offbeat orchestrations and the unorthodox subject matter combine to form a Brecht-Weill classic. I love this music and have played it repeatedly for weeks. Lenya's voice during this period had not yet become raspy and her saucy personality shines through. My German is much better now than it was as a college student and I can at last appreciate Lenya's perfectly enunciated German. I find this recording mesmerizing. The CD is packaged as a foldout album/book, rather than a jewel box. It includes a brief essay by Teresa Stratas and helpful notes by Mario R. Mercado. Also included are more than a dozen sepia-toned photos of the recording session and four beautiful color photographs of Lenya in Hamburg in 1956. And of course, that wonderful Saul Bolasni portrait that graced the original LP is included on the inside cover of the jacket.

I think this CD is essential. For me, it conjures up a whole era, maybe a whole century. Five stars.

I cannot live without this album. .......2006-06-09

The Weill/Brecht "Seven Sins" may not be as famous as the Threepenny, and it's certainly not as long. The songs aren't "catchy"-- no Doors or Darin or David Bowie or Dresden Dolls are going to cover any of the ballet's nine pieces. But, in all its operatic beauty, it's one of my favourite musical works on this planet.

In short: the Seven Sins is unbelievable. It's Brecht/Weill at their very best. It will latch itself onto your brain, stick its claws into your skull, surpass anything you've ever heard before. From the very start -- just three notes that will, I promise, make you shiver -- to the beautiful, melancholy ending; it's what opera should be like, and it's beyond perfect.

Miss Lotte Lenya, who was the smartest woman in the world for marrying Kurt Weill TWICE, sings what's probably the definitive version of Anna-Anna. Yes, it's two octaves lower than what was intended (but if it's high-pitched warbling you're after, I can highly recommend the lovely Anne Sofie von Otter version), and some people seem to be slightly allergic to Lotte's voice. Which I still fail to understand. She embodies everything Weill writes -- every word out of her mouth feels just right, just exactly the way it was intended.

One other version I'm particularly fond of is the one starring Marianne Faithfull. The differences are easy to spot: Marianne sings in English. Marianne sounds more stoic. Marianne's choir is more overwhelming, but smoother, though the pieces don't fit together quite as well. Marianne is just slightly faster, less emotional, slightly sweeter. Lotte, on the other hand, gives it everything she's got -- never holds back -- and fills the part with emotion. Lotte's choir is tinny, Berlin-y cabaret-y. Lotte's orchestra is much more solid. And Lotte toys more with the lyrics. Both versions are perfect, and I would VERY highly recommend buying both if you can afford it, if just to compare.

Just like Marianne's CD, this album is filled up with as much other Brecht/Weill stuff as would still fit on the disc. The final notes of the Seven Sins epilogue are quickly followed with a gorgeous full Mack The Knife (yes, uncensored), an unbelievable (and definitive) Pirate Jenny, an Alabama Song... pretty much everything these people are famous for, and even some rather obsure songs. The orchestra and background singers mix perfectly with Lotte's vocals on every track. There's not a single flaw -- not in the music, not in the recording quality, nothing -- every bit of it is as perfect as these songs get.

Whether you're just starting out collecting Berlin cabaret, or finally look to complete your collection, this album is simply something you can't NOT buy. So buy it. Buy it. Yes. Excellent. And, if you're searching for more excellent related stuff, here's some other CDs I can recommend:

- Die Dreigroschenoper: 1999 version, starring Nina Hagen, Max Raabe, HK Gruber
- The Threepenny Opera: 1954 Blitzstein adaptation (English softened version)
- Jasperina de Jong - Sieben Rosen hat der Strach (Brecht tribute)
- Cathy Berberian - The Unforgettable
- The Tiger Lillies - Twopenny Opera (It's One Cheaper)

And a final note: avoid the Ute Lemper version at all costs. She's a great singer, absolutely, but will never be Anna-Anna.

Lenya and Weill at their best! Buy It........2005-11-04

'Lotte Lenya sings Kurt Weill's The Seven Deadly Sins and Berlin Theatre Songs' is a single CD combining two separate 1955 LPs recorded in Germany, five years after the death of husband and composer, Kurt Weill.

As a lifelong Weill fan who has heard many different interpretations of these songs most notably from Ute Lemper and Maria Stratas, I was struck by how dramaticly better was Lenya's performance of the lyrics. I think this goes far beyond the fact that many of these works were written specifically to be performed by Lenya in Berlin between 1927 and 1933. It is obvious to my ear that even though Lemper is a great cabaret singer, Lenya trumps this with years of performing on the live stage without the aid of electronic amplification.

Lenya does 'Die Sieben Todsunden' with the version done for a lower voice (same as Lemper) rewritten for her by Weill. As other reviewers have noted, this was originally a combination ballet / song cycle commissioned in Germany by George Balanchine where the singer and the ballerina perform two sisters, both named Anna.

None of the individual songs are nearly as popular on their own as the following collection of songs from the German works, 'The Threepenny Opera', 'Mahagonny', and 'Happy End'.

My first encounter with Lotty Lenya's singing was on a Columbia collection done on vinyl in the 1960s, done, probably following on her appearance in the second James Bond movie, 'From Russia, With Love' as the Russian Colonel Klebb. I think this recording is far superior to that issue or to any other recent recording where Lenya does songs she never performed on the stage.

"An important landmark in dancing history".......2001-06-16

The seven Deadly Sins was commissioned as a dance piece for Les Ballets 1933 with choreography by George Balanchine, Balanchine re-staged it at the New York City Ballet with Lenya at 1958. Anna Sokolow who has difficulties to work with Bertold Brecht to close (Galileo), gave her own independent interpretation to this play as a director with Netherland Dance Theatre in 1967 and at Detroit in 1967 (Cleo Laine).

"An important landmark in dancing history".......2001-06-16

The seven Deadly Sins was commissioned as a dance piece for Les Ballets in 1933 with choreography by George Balanchine. Balanchine restaged it at the New York City Ballet with Lenya in 1958. Anna Sokolow who had difficulties working with Bertold Brecht closely (Galileo), gave her own interpretation to this play as a director with Netherlands Dance Theatre in 1967 and in Detroit in 1976 (Cleo Laine, Mary Hinkson), and in Boston in 1990.

Anne Sofie von Otter - Speak Low ~ Songs by Kurt Weill / Gardiner

Average customer rating:

Very Good
Excellent Weill Alternative to Lenya and Lemper
Everything is right but the style
Intelligent reading from both singer and conductor
Brilliant--The best of the 7 Deadly Sins recordings

Anne Sofie von Otter - Speak Low ~ Songs by Kurt Weill / Gardiner
Kurt Weill , John Eliot Gardiner , Anne Sofie von Otter , Bengt Forsberg , Hannover North German Radio Orchestra , Karl-Heinz Lampe , Frederick Martin , Christfried Biebrach , and James Sims
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001GM3
Release Date: 1995-03-14

Tracks:

Die Sieben Tods Prologue
Die Sieben Tods No. 1 Faulheit (Sloth)
Die Sieben Tods No. 2 Stolz (Pride)
Die Sieben Tods No. 4 Zorn (Anger)
Die Sieben Tods No. 5 Vrei (Gluttony)
Die Sieben Tods No. 6 Unzucht (Lust)
Die Sieben Tods No. 6 Habsucht (Avarice)
Die Sieben Tods No. 7 Neid (Envy)
Die Sieben Tods No. 8 Epilog
My Ship
One Life To Live
Buddy On The Nightshift
Nannas Leid
Bilbao - Song
Surabaya - Johnny
Das Leid Von Der Harten Nuss
Je Ne T'amie Pas
Schickelgruber
Der Abscheidsbreief
Foolish Heart
Speak Low
I'm A Stranger Here Myself

Amazon.com

Kurt Weill's ballet with songs is one of this century's greatest theatrical works. It has all the wit and melodic appeal of The Threepenny Opera and social conscience of Mahagonny, but more warmth and musical sophistication than either. It's also all over with in about 40 minutes. Some critics believe the piece was intended as a sort of love poem to Weill's wife, Lotte Lenya; given the tenderness of much of the music, it's hard to disagree. Lenya herself recorded the piece in the 1950s (a recording recently reissued by Sony) and this very much newer performance is welcome particularly for Anne Sofie von Otter's highly intelligent and musical way with the text. The other songs, from both Weill's Berlin and Broadway periods, make the perfect filler. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Very Good.......2006-01-03

This is a very nice selection of Weill pieces showing the full range of his output. These range from the ambitious Seven Deadly Sins to songs from Happy End to some of his Broadway work. All are very interesting. The performers, particularly Von Otter, are excellent. Recommended strongly.

Excellent Weill Alternative to Lenya and Lemper.......2005-09-29

`Speak Low Songs by Kurt Weill' is a great addition to the performances of Herr Weill's works by the prominent mezzo-soprano, Anne Sofie Von Otter. I have listened to many performances by Weill specialists from the archetype, Weill's wife, Lotte Lenys, for whom many of the songs were originally written to Ute Lemper and Gisela May, who lean heavily toward Lotte Lenya's gravel-voiced interpretation of Weill's songs.

Anne Sofie Von Otter breaks with this tradition and gives us what are easily the sweetest interpretations of Weill's songs from both his German and English works, which I have heard anywhere.

The flagship performance on this disc is `Die Sieben Todsunden' (`The Seven Deadly Sins') which was a cycle of songs to be sung on the stage, accompanied by dances done by a second performer. This takes the first nine (9) tracks and is at least as good as what I have heard from Weill specialist, Lemper. This album is the first time I have noticed that there are two versions of this work, and that Ms. Von Otter is performing the version for soprano.

But, I think the most moving performances come later, especially in von Otter's performances of the three numbers from `Happy End', `Bilbao-Song', `Surabaya-Johnny', and `Das Lied von der harten Nuss' (Song of the Big Shot). I have heard these done by many people, but never so sweetly. These numbers are so lovingly performed that I insist that you ignore the fact that the lyrics are in German. The accompanying booklet gives English translations, which I simply ignore and enjoy the musical talent with no filter. My understanding German has nothing to do with this, as I do the same with French, which I can just barely make out.

Kurt Weill may not be the most important influence on American musical theatre in the 20th century, but he is easily in the top five, along with the Gershwins, Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers and collaborators, and Cole Porter.

Ms. Von Otter is ably accompanied on this disk by her favorite pianist, Bengt Forsberg plus the Norddeutch Rundfunk orchestra directed by John Eliot Gardiner. While I really like her selection on this disk, the collection makes me wish Ms. Von Otter would do some more Weill and spend less time hanging out with Elvis Costello, but that's a different story.

Everything is right but the style.......2005-09-24

Weill and Brecht defined a nasty age with nasty art, writing some of the grittiest satire in the history of music. In this CD von Otter misses that edge, skirts all the dangerous, sleazy implications, and ultimately sounds too much the opera singer slumming it for an hour. Her earnestness is no subtitute for the right period style, a la Lotte Lenya.

Intelligent reading from both singer and conductor.......2005-01-27

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS is such a brilliant mini-masterpiece (and, to me, the pinnacle of the Brecht-Weill years) that it is hard to screw up. It is a testament to the staying power of this work (and to the brilliance of Weill's music in general) that it can be performed by the likes of Lotte Lenya, Julia Migenes, Ute Lemper, Judy Kaye, Marianne Faithfull, Teresa Stratas, and -- as here -- Anne Sofie von Otter, and STILL work... and EACH of these women are totally successful in the piece on their own terms.

Here, Anne Sofie von Otter gives us an intelligent (and highly musical) rendering of the text, keeping the musical line very much intact. She sings with vibrato at times, and then will turn around and use straight-tones at moments where it is dramatically appropriate to do so. She balances the performance well, shifting gears between cool detachment (which she is often criticized for) and impassioned outbursts (which her critics often fail to notice).

John Eliot Gardiner surprised me with how easily this music seemed to come to him, especially as he seems to be a man more at home with "Period-Instrument-Mozart" than highly charged 20th century works. However, his reading of "The Rake's Progress" by Stravinsky was totally staggering. For example, his choice beginning the climactic moment of the score ("Envy") as slowly as he does caught me very much off guard at first, and I didn't really care for it at all. However, with each successive listen, I find myself "getting" this choice more and more.

Finally, the "filler." As to be expected, she is more successful with the European material than she is with the songs from Weill's Broadway years. But this is the case with about 99.9% of all opera singers who try to sing Weill's Broadway scores. You will never hear any singer give "Je ne t'aime pas" a more hauntingly beautiful, passionately intense performance than Anne Sofie von Otter. Truly, the ultimate interpretation of one of my favorite Weill songs. "Nannas Lied," "Der Abschiedsbrief," and the HAPPY END selections. However, "My Ship" and "One Life to Live" seem to fail at catching fire -- the former because it is marred by an attempt to sound like a "pop singer," the latter because von Otter sings English better than native speakers (she knows where the ACTUAL emphasis in the phrase "nothing: the thing is to have fun" goes, as opposed to where Ira Gershwin placed it). I also -- surprisingly enough -- don't care for her performance of "Schickelgruber" -- she just seems totally lost to me. (I really think that this song is foreign territory to 'legit' sopranos and mezzos -- I don't even care for the Stratas rendition.) Just when I thought I would have to suffer through another bad batch of "opera-crossover," Anne Sofie turned around and surprised me by giving highly successful performances of the numbers from ONE TOUCH OF VENUS (especially on "I'm Stranger Here Myself").

All in all, a worthy purchase: highly recommended to all fans of THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS and Kurt Weill enthusiasts.

Brilliant--The best of the 7 Deadly Sins recordings.......2002-10-12

Weill, and particularly anything Brecht-Weill, has suffered for too long with interpertations based on tired ham theatrics, burlesques of Lenya's style, to the point where we have come to expect it as the only way to sing this music. Lenya herself is said, late in life, to have commented that a better singer (specifically Stratas at that time) would be more appropriate for properly interpreting Weill's music.

Here, after countless CD releases of the Seven Deadly Sins, is the first recording sung in the key the composer originally intended! The result is relevatory, sublime and magnificent.

Ms. Von Otter interprets the rest of the songs with mixed results--all are lovely, several are excellent, though several others have been handled better by singers with more "theatrical" talents. Nevertheless, this recording stands alone, head and shoulders above the others.

Weill: The Seven Deadly Sins / Stravinsky: Pulcinella

Average customer rating:

Two Ballets Performed with Zest By Rattle and Friends

Weill: The Seven Deadly Sins / Stravinsky: Pulcinella
Igor Stravinsky , Kurt Weill , Simon Rattle , Elise Ross , Jennifer Smith , City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra , Ian Caley , Anthony Rolfe Johnson , Michael Rippon , John Fryatt , and John Tomlinson
Manufacturer: EMI Records [All429]
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000DOD3
Release Date: 2001-04-03

Customer Reviews:

Two Ballets Performed with Zest By Rattle and Friends.......2006-04-22

Sadly the original recording of this Stravinsky 'Pulcinella' complete ballet made in 1977 and paired with Stravinsky's Suite No. 1 and Suite No. 2 (both based on further ideas from the Pergolesi music that inspired the Pulcinella) is no longer available. But the complete Pulcinella ballet is intact on this fine recording. Simon Rattle conducts the Northern Sinfonia Orchestra with the superb soloists Jennifer Smith, John Fryatt and Malcolm King in an effervescent performance. The forces are so well balanced (as is the pacing by the recording engineers) that the ballet becomes the delightful neo-classical confection it was when first performed in 1919.

On this recording Rattle conducts the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in Kurt Weill's ballet-opera 'Die sieben Todsuenden' (The Seven Deadly Sins) again selecting a first rate group of soloists in Elise Ross, Ian Caley, John Tomlinson, Michael Rippon, and Anthony Rolfe Johnson. Weill's acerbic wit and dry orchestration is well handled by Rattle and his forces. This is a piece that too often is relegated to college productions and it is a pleasure to hear a fully professional performance of the work in this fine rendition. Grady Harp, April 06

Weill: The Seven Deadly Sins; Berg: Lulu Suite

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Weill: The Seven Deadly Sins; Berg: Lulu Suite

Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000009KMP
Release Date: 1994-09-20

Average customer rating:

A Great English Interpretation
No cigar

Weill: The Seven Deadly Sins

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0002DD68I
Release Date: 2004-07-13

Tracks:

Prologue
Sloth
Pride
Anger
Gluttony
Lust
Covetousness
Envy
Epilogue
Alabama Song
The ballade Of Sexual Dependency
Bilbao Song
Pirate Jenny

Customer Reviews:

A Great English Interpretation.......2005-08-23

Marianne Faithfull does an admirable job tackling Weill's Seven Deadly Sins. While it may be considered more highbrow to insist upon one's Weill sung in German, not being fluent in the language, I was grateful for the English translation. Ms. Faithfull clearly has a deep respect and understanding for Weill's work, and her weathered voice is very well suited for his more cynical songs. The sound quality of this version is also particularly good.

No cigar.......2004-12-12

This is at best an interesting curiosity for the collector's library. Perhaps it was courageous for Faithfull to compete in an arena so dominated by one singer. But compared with the Lotte Lenya version (ASIN B000002991), her rendition sounds both mechanical and lugubrious.

Average customer rating:

There is a ReMaster Out July 13 2004
Prototype of "Tell me on a Sunday?"
THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS in English!
Mixed feelings
An artistic abomination.

The Seven Deadly Sins
Kurt Weill , Vienna Radio Orchestra , Dennis Russell Davies , Peter Becker , Mark Bleeke , Hugo Munday , Wilbur Pauley , and Marianne Faithfull
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000BIIK
Release Date: 1998-09-29

Tracks:

The Seven Deadly Sins: Prologue (Andante sostenuto) (Anna I, Anna II)
The Seven Deadly Sins: Sloth (Allegro vivace)
The Seven Deadly Sins: Pride (Allegretto, quasi andantino -Schneller Walzer) (Anna I)
The Seven Deadly Sins: Anger (Molto agitato) (Anna I, Anna II)
The Seven Deadly Sins: Gluttony (Largo)
The Seven Deadly Sins: Lust (Moderato) ( Anna I, Anna II)
The Seven Deadly Sins: Covetousness (Allegro giusto)
The Seven Deadly Sins: Envy (Allegro non troppo - Alla marcia, un poco tenuto) (Anna I)
The Seven Deadly Sins: Epilogue (Andante sostenuto) (Anna I, Anna II)
The Seven Deadly Sins: Alabama Song
The Threepenny Opera: The Ballad Of Sexual Dependency
The Seven Deadly Sins: Bilbao Song
The Threepenny Opera: Pirate Jenny

Customer Reviews:

There is a ReMaster Out July 13 2004.......2004-07-31

I found this CD as an RCA ReMaster at another on line store. Loyal customers of Amazon may want to wait.

Prototype of "Tell me on a Sunday?".......2004-05-08

I must admit I have not heard the incomparable Lotte Lenya sing this - but then she apparently never quite got round to recording the English version (it was written for her and she did perform it). In fact I had not even heard of this work before getting my copy (I didn't buy it on Amazon, for once!). I did buy it very much on Weill's name - certainly not that of Marianne Faithful, who I'd not heard of since she sung teeny pop back in the sixties.

Another confession - I much prefer my Weill sung in English - to me his music matches the meaning of the words at least as much as the sound - and if I miss the meaning I am losing half the point of the music. Maybe if I knew German I would get both and a much deeper experience? But then much of Weill is actually written to be sung in English, and German speaking listeners prefer these works in translation (and, so I am told, often very poor translation) into German.

Marianne Faithful's account does bring out what a natural vehicle this work was for Lotte Lenya - but for me at least it is very persuasive indeed in its own right. Without too obviously trying to sound like Lotte, Marianne has a great deal of the same smokey bluesy quality in her mature voice.

The main point, however, is the work itself, an earthier (and very much better written) prototype of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Tell me on a Sunday". Its merits are really inexcapable, and could survive, I suspect, a much worse translation and certainly much less effective interpretation and still be very interesting.

The extra Weill songs, two from the Threepenny Opera, that are added for the sake of the "value for money" brigade who can't bear a half empty CD, are if anything even better sung than the main work, although they lose some of their dramatic impact by being pulled out of context.

Yes, it would be wonderful if Lenya had recorded this in English - and I may even hunt up her German version. But this recording is just superb - if you like Weill you really must get a copy.

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS in English!.......2003-05-20

W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman wrote a beautiful English translation of this stunning Weill-Brecht piece in 1958. This was originally performed at the New York City Ballet in December of that year starring my number one, ace interpreter of Kurt Weill, Lotte Lenya, as Anna I. In 1956, Lenya made a glorious recording of the piece in German (its original language) and it was released by Columbia Records the following year. Not a single recording since that original can touch Lenya's striking dramatic projection, but Marianne Faithfull's must be given due credit.

Part of what makes Lenya's recording legendary is not only her vocal fervor as Anna but her history as the original interpreter of the role in 1933. (George Balanchine was dance choreorapher in both productions she was in--pretty distinguished company!)
The smooth English translation from the 1950's was never recorded until Marianne Faithfull decided it was high time in 1997. Too right, Marianne!

Marianne Faithfull, a smoky-voiced pop/rock veteran, has rightly adopted a chanteuse style in recent years and it definitely suits her. She can not worry about sounding 'pretty' and it is just as well because 'pretty' does not suit THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS. There is a fine blend of technique such as superb phrashing and diction combined with a wonderful world-weary desperation and knowingness, all amounting to a fine display of acting and singing within her range. Knowing that she loves Kurt Weill's music, and knowing that Lenya is her "sort of household goddess" as far as singing influence goes, (also mentioning Marlene Dietrich) I'm quite grateful for this CD, though it is not quite flawless.

Dennis Russell Davies conducts a magnificent, stirring orchestra.
The recording's sound pitch is rather uneven and overpowering at times in complementing Faithfull's voice, and the singers who represent the Family are sometimes grating and too loud in contrast. One has just to adjust the volume control, but this can become tiresome after a while. Incidentally, the four songs at the end are rather unnecessary, as most of them are featured on Faithfull's 20TH CENTURY BLUES CD with piano accompaniment--much more intimate and suitable for say, the "Alabama Song."

If one appreciates THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS or Marianne Faithfull, one should definitely get this CD. Even though Lenya's recording will always be my absolute favorite, I find myself listening to this version more than I ever thought I would. Perhaps this is because Marianne Faithfull decided to pay tribute to an extraordinary work in the name of Kurt Weill and Lotte Lenya.
I think so!

Mixed feelings.......2002-07-12

Yes, she offers an interesting interpretation, although this version is somewhat of an oddity for me, having become familiar with the various original language versions available. If you're a fan of Faithful already, then by all means. My felling is that reading the libretto and translation (if necessary) ahead of time is not such a big deal. Brecht is highly nuanced German, after all, and this work is extremely interesting as literature alone. If you're looking for a definitive version of the work, don't even think about this one. I suggest those seriously interested in the work try three others: 1) Lotte Lenya, of course, 2) Gisela May, maybe even more *perfect* and 3) Brigitte Fassbaender, for a deeply felt and vocally magnificent take.

An artistic abomination........2002-02-27

The sounds of the German language play as important a role in this music as the notes themselves, and I cannot believe that anyone would waste time performing this in English. Moreover, this is the clumsiest, most unsingable English translation I've ever come across.

Tracks:

The Seven Deadly Sins: Prologue
The Seven Deadly Sins: Sloth
The Seven Deadly Sins: Pride
The Seven Deadly Sins: Anger
The Seven Deadly Sins: Gluttony
The Seven Deadly Sins: Lust
The Seven Deadly Sins: Avarice
The Seven Deadly Sins: Envy
Epilogue
Symphony No. 2: I Sostenuto - Allegro molto
Symphony No. 2: II Largo
Symphony No. 2: III Allegro vivace

Customer Reviews:

Good, but no cigar. Others are better........2005-10-07

`The Seven Deadly Sins' or `Die Sieben Todsunden' is probably Kurt Weill's second most often recorded collection of songs, after the songs of `The Threepenny Opera'. I have already done a review of Ute Lemper's treatment of this work of dramatic music. Now, I look at a version sung by Gisela May backed by the Rundfunk-Sinfonie Orchester of Leipzig and a version done by Teresa Stratas, backed by the Orchestre de L'Opera Nationale De Lyon, directed by the highly regarded conductor, Kent Nagano.

As far as the performances of the title piece on these two albums, the one done by Faulein May is clearly superior. It is almost as good, that is, it is almost indistinguishable from the excellent version given to us by Ms. Lemper who is arguably the finest modern interpreter of Weill's songs. On the other hand, Fraulein Stratas' version is much weaker, primarily because I am certain that it was recorded during a stage performance of the piece rather than in a studio. The sound is a lot weaker in places and there is a distinct echo of inferior acoustics on both the voice and Nagano's orchestra. This may be forgiven if Ms. Stratas' interpretation of Bertold Brecht's lyrics was up to the performances by Lemper and May, but it isn't. All three performances are in German.

Putting the centerpiece performance to the side, the Gisela May recording is also preferable to Stratas / Nagano in that May gives us 70 minutes of Weill's vocal works, while Nagano pads the remainder of the 64 minute disk with a performance of Weill's Symphony No. 2. And, while I am a great fan of Weill's vocal music, his instrumental music doesn't do much for me. They all sound like overtures to his theatre music.

On Ms. May's disk is two songs from `Berliner Requiem', four well-known songs from `Happy End', two well-known excerpts from `Mahagonny', and three popular songs from `The Threepenny Opera', including `Pirate Jenny', but not `Mack the Knife'. All these songs are in German.

Ms. May's recording is recommended, but somewhat redundant if you already own all of Ms. Lemper's performances of Kurt Weill's songs. Ms. Stratas' disk offers nothing you will not get from May or Lemper.

Average customer rating:

Robert Lombardo: Music for Mandolin

Manufacturer: Albany Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000DG02Z
Release Date: 2003-10-28

Average customer rating:

The Ultimate Lotte Lenya Collection

Manufacturer: Bear Family
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000251AF
Release Date: 1999-03-22

Tracks:

'Happy End': Surabaya-Johnny (1929)
'Happy End': Bilbao-Song (1929)
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Alabama-Song (1930) - Lotte Lenya/The Three Admirals
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Denn Wie Man Sich Bettet (1930) - Lotte Lenya/The Three Admirals
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Alabama-Song (1930)
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Denn Wie Man Sich Bettet (1930)
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Ouverture/Moritat/Ballade Vom Angenehmen Leben (1931) - Kurt Gerron/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Liebeslied/Kanonensong (1931) - Kurt Gerron/Erika Helmke/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Chorus
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Die Seerauberjenny (1931) - Kurt Gerron/Lotte Lenya
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Erstes Dreigroschen-Finale (1931) - Kurt Gerron/Lotte Lenya/Erika Helmke/Erich Ponto
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Barbarasong/Eifersuchtsduett (1931) - Kurt Gerron/Lotte Lenya/Erika Helmke
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Abschied/Zweites Dreigroschen-Finale (1931) - Kurt Gerron/Erika Helmke/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Chorus
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Zuhalter-Ballade/Lied Von Der Unzulanglichkeit Menschlichen Strebens (1931) - Kurt Gerron/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Lotte Lenya/Erich Ponto
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Moritat/Schlusschoral (1931) - Kurt Gerron/Lotte Lenya/Chorus
Querschnitt, 1. Tiel: 'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny' (1932)
Querschnitt, 2. Tiel: 'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny' (1932)
'Happy End': Surabaya-Johnny (1943) - Lotte Lenya/Kurt Weill
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Denn Wie Man Sich Bettet (1943) - Lotte Lenya/Kurt Weill
Complainte De La Seine (1943) - Lotte Lenya/Kurt Weill
J'Attends Un Navire (1943) - Lotte Lenya/Kurt Weill
'Lost In The Stars': Lover Man (1943) - Lotte Lenya/Kurt Weill
'Lost In The Stars': Lost In The Stars (1943) - Lotte Lenya/Kurt Weill
'I've Got The Tune': And So The Last Thing, Too (1937 Interview) - Lotte Lenya/Marc Blitzstein/Shirley Booth

Tracks:

'Die Dreigoschenoper': Moritat (1955)
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Barbara-Song (1955)
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Seerauberjenny (1955)
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Havanna-Lied (1955)
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Alabama-Song (1955)
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Denn Wie Man Sich Bettet (1955)
'Happy End': Bilbao-Song (1955)
'Happy End': Surabaya-Johnny (1955)
'Happy End': Was Die Herren Matrosen Sagen (Matrosen-Tango) (1955)
'Das Berliner Requiem': Ballade Vom Ertrunkenen Madchen (1955)
'Der Silbersee': Ich Bin Eine Arme Verwandte (1955)
'Der Silbersee': Casar-Ballade (1955)
'Die Sieben Todsunden': Prolog/Introduktion (1956) - Lotte Lenya/Julius Kantona/Fritz Gollnitz/Sigmund Roth/Ernst Poettgen
'Die Sieben Todsunden': Faulheit (1956) - Lotte Lenya/Julius Kantona/Fritz Gollnitz/Sigmund Roth/Ernst Poettgen
'Die Sieben Todsunden': Stolz (1956) - Lotte Lenya/Julius Kantona/Fritz Gollnitz/Sigmund Roth/Ernst Poettgen
'Die Sieben Todsunden': Zorn (1956) - Lotte Lenya/Julius Kantona/Fritz Gollnitz/Sigmund Roth/Ernst Poettgen
'Die Sieben Todsunden': Vollerei (1956) - Lotte Lenya/Julius Kantona/Fritz Gollnitz/Sigmund Roth/Ernst Poettgen
'Die Sieben Todsunden': Unzucht (1956) - Lotte Lenya/Julius Kantona/Fritz Gollnitz/Sigmund Roth/Ernst Poettgen
'Die Sieben Todsunden': Habsucht (1956) - Lotte Lenya/Julius Kantona/Fritz Gollnitz/Sigmund Roth/Ernst Poettgen
'Die Sieben Todsunden': Neid (1956) - Lotte Lenya/Julius Kantona/Fritz Gollnitz/Sigmund Roth/Ernst Poettgen
'Die Sieben Todsunden': Epilog (1956) - Lotte Lenya/Julius Kantona/Fritz Gollnitz/Sigmund Roth/Ernst Poettgen

Tracks:

'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Akt 1, Szene 1 (1957) - Lotte Lenya/Chorus Des NDR/Max Thurn
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Akt 1, Szene 2 (1957) - Lotte Lenya/Chorus Des NDR/Max Thurn
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Akt 1, Szene 3 (1957) - Lotte Lenya/Chorus Des NDR/Max Thurn
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Akt 1, Szene 4 (1957) - Lotte Lenya/Chorus Des NDR/Max Thurn
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Akt 1, Szene 5 (1957) - Lotte Lenya/Chorus Des NDR/Max Thurn
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Akt 1, Szene 6 (1957) - Lotte Lenya/Chorus Des NDR/Max Thurn
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Akt 1, Szene 7 (1957) - Lotte Lenya/Chorus Des NDR/Max Thurn
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Akt 1, Szene 8 (1957) - Lotte Lenya/Chorus Des NDR/Max Thurn
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Akt 1, Szene 9 (1957) - Lotte Lenya/Chorus Des NDR/Max Thurn
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Akt 1, Szene 10 (1957) - Lotte Lenya/Chorus Des NDR/Max Thurn
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Akt 1, Szene 11 (1957) - Lotte Lenya/Chorus Des NDR/Max Thurn
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Akt 2, Szene 12 (1957) - Lotte Lenya/Chorus Des NDR/Max Thurn
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Akt 2, Szene 13 (1957) - Lotte Lenya/Chorus Des NDR/Max Thurn

Tracks:

'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Akt 2, Szene 14 (1957) - Lotte Lenya/Chorus Des NDR/Max Thurn
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Akt 2, Szene 15a (1957) - Lotte Lenya/Chorus Des NDR/Max Thurn
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Akt 2, Szene 15b (1957) - Lotte Lenya/Chorus Des NDR/Max Thurn
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Akt 2, Szene 16 (1957) - Lotte Lenya/Chorus Des NDR/Max Thurn
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Akt 2, Szene 17 (1957) - Lotte Lenya/Chorus Des NDR/Max Thurn
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Akt 3, Szene 18 (1957) - Lotte Lenya/Chorus Des NDR/Max Thurn
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Akt 3, Szene 19 (1957) - Lotte Lenya/Chorus Des NDR/Max Thurn
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Akt 3, Finale (1957) - Lotte Lenya/Chorus Des NDR/Max Thurn

Tracks:

'Knickerbocker Holiday': September Song (1957)
'Knickerbocker Holiday': It Never Was You (1957)
'Lady In The Dark': Saga Of Jenny (1957)
'One Touch Of Venus': Foolish Heart (1957)
'One Touch Of Venus': Speak Low (1957)
'The Firebrand Of Florence': Sing Me Not A Ballad (1957)
'The Eternal Road': Song Of Ruth (July Version) (1957)
'Street Scene': Lonely House (1957)
'Street Scene': A Boy Like You (1957) - Lotte Lenya/Darryl Richard
'Love Life': Green-Up Time (1957)
'Lost In The Stars': Trouble Man (1957)
'Lost In The Stars': Stay Well (1957)
'Lost In The Stars': Lost In The Stars (1957)
'The Eternal Road': Song Of Ruth (August Version) (1957)
'The Threepenny Opera': Pirate Jenny (1954)
'The Threepenny Opera': Solomon-Song (1954)
'The Threepenny Opera': Tango-Ballad (1954) - Lotte Lenya/Scott Merrill
'The Threepenny Opera': Lenya & Blitzstein TV Interview (1954) - Lotte Lenya/Marc Blitzstein
'Johnny Johnson': Mon Ami, My Friend (1956)
Young Blood (1969)
Welcome Home (1969)

Tracks:

'Die Dreigoschenoper': Ouverture (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Moritat (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Morgenchoral Des Peachum (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Anstatt-Dass-Song (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Hochzeitslied Fur Armere Leute (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Kanonensong (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Liebeslied (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Barbara-Song (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Erstes Dreigroschen-Finale (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Der Pferdestall (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Abschiedslied Der Polly (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Zwischenlied (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Ballade Von Der Sexuellen Horigkeit (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Die Seerauberjenny (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Zuhalter-Ballade (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Ballade Vom Angenehmen Leben (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Eifersuchtsduett (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Arie Der Lucy (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Zweites Dreigroschen-Finale (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Lied Von Der Unzulanglichkeit Menschlichen Strebens (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Solomon-Song (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Ruf Aus Der Gruft (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Ballade In Der MacHeath Jedermann Abbitte Leistet (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Der Reitende Bote (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Drittes Driegroschen-Finale (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...
'Die Dreigoschenoper': Schlusstrophen Der Moritat (1958) - Lotte Lenya/Erich Schellow/Willy Trenk-Trebitsch/Trude Hesterberg/Johanna Von Koczian...

Tracks:

'Happy End': Introduktion (Hosiannah) (1960)
'Happy End': Bilbao-Song (1960)
'Happy End': Der Kleine Leutnant Des Lieben Gottes (1960)
'Happy End': Geht Hinein In Die Schlacht (Heilsarmee-Lied 1) (1960)
'Happy End': Was Die Herren Matrosen Sagen (Matrosen-Tango) (1960)
'Happy End': Bruder, Gib Dir Einen Stoss (Heilsarmee-Lied 2) (1960)
'Happy End': Das Lied Vom Branntweinhandler (1960)
'Happy End': Der Song Von Mandelay (1960)
'Happy End': Furchte Dich Nicht (Heilsarmee-Lied 3) (1960)
'Happy End': Surabaya-Johnny (1960)
'Happy End': Das Lied Von Der Harten Nuss (1960)
'Happy End': In Der Jugend Gold'Nem Schimmer (Heilsarmee-Lied 4) (1960)
'Happy End': Die Ballade Von Der Hollen-Lili (1960)
'Happy End': Der Kleine Leutnant Des Lieben Gottes (1960)
'Cabaret': So What? (1966)
'Cabaret': It Couldn't Please Me More (1966) - Lotte Lenya/Jack Gilford
'Cabaret': Married (1966) - Lotte Lenya/Jack Gilford
'Cabaret': What Would You Do (1966)
'Cabaret': Finale (1966) - Lotte Lenya/Bert Convy/Jill Haworth/Jack Gilford/Joel Grey

Tracks:

Unter Der Linde (1958)
Menschlich Elende (1958)
Das Rosenband (1958)
Der Tod Und Das Madchen (1958)
Abendlied (1958)
Der Bauer (1958)
Lebenspflichten (1958)
Gesang Der Geister Uber Den Wassern (1958)
Aus 'Romische Elegein' (1958)
Gefunden (1958)
Wo Bist Du Itzt (1958)
Der Handschuh (1958)
Hyperions Schicksalied/Aus 'Hymnen Der Nacht' (1958)
Mondnacht (1958)
Das Schloss Boncourt (1958)
Kommen Und Scheiden (1958)
Auf Geheimem Waldespfade (1958)
Der Weiher (1958)
Das Verlassene Magdlein (1958)
Der Wirtin Tochterlein (1958)
Mit Dummen Madchen (1958)
Im Wunderschonen Monat Mai (1958)
Ich Wollte Meine Lieder (1958)
Nachtlich Am Busento (1958)
Kehr Ein Bei Mir! (1958)
Altassyrisch (1958)
Die Musik Kommt (1958)
Wer Weiss Wo (1958)
Der Romische Brunnen (1958)
Vereinsamt (1958)
Der Werwolf (1958)
Der Arbeitsmann (1958)
Die Bieden (1958)
Du Schlank Und Rein Wie Eine Flamme (1958)
Spanische Tanzerin (1958)
Ich Liebe Frauen (1958)
An Den Leser (1958)
Die Entwicklung Der Menschheit (1958)
Der Vater (1958)
Erinnerung An Die Marie A (1958)
Von Der Freundlichkeit Der Welt (1958)
Kinderkreuzzug (1958)

Tracks:

A Hunger Artist (1959)
An Imperial Message (1959)
A Fratricide (1959)
The Care Of A Family Man (1959)
Up In The Gallery (1959)
A Dream (1959)
The Bucket Rider (1959)
Vergnugungen: What I Enjoy (Last Song) (1962) - Diane Clark/Anne Jackson/Lotte Lenya/Viveca Lindfors/George Voskovec/Michael Wager
Inscription On A China Lion (The Lion) (1962) - Diane Clark/Anne Jackson/Lotte Lenya/Viveca Lindfors/George Voskovec/Michael Wager
'Die Dreigroscheneroper': The Solomon Song (1962) - Diane Clark/Anne Jackson/Lotte Lenya/Viveca Lindfors/George Voskovec/Michael Wager
'Buckower Elegien': Changing Wheels (1962) - Diane Clark/Anne Jackson/Lotte Lenya/Viveca Lindfors/George Voskovec/Michael Wager
Burning Books (1962) - Diane Clark/Anne Jackson/Lotte Lenya/Viveca Lindfors/George Voskovec/Michael Wager
Written On The Wall (1962) - Diane Clark/Anne Jackson/Lotte Lenya/Viveca Lindfors/George Voskovec/Michael Wager
Lied Der Courage (1962) - Diane Clark/Anne Jackson/Lotte Lenya/Viveca Lindfors/George Voskovec/Michael Wager
Song Of A German Mother (1962) - Diane Clark/Anne Jackson/Lotte Lenya/Viveca Lindfors/George Voskovec/Michael Wager
'Buckower Elegien': The Dog (1962) - Diane Clark/Anne Jackson/Lotte Lenya/Viveca Lindfors/George Voskovec/Michael Wager
To The Next Generation (1962) - Diane Clark/Anne Jackson/Lotte Lenya/Viveca Lindfors/George Voskovec/Michael Wager
Bad Times For Poetry (1962) - Diane Clark/Anne Jackson/Lotte Lenya/Viveca Lindfors/George Voskovec/Michael Wager
Und Was Bekam Des Soldaten Weib (1943) - Lotte Lenya/Kurt Weill
Wie Lange Noch (1943) - Lotte Lenya/Kurt Weill
Lied Einer Deutschen Mutter (1943) - Lotte Lenya/Kurt Weill

Tracks:

'Die Dreigroscheneroper': Moritat Von Mackie Messer (1960)
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Havanna-Leid (1960)
'Das Berliner Requiem': Ballade Vom Ertrunkenen Madchen (1960)
'Happy End': Was Die Herren Matrosen Sagen (Matrosen-Tango) (1960)
'Das Berliner Requiem': Zu Potsdam Unter Den Eichen (1960)
'Die Dreigroscheneroper': Die Seerauberjenny (1960)
'Happy End': Bilbao-Song (1960)
Carnegie Hall Introduction (1965)
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Alabama-Song (1965)
'Aufstieg Und Fall Der Stadt Mahagonny': Havanna-Song (1965)
'Das Berliner Requiem': Ballade Vom Ertrunkenen Madchen (1965)
'Das Berliner Requiem': Zu Potsdam Unter Den Eichen (1965)
'One Touch Of Venus': Speak Low (1965)
'One Touch Of Venus': Foolish Heart (1965)
'One Touch Of Venus': Bilbao-Song (1965)
'One Touch Of Venus': Surabaya-Johnny (1965)
'Love Life': Love-Song (1965)
'Love Life': Susan's Dream (1965)
'Happy End': Was Die Matrosen Sagen (Matrosen-Tango) (1965)
'Happy End': Der Song Von Mandelay (1965)
'Happy End': Das Lied Von Der Harten Nuss (1965)
'Happy End': Lilli Of Hell (1965)
'Knickerbocker Holiday': September Song (1965)
'Die Dreigroscheneroper': Barbara Song (1965)

Tracks:

Moritat (1965)
Moritat (German Version) (1965) - Lotte Lenya/Turk Murphy
Mack The Knife (1965) - Lotte Lenya/Louis Armstrong
Mack The Knife (1965) - Lotte Lenya/Louis Armstrong
Lied Der Courage I (1965) - Lotte Lenya/Harry Buckwitz
Das Lied Vom Weib Und Soldaten (1965)
Lied Von Der Grossen Kapitulation (1965)
Lied Der Courage II (1965)
Lied Der Courage III (1965)
Eia Popeia, Was Ras Im Stroh (1965)
Lied Der Courage IV (1965)
The Dick Cavett Show (1975) - Lotte Lenya/Dick Cavett
Start (1975) - Lotte Lenya/Dick Cavett
American Films (1975) - Lotte Lenya/Dick Cavett
The Opening Night Ot The Rise And Fall Of The City Of Mahagonny (1975) - Lotte Lenya/Dick Cavett
'One Touch Of Venus': I'm A Stranger Here Myself (1975) - Lotte Lenya/Dick Cavett
Anita Berber (1975) - Lotte Lenya/Dick Cavett
The Great Inflation (1975) - Lotte Lenya/Dick Cavett
Thoughts On 'Oh, Calcutta' (1975) - Lotte Lenya/Dick Cavett
Berlin Visit 1955 (1975) - Lotte Lenya/Dick Cavett
Introduction To 'Bilbao-Song' (1975) - Lotte Lenya/Dick Cavett
Bilbao-Song (1975) - Lotte Lenya/Dick Cavett
Introduction (1966)
'Knickerbocker Holiday': How Can You Tell An American (1966)
'Knickerbocker Holiday': September Song (1966)

Weill - The Seven Deadly Sins · Mahagonny Songspiel / Ute Lemper · RIAS Berlin Sinfonietta · John Mauceri

Average customer rating:

Incomparable Lemper does Weill's best German song cycles

Weill - The Seven Deadly Sins · Mahagonny Songspiel / Ute Lemper · RIAS Berlin Sinfonietta · John Mauceri
Kurt Weill , John Mauceri , Ute Lemper , Susanne Tremper , RIAS Berlin Sinfonietta , Helmut Wildhaber , Peter Haage , Thomas Mohr , Manfred Jungwirth , and Jeff Cohen
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Ute Lemper Sings Kurt Weill
Sings Kurt Weill, Vol. 2
Espace Indecent

ASIN: B0000041X7
Release Date: 1991-02-08

Tracks:

Seven Deadly Sins: Prologue: Andante sostenuto - Ute Lemper
Seven Deadly Sins: Sloth: Allegro vivace - Helmut Wildhaber/Peter Haage/Thomas Mohr/Manfred Jungwirth
Seven Deadly Sins: Pride: Allegretto, quasi andantino - Ute Lemper
Seven Deadly Sins: Anger: Molto agitato - Helmut Wildhaber/Peter Haage/Thomas Mohr/Manfred Jungwirth/Ute Lemper
Seven Deadly Sins: Gluttony: Largo - Helmut Wildhaber/Peter Haage/Thomas Mohr/Manfred Jungwirth
Seven Deadly Sins: Lust: Moderato - Ute Lemper
Seven Deadly Sins: Avarice: Allegro giusto - Helmut Wildhaber/Peter Haage/Thomas Mohr/Manfred Jungwirth
Seven Deadly Sins: Envy: Allegro non troppo - Ute Lemper
Seven Deadly Sins: Epilogue: Andante sostenuto - Ute Lemper
Mahagonny Songspiel, Part One: Prologue: No.1: Allegro non troppo - Helmut Wildhaber/Peter Haage/Thomas Mohr/Manfred Jungwirth
Mahagonny Songspiel, Part One: Prologue: Kleiner March: Poco meno - Rias Berlin Sym/Mauceri
Mahagonny Songspiel, Part One: Prologue: No.2: Moderato - Susanne Tremper/Ute Lemper
Mahagonny Songspiel, Part Two: Life in Mahagonny: No.3a: Vivace - Rias Berlin Sym/Mauceri
Mahagonny Songspiel, Part Two: Life in Mahagonny: No.3: Allegro un poco moderato - Helmut Wildhaber/Peter Haage/Thomas Mohr/Manfred Jungwirth
Mahagonny Songspiel, Part Two: Life in Mahagonny: No.4a: Vivace assai - Rias Berlin Sym/Mauceri
Mahagonny Songspiel, Part Two: Life in Mahagonny: No.4: Moderato assai - Susanne Tremper/Ute Lemper/Helmut Wildhaber/Peter Haage/Thomas Mohr/Manfred Jungwirth
Mahagonny Songspiel, Part Two: Life in Mahagonny: No.5a: Sostenuto - Rias Berlin Sym/Mauceri
Mahagonny Songspiel, Part Two: Life in Mahagonny: No.5: Lento - Susanne Tremper/Ute Lemper/Helmut Wildhaber/Peter Haage/Thomas Mohr/Manfred Jungwirth
Mahagonny Songspiel, Part Three: Finale: No.6: Largo - Susanne Tremper/Ute Lemper/Helmut Wildhaber/Peter Haage/Thomas Mohr/Manfred Jungwirth

Customer Reviews:

Incomparable Lemper does Weill's best German song cycles.......2005-10-01

`Ute Lemper Sings Kurt Weill, Volumes 1 and 2' released in 1988 and 1993, plus the third album of Weill's two most important song cycles in German, `The Seven Deadly Sins' (`Die sieben Todsunden') and `Mahagonny Songspiel' released in 1990 unequivocally established Ms. Lemper as the leading Kurt Weill interpreter since Lotte Lenya, Weill's wife and the singer for whom many of his vocal pieces were written. These three disks, sample pieces from most major Weill works written in German, including his most famous musical play, `The Threepenny Opera' (`Die Dreigroschenoper').

The first disc has fourteen tracks with three from `Der Silbersee' with lyrics by Kaiser, three from `Die Dreigroschenoper' with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht, two from `Berliner Requiem' with lyrics by Brecht, two from `Mahagonny' with lyrics by Mahagonny, `Je ne t'aime pas with French lyrics by Magre, and three from `One Touch of Venus' with English lyrics by S.J. Perelman and Ogden Nash.

The middle disc includes both works performed in their original German. After having listened to `The Seven Deadly Sins' done by several different artists, and having just reviewed a CD on which Anne Sofie von Otter does this work, I discover for the first time that the piece was written in two versions, one for a low voice and one for a high voice. Von Otter does the version for high voice and Lemper does the version for low voice that, I suspect, is the way it was originally performed by Fraulein Lenya. One service done by comparing Lemper and von Otter's performance is to see how much closer Lemper is to the original spirit of the work than is von Otter. Weill's venue was not the opera stages of Berlin or Vienna, it was the popular stage, actually much closer to what we see in the movie `Cabaret' than what we see in `Amadeus'. I enjoy von Otter's rendition, but Lemper stirs my heart where von Otter does not. Lemper also seems to have the benefit of a much better cast of supporting voices on the two works on Volume 1.

All albums are done with the backing of the RIAS Berlin Sinfonietta, conducted by John Mauceri who seems to get just the right tone of sleaze out of his ensemble to match the tone of the composition and lyrics by Weill and his various librettists, especially Berthold Brecht.

Volume 2 showcases Lemper's ability to sing with equal facility and understanding in German (Songs from `Happy End'), French (Songs from `Marie Galante'), and English (Songs from `Lady in the Dark'). While my understanding of French is far weaker than my understanding of the German and the English, when I compare Ms. Lemper's French interpretations with the French of Ms. Von Otter, I definitely prefer Lemper's treatment. She may not quite match Edith Piaf, but I feel she has a cachet all her own.

Lemper is a vocalist in that great European femme fatale tradition of Lenya, Piaf, and Dietrich and certainly to my lights the leading interpreter today of Weill's songs plus works by other European composers for the musical and cabaret (See her album `City of Strangers'). Compared to even some of the greatest contemporary American female vocalists on the stage such as Streisand and Minelli, both Yanks have their strength, but they can't or don't try to achieve the same depth of feeling behind the European `Weltschmertz' you hear from Lemper and her forerunners. The closest may be Minelli's performance as Sally Bowles in `Cabaret', but even there, she can't seem to hide her American innocence.

Of the three albums, the first of the three, `Ute Lemper Sings Kurt Weill' may be the best introduction, as it includes two of Weill's best English songs, `I'm a Stranger Here Myself' and `Speak Low'. The third, `Ute Lemper Sings Kurt Weill Vol. 2' has two of Weill's most famous German songs outside of `Die Dreigroschenoper', `Bilbao-Song' and `Surabaya-Johnny'.

If you encounter this review and have never heard Ute Lemper, I strongly urge you to try one of these albums. If the German and French turns you off, try Lemper's recent album, `Punishing Kiss'.

Very highly recommended.

Music Info:

Music Info

music info

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