Ute Lemper--Seven Deadly Sins and Mahagonny Songspiel

I discovered Ute Lemper about the same time I discovered Kurt Weill, so I have forever linked them together--a problem which has probably followed Ms. Lemper for much of her career. I really like her singing of this material, though, and this recording of Weill's Seven Deadly Sins shows why.

Previously, I had watched a very bizarre and confusing film version of this song cycle or chant ballet as its creators called it. Without the distraction of visuals, I am reminded that the orchestra parts of these songs are great. At times powerful, driving and hypnotic, the orchestra parts are what drive this piece for me--as if the orchestra represents the world around the characters who are driven to make such difficult choices given their economic condition. It is as timely now as in 1933 when the work was written.

Ms. Lemper is a wonderful proponent of the work, with a polished (but not too polished) delivery. I love how she, at times, chews her German and spits it out. Lemper strikes the right balance for me between a Lotte Lenya type performance, with its cigarette and gravel, and a Anne-Sophie Von Otter type performance coming from the world of opera. Ms. Lemper has a strong chest voice which rises well into middle range. She seems to have a large break, however, and a smallish headvoice. Fortunately, this work doesn't require much singing in that range.

The Mahagonny Songspiel from 1927 is a collection of songs loosely strung together in a story. I've previously talked about the opera version of Mahagonny. I find the smaller version much more palatable and effective.

I realize in looking at the recordings in my own collection that I have not discussed yet, I have lots of Kurt Weill to go. I hope the singing is as good as that by Ms. Lemper and her Mahagonny cast.


The Seven Deadly Sins
Mahagonny Songspiel
Music by Kurt Weill
Lyrics by Bertold Brecht
written in 1933 and 1927, respectively
this performance released on London Decca Records in 1990
Cast: Ute Lemper, Berlin RIAS Sinfonietta, conducted by John Mauceri

Classical Monday--The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, stage production on DVD

Last week was Kurt Weill's 109th birthday. Somehow I let that pass me by, which is surprising because I have a great affinity for Weill and (most of) his music. In college, I was in a production of Threepenny Opera and a production of Mahagonny Songspiel, which is the precursor to today's entry, The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, an opera in three acts.

I doubt anyone would consider this version of Mahagonny a musical, it is certainly an opera, or perhaps a music drama, to steal a translated phrase from Wagner. It's challenging to listen to, even with a couple of recognizable tunes, such as "Alabama Song."

There are several very powerful moments in this 2001 production from the Vienna Staatsopera. If anyone is uncertain what Brecht meant by his style of Epic Theater and the breaking down of the 4th wall, watch the finale of Act One of this production, when Jerry Hadley walks off the stage into the audience telling them to take what they can from the rich. That's the kind of "in you face" theater that rarely happens in an opera house. This production also was performed by Lyric Opera in Chicago, I believe in 2000 for the Weill Centennary. I love the idea of a character telling the moguls of Chicago who sit in the prime seats at the opera house that the poor are going to rise up and take the rich's belonging.

There are three notable names in this cast that is mostly German--Americans Catherine Malfitano and the late Jerry Hadley, and British soprano Gwyneth Jones. All three perform admirably, although the women are near the end of the vocal performing lives, and you can hear that. I've seen Malfitano live on stage at Lyric Opera (in another Weill show, Street Scene, which is much closer to a Broadway-style musical) and while I do not love her voice, she is a riveting singing actress. She's shows that hear, also.

Hadley is magnificent in this production, underscoring the great loss by his early death.

The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny
Music by Kurt Weill
Libretto by Bertold Brecht
First performed in 1930, based on the Mahagonny Songspiel of 1927
Vienna Staatsoper production on DVD, released in 2001
Cast: Jerry Hadley, Catherine Malfitano, Gwyneth Jones