Kurt Weill - Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny / Lenya · Brückner-Rüggeberg

Kurt Weill (Artist), Wilhelm Brückner-Rüggeberg (Artist), Lotte Lenya (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000009I3P
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #131,941 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Act I, No.1: Gesucht Werden Leokadja Begbick - Richard Munch/Peter Markwort/Horst Gunter/Gisela Litz

2. Act I, No.1: Sie Soll Sein Wie Ein Netz - Gisela Litz/Peter Markwort/Horst Gunter

3. Act I, No.2: Rasch Wuchs/Oh, Show Us The Way - Richard Munch/Lotte Lenya/North German Radio Chor/Max Thurn

4. Act I, No.3: Die Nachricht - Richard Munch/North German Radio Chor/Max Thurn/Peter Markwort/Horst Gunter

5. Act I, No.4: In Den Nachsten Tagen - Richard Munch/Heinz Sauerbaum/Fritz Gollnitz/George Mund/Sigmund Roth

6. Act I, No.5: Damals Kam Unter Anderen - Richard Munch/Heinz Sauerbaum/Fritz Gollnitz/Georg Mund/Sigmund Roth/Gisela Litz

7. Act I, No.5: Heraus, Ihr Schonen Von Mahagonny - Heinz Sauerbaum/Fritz Gollnitz/Georg Mund/Sigmund Roth/Lotte Lenya/North German Radio Chor/Max Thurn

8. Act I, No.5: Ach, Bedenken Sie - Lotte Lenya/Fritz Gollnitz/Gisela Litz/Heinz Sauerbaum

9. Act I, No.6: Ich Habe Gelernt - Lotte Lenya/Heinz Sauerbaum

10. Act I, No.7: Alle Grossen Unternehmungen - Richard Munch/Gisela Litz/Peter Markwort/Horst Gunter

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Act II, No.13: Von Nun An War Der Leitspruch - Richard Munch/North German Radio Chor/Max Thurn

2. Act II, No.13: Jetzt Hab Ich Gegessen Zwei Kalber - Fritz Gollnitz/Heinz Sauerbaum/North German Radio Chor/Max Thurn

3. Act II, No.14: Zweitens Kommt Die Liebe Dran! - North German Radio Chor/Max Thurn/Gisela Litz

4. Act II, No.14: Sieh Jene Kraniche - Lotte Lenya/Heinz Sauerbaum

5. Act II, No.14: Erstens, Vergesst Nicht, Kommt Das Fressen - North German Radio Chor/Max Thurn

6. Act II, No.15: Wir, Meine Herren - Sigmund Roth/Peter Markwort/North German Radio Chor/Max Thurn/Georg Mund/Heinz Sauerbaum

7. Act II, No.15: Dreimal Hoch Dreieinigkeitsmoses! - North German Radio Chor/Max Thurn/Horst Gunter/Heinz Sauerbaum/Sigmund Roth

8. Act II, No.16: Freunde, Kommt, Ich Lade Euch Ein - Heinz Sauerbaum/North German Radio Chor/Max Thurn/Heinz Sauerbaum/Peter Markwort/Georg Mund...

9. Act II, No.16: Meine Herren, Meine Mutter Pragte - Lotte Lenya/Horst Gunter/North German Radio Chor/Max Thurn

10. Act II, No.17: Wenn Der Himmel Hell Wird - Heinz Sauerbaum

See all 17 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Viva la Lenya! Viva la Weill! Viva la Brecht!, July 29, 2000

By 

Sean "jjpeachum" (LOOK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kurt Weill - Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny / Lenya · Brückner-Rüggeberg (Audio CD)

This recording, as the above editorial review states, is very faithful to the original spirit of MAHAGONNY and the decadent Weimar Republic. Lenya is absolutely brilliant. First off, in "Ach, Bedanken Sie, Herr Jacob Schmidt:" her voice is plaintiff, yet unsentimental. She delves into the role of Jenny, showing us her pathetic upbringing in this song, and hopping right back up for the sexual manipulation of Jenny's character in the ensuing scene with Jimmu Mahoney. But her real triumph is in Jenny's big, Act Two soliliquy "Denn Wie Man Sich Bettet." It is among the dramatic highlights of the show, and Lenya has stamped her name on this song forever. This score is undeniably inventive, just listen to the underscoring in the opening dialogue between Fatty and Trinity-Moses. Then there is the brass and woodwind fugue that represents the approach of the typhoon, and all of the above-mentioned songs. The tenor portraying Jimmy Mahoney on this album is of very good voice, and it shows in his "Duet of the Cranes" with Lenya, as well as his first act two arias. The three woodcutter's make a good harmonic combination in "Wunderbar ist des Heraufkommen des Abends--," and this, along with the "Crane Duet" and the chorus act two opening chorale, poses as one of the few calm, peaceful moments in this in-your-face ferocity (the chorus sounds beautiful in their act two opener). The only quibbles that I have with this album are the quick tempos (which was neccesary to fit the score on two long-playing records in its original 1958 release), and a few spots where Weill's original orchestrations have been tampered with. Other than that this is a highly enjoyable recording, and a good introduction to one of the few masterpieces among 20th Century Opera that was not by Menotti or Stravinsky.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If Mack the Knife is all you know, you're really missing out, October 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Kurt Weill - Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny / Lenya · Brückner-Rüggeberg (Audio CD)

Truly this is Weill's masterpiece, and perhaps one of Bert Brecht's best, too. If a drunk Ferruchio Busoni wrote Dixieland jazz, this probably would be the result. I also have the Capriccio CD, and despite it's superior fidelity, the performances don't compare. (Except for the restoration of the "bordello-scene"; omitted in this recording.) In the Capriccio CD, the singing is pompous, more befitting an inflated "Rienzi"; in this vintage recording, the performance is probably closer to Weill's conception. Doors freaks will enjoy the "Alabama-Song"; while political historians will notice a clever foreshadowing of the maniacal reign of Hitler. This is the quintissential Weill--forget Dreigroschenoper! The omitted star is for mono sound, but one hardly notices the limitation.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MAHAGONNY ROCKS!, May 31, 1999

By 

MOVIE MAVEN (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kurt Weill - Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny / Lenya · Brückner-Rüggeberg (Audio CD)

Don't be 'afraid' of this exciting music-theatre work even if your idea of opera is only hurdy-gurdy-verdi. It is melodic and jazzy and very exciting. The performances are first rate: real singing ACTORS! (inc. Weill's widow, Lotte Lenya). The recording was made in the 1950's but the sound is terrific. Everytime I listen to it (and I listen far more than I ever thought I would) I get chills.