Speak Low (Songs by Kurt Weill) & The Seven Deadly Sins [Die Sieben Todsunden] ~ von Otter

Anne Sofie von Otter (Artist), Karl-Heinz Lampe (Artist), Frederick Martin (Artist), Christfried Biebrach (Artist), James Sims (Artist), Kurt Weill (Composer), John Eliot Gardiner (Conductor), Hannover North German Radio Orchestra (Orchestra), Bengt Forsberg (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Bengt Forsberg
• Orchestra: Hannover North German Radio Orchestra
• Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner
• Composer: Kurt Weill
• Audio CD (March 14, 1995)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Deutsche Grammophon
• ASIN: B000001GM3
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #189,073 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #44 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Divas > Otter, Anne Sophie von

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent reading from both singer and conductor, January 26, 2005

By 

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

This review is from: Speak Low (Songs by Kurt Weill) & The Seven Deadly Sins [Die Sieben Todsunden] ~ von Otter (Audio CD)

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.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Anne Sofie's best - and that's saying something, April 26, 2002

By 

Bruce Hodges (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Speak Low (Songs by Kurt Weill) & The Seven Deadly Sins [Die Sieben Todsunden] ~ von Otter (Audio CD)

This outstanding singer has done a lot of marvelous work, including works by unfamiliar Swedish composers, songs of Korngold and Mahler, and recently a disc of songs by Cecile Chaminade. (And let's not forget her outing with Elvis Costello!)

This Weill disc is perhaps more familiar territory, but striking for the utterly intelligent singing on display. I recently heard her perform some of these songs live in recital, and they were the highlight of an afternoon that was chock-full of great moments. Yes, she has a fantastic instrument. But what distinguishes her from many others is her musical instinct - her ability to interpret, her impeccable phrasing, her total confidence in performing.

As just one example, listen to how she shapes "Surabaya, Johnny," bringing out its longing and sadness without a trace of excess. It is poignant without being maudlin. The beautiful "My Ship" sounds as effortless as if it had been written for her.

Other versions of "The Seven Deadly Sins" have been hits; Teresa Stratas and Ute Lemper's outstanding versions come to mind, and these singers are also great actresses. But for sheer vocal artistry, von Otter is hard to beat. Suave accompaniment also, by John Eliot Gardiner and the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra, and clear, natural sound. Totally engaging.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous, July 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Speak Low (Songs by Kurt Weill) & The Seven Deadly Sins [Die Sieben Todsunden] ~ von Otter (Audio CD)

I've always found Ms. von Otter to be a very classy, intelligent singer. When I first bought this CD about six months ago, I was primarily interested in hearing the soprano version of "Seven Deadly Sins." Suffice it to say that this recording puts both the work and von Otter in the upper brackets of the classical music world. She sings with panache, ease, and lovely tone. Her pronunciation of each language she sings in is flawless (I challenge anyone to listen to her English and not think she could be a native speaker). On some of the songs, she betters Stratas and Lenya. I've fallen in love (so to say) with Ms. von Otter because of this recording, and have rediscovered my love for Weill's music. Give yourself a treat and get this disc.