Tank Battles:the songs of Hanns Eisler [Import]

Dagmar Krause | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 1, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Voiceprint
• ASIN: B000024CVA
• Also Available in: Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #632,324 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. The Song of the Whitewash

2. (I Read About) Tank Battles

3. You Have to Pay

4. Chanson Allemande

5. The Ballad of the Sackslingers

6. Mother Beimlein

7. The Perhaps Song

8. Lied von der Belebeden Wirkung des Geldes (The Song of the ...)

9. Mankind

10. Bettellied

11. Song of a German Mother

12. Change the World - It Needs It

13. Bankenlied (Banking Song)

14. Legende von der Entstehung des Buches Taoteking (Legend of the ...)

15. Balad Of (Bourgoise) Welfare

16. Mother's Hands

17. Berlin 1919

18. And I Shall Never See Again

19. Genevieve: Ostern Ist ein Ball Sur Seine (Genevieve: Easter There Is a

20. The Wise Woman and the Soldier

See all 36 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eisler brought up to date, May 29, 2002

By 

J. W. Reitsma (Haarlem, the Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tank Battles:the songs of Hanns Eisler (Audio CD)

Well, up to 1988, really. But songwriting like this is both of its time and timeless. By rights, I should not be reviewing this record, since I only own the original German-language edition called 'Pantzerschlacht', issued simultaneously with a version in (mostly) English.
On this re-issue, the latter version is supplemented with a generous reprise of ten songs in German as a sort of appendix. However, on the basis of those ten tracks alone and in the knowledge that the same inventive, fresh arrangements by Greg Cohen (more commonly known as a sideman of Tom Waits and John Zorn) are used on the English-language version, I can confidently encourage anyone who thinks that classically-trained singers are usually ineffective in the Brecht-Weill repertoire, and who senses that it must be possible to do it justice, to sample this take on the more politically militant if equally humane Hanns Eisler. Krause has an expressive voice and expert delivery that is eminently suited to this socially and politically aware repertoire. Some songs are all fired up and energetic with militant drums and electric guitars, some are even circus-like. On some of the tragic songs (esp. the heartwrenching song of a German mother) Krause confers a quiet dignity that is extremely effective. As a consummate artist, she hits home through an expressive restraint.
And check out the backing musicians too, recruited largely from the English progressive music scene and including Alexander Balanescu, John Harle and Lindsay Cooper.