Weil: The Seven Deadly Sins

 Day 311

Weil: The Seven Deadly Sins

Anne Sofie Von Otter

NDR Symphony Orchestra

John Elliot Gardiner

I’ve not much experience of Kurt Weil. I’ve never seen any of his pieces on the stage (though I do recall seeing the film of the Threepenny Opera at university) and I know only a handful of the popular songs. I’ don’t recall hearing any of his orchestral works, though I know that some people speak very highly of them.

I couldn’t quite get on the right wavelength for the Seven Deadly Sins. The music for the small group of male singers seems very weak and characterless. The protagonist Jenny (there are two Jennies - a singer and dancer) has more interesting music but I found the juxtaposition of styles difficult to reconcile. At times this was pure agit prop, at other times cabaret and then operatic. It didn’t hang together for me. I imagine that without the visual impact of seeing a dancer you only get half of the effect of the piece, so perhaps judging it on purely musical terms is unfair. But I didn’t feel much like exploring more Kurt Weil.