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Asked by Decca Records, Michael Haas was searching for the singer of Weill album. He thought it should not be a professional classical singer, it should be an actress singer like Lotte Lenya. After a long research, Haas encountered a German born actress, Ute Lemper. He discovered "the ideal combination of astonishing musicality and a text awareness which is both idiomatic and sensitive, whether the texts are German, French or English." This album is a cleverly well produced one. Very entertaining. Lemper's singing succeeded in adding some new nuances on Lenya's interpretations. Her singing sometimes gets very close to the excessive points, but she never goes beyond. She stays in a good sense with humor. The before-War-German-like cover art is also good.

”

Ute Lemper: Soprano
Wolfgang Meyer: Harmonium
Kai Rautenberg: Piano

Ensembles and Conductors

Berlin RIAS Chamber Orchestra
John Mauceri: Conductor

Composers

Bertolt Brecht
Ogden Nash
Kurt Weill

Tracks:

1. Fennimores Lied
2. Cäsars Tod
3. Die Moritat von mackei Messer
4. Salomon Song
5. Die ballade Vonm der Sexuellen Hörigkeit
6. Zu Potsdam Unter Den Eichen
7. Nanna's Lied ("Meine Herren,mit siebzehn Jahren"), song for voice & piano (info)
8. Lied des Lotterieagenten
9. Alabama Song
10. Denn Wie Man Sich Bettet
11. Je Ne T'aime Pas
12. I'm a Stranger Here Myself
13. Westwind
14. Speak Low