1. Black album cover with pop-art style graphics portraying the seven deadly sins. Text reads The Seven Deadly Sins, Weill, Sir Simon Rattle, Magdalena Kozena, Andrew Staples, FlorianBoesch, Ross Ramgobin, Alessandro Fisher

Weill: The Seven Deadly Sins

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A stinging critique of capitalist society, 'The Seven Deadly Sins' brings into sharp focus the perpetual battle between money and morals.

Created by the trail-blazing duo of the Weimer Republic, Kurt Weill and Bertold Brecht, the satirical ballet-chanté 'The Seven Deadly Sins' was to be the pair's final collaboration. Hitler had come to power, and the Jewish Weill and Marxist Brecht had both left Germany in haste.

Weill was to come to terms with capitalist America more readily than Brecht, writing a series of popular musicals for Broadway with other collaborators. But, in 'The Seven Deadly Sins', Brecht’s pen is still dripping with venom as he excoriates the continent's sleazy, materialistic values, the biblical septet of vices here given a contemporary twist.

The story tells of daughter Anna (Magdalena Kožená), who is sent away from her family, tasked with bringing back enough money to build a house on the Mississippi River. Through seven years and seven cities—from Memphis and Los Angeles to Philadelphia and San Francisco—Anna encounters the seven deadly sins, and is forced to make her choice between what is profitable and what is right.

Sir Simon Rattle, the London Symphony Orchestra and a star-studded line-up of soloists bring this shamelessly entertaining work to life alongside a collection of Weill's other most memorable works, including Death in the Forest and Little Threepenny Music.

Generously supported by the Jeremy and John Sacher Charitable Trust.

Funded in part by The Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, Inc., New York, NY

Composer Kurt Weill
Conductor Sir Simon Rattle
Performers Magdalena Kožená, Andrew Staples, Florian Boesch, Ross Ramgobin, Alessandro Fisher, London Symphony Orchestra

The Seven Deadly Sins
1. Prologue
2. Sloth
3. Pride
4. Wrath
5. Gluttony
6. Lust
7. Greed
8. Envy
9. Epilogue

Death in the Forest, Op. 23
10. Death in the Forest, Op. 23

Street Scene
11. Act I, Lonely House

Four Walt Whitman Songs
12. I. Beat! Beat! Drums!
13. IV. Dirge for Two Veterans

Little Threepenny Music
14. Overture
15. The Ballad of Mack the Knife
16. Instead of...
17. Ballad of the Pleasant Life
18. Polly's Song
19. Tango Ballad
20. Cannon Song
21. Threepenny Finale

Release Date 17 January 2025
LSO0880 | 0822231188025
LSO0880-D | 0822231188063

Producer Andrew Cornall
Engineers Jonathan Stokes and Neil Hutchinson for Classic Sound Ltd
Recorded 28 April 2022 in the Barbican Hall, London

Booklet in English, French & German

ALAC - Stereo 24bit 96kHz - Compatible with Apple devices (MacOS and iOS)
FLAC - Stereo 24bit 96kHz - Compatible with Windows and Android devices
MP3 - Stereo 320kbps - Universal compatibility
SACD - Stereo & 5.1 multi-channel - Compatible with all CD players

Available on streaming services

Reviews

“

Anna's journey from initial hopefulness through heartbreak to a final weary return home is movingly conveyed by Kožená, while the characterisation of the individual numbers is vividly realised by Rattle and his players.

- Europadisc
“

Rattle and the LSO give the composition a lot of verve, which noticeably emphasises the satirical fun factor ... the recording exudes the edgy, tough charm that has made the Weill-Brecht team a brand.

- High Res Audio
“

The London Symphony Orchestra and Simon Rattle give these recordings exactly the colouration and stringency that the music needs to fully develop its character, with strikingly shaped but always cultivated playing.

- Pizzicato