Search - Ute Lemper, Jürgen Knieper, Kurt Weill :: Ute Lemper chante Kurt Weill

Wo ist der Schnee vom verganenen Jahr?

EriKa | Iceland | 10/04/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The powerhouse voice, the crisp, clear German; the cute slightly accented French, with Kurt Weill's standards. You cannot go wrong with any Ute Lemper recording, really, because she and her voice are exquisite. While the entire collection is superb, my favourites are "Salomon Song" (track four), the heavenly and sad "Nannas Lied" ("Gott sei Dank geht alles schnell vorüber, Auch die Liebe und der Kummer sogar. Wo sind die Tränen con gestern abend? Wo ist der Schnee vom verganenen Jahr?" in English "Thank God it's all over quickly, the love and the grief as well, Where are last night's tears? Where are the snows of yesteryear?"), and "Lied des Lottieagenten". Definitely a lovely, listening pleasure. UTE LEMPER SINGS KURT WEILL Vol. 2, which seems to be unavailable, is maybe worth four stars. Volume 2 is never quite the exceptional work of volume one. Volume one is usually inspired by some brilliant idea, while volume two is about capitalising on the brilliance of the first idea, like movie sequels. This is not to say that this is not a superb collection of music. It is. You cannot fail with Ute Lemper who delivers consistently brilliant interpretations of whatever music she is recording... in this case, the works of Kurt Weill. She is the perfect vehicle for these recordings. Outstanding moments here include "Der Song von Mandelay", which is melodic with a carnival-like atmosphere; "Das Lied von Branntweinhändler" showcases Lemper's fantastic vocal abilities, as does the French-language "Youkali" which is my favourite tune on the album with its expression of hope for happiness and pleasures! The booklet/CD insert is in German, English, and French, so there is a little something for everyone."