Label news: It’s been a Weill
OrchestrasThe Berlin conductor Joanna Mallwitz is set for a Deutsche Grammophon debut this summer.
She has recorded the two Kurt Weill symphonies together with the Seven Deadly Sins, due for release in August.
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Photo composition marketing question: were there any composed studio photos with Karajan on a cover, where he looked into the camera?
https://www.discogs.com/release/5944498-Richard-Strauss-Berliner-Philharmoniker-Herbert-von-Karajan-Ein-Heldenleben
Well he did not look into the camera here.
He kind of does? But creating as much distance to the viewer as one possible can while doing so? Interesting, how it‘s trying to be different to his usual DG visual marketing strategy.
Hadn‘t seen this EMI cover yet.
Very curious how it came to that and how he approved that.
It was probably his concept, Tamino. As you know, he was a stage director too. And yes, he’s certainly staring at the lens.
About the Mallwitz, nobody would know from the cover that the two symphonies and Todsünden are on the CD! This bothers me more than her beautiful eyes.
From the photographer’s angle, Karajan was looking at somewhere lower left to the camera lens here, not into the camera itself.
Same one that immediately came to my mind.
That cover photo just screams ‘Lydia Tar’.
Except that Cate Blanchett is a better conductor.
Ulex, it actually does!
Performed the 2nd Symphony of Weill on several occasions.
Superbly-crafted piece.
The composer’s name is in larger fonts than the conductor’s. That was a commendable step in the right direction.
Next thing to hope for: eliminating silly words like “The … Album” or “Project” or [whatever nonsense the marketing team last thought of].
I never got, why marketing people think those ‚concept‘ titles are the dernier cri. In me they mostly trigger „how ridiculous“ or „how pretentious“. Exceptions apply. Same goes for „reimagined“. Barf emoji.
100%
It’s so stupid. Most shoppers will not even realize that the two symphonies are on the CD. “Album” implies bits and pieces. Otherwise we would expect to read:
“Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2”
and
“Die sieben Todsünden”
DG spends more money on strange photographic choreography than the recording. Contorted Icelandics, Finnish octopi and now a baton twirler. The next new artist will appear on the cover upside down underwater.
I’m not sure what to think of maestra yet but I’m so thrilled about her choice for debut. Weill is one of my favorite composers and Seven Deadly Sins imprinted on me when I was a teenager. I know every recording and have strong opinions. And I’ve been fortunate to perform it! Can’t wait.
What do you think of Anne-Sophie von Otter with Gardiner? Just curious. I love it but am barely familiar with other performances.
Why don’t they put the titles of the works on the cover? Surely that would help to sell the CD.
All the way to the 80s and 90s, DG was a label that literally struck most, if not all, classical music world stakeholders. If you walked into the classical section of a record store, you knew that if you saw yellow that you were virtually guaranteed a quality recording. Now it’s a joke like all the other labels giving priority to DEI and wokeness (AKA things that really have nothing to do with sound or artistry).
Does anyone know who will sing/speak the roles of Anna I and Anna II in “Die sieben Todsünden”?
I think I have them all, from Lenya to Marianne Faithful; personal favourite: Gisela May.
Anna II is danced only, I believe. Anna I is sung by “sängerin und schauspielerin” Katharine Mehrling. The father is Michael Porter (tenor), the mother Oliver Zwarg (bass), and the brothers are Simon Bode (tenor) and Michael Nagl (cf. Nagy; bass).
Yes, the old Eterna Kegel is excellent, with Schreier as dad. I like Gardiner w/ASvO as well.
Actually, Anna II does have a few spoken lines, such as “Aber lieber schon im sechs” when Anna I announces the achievement of their goal in seven years.
very sexist prurient PR photo, caressing a long shaft in her fingers.
KurzWeillig?
From DG’s Amazon.de info page…..Joana Mallwitz puts Kurt Weill’s music at the center of her Deutsche Grammophon debut album. As the first chief conductor of a large Berlin orchestra, it is of great concern to her to dedicate the recording to a composer whose name is synonymous with the city of Berlin. “The Kurt Weill Album” presents three works that the conductor has recorded together with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin: the Symphony No. 1 “Berlin Symphony”, the Symphony No. 2 “Fantaisie symphonique” and “The Seven Deadly Sins”. According to texts by Bertolt Brecht, the latter was premiered in Paris in June 1933. As Mallwitz notes, this satirical ballet with singing in seven pictures with prologue and epilogue tells the story of a young woman whose personality was broken into two parts by her greedy, abusive family. Katharine Mehrling sings the Anna I & II, the other roles are sung by the tenors Michael Porter and Simon Bode, the baritone Michael Nagl and the bass baritone Oliver Zwarg. Let’s see and give this one a chance.