Review: "LOST IN THE STARS" - Kurt Weill and his Music. Karen Cummings, soprano with Marie Louise Catsalis at the piano. Directed by Bill Stephens. School of Arts Cafe, May 16 1996. Reviewed by TONY MAGEE

Lost In The Stars

Kurt Weill and his music

Karen Cummings, soprano with Marie Louise Catsalis at the piano. Directed by Bill Stephens. School of Arts Cafe, 

May 16 1996

Reviewed by Tony Magee

German born composer Kurt Weill studied composition at the Berlin Musikhochschule with Humperdink during 1918 and 1919, continuing with Busoni from 1921 to 1924. Busoni's influence is apparent in Weill's early works such as his String Quartet (1923) and further influences from Schoenburg, particularly expressionism and an approaching atonality, are features of his one act opera Der Protagonist (1926) and his Concerto for violin and wind (1924). I mention this only to highlight the solid musical background from which Weill emerged and to further highlight the enormity of the changes in his compositional style, for Weill's music took a new direction when he became Brecht's collaborator in 1927, evolving a cabaret style which he used to great effect to highlight the corruption of capitalism which Brecht was exposing in such works as Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera) (1928) and Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny (The Rise and Fall of the City Of Mahagonny) (1930).

Soprano, Karen Cummings

It is from this point that mezzo-soprano Karen Cummings and accompanist Marie Louise Catsalis delivered a really first class presentation of the music of Kurt Weill, still embracing a huge variety of styles and languages - for whilst this show featured Weill's music for the Berlin cabaret, it also covers his French Chansons and the songs he wrote for the Broadway stage.

Cummings chose to render songs from each of these periods in their native language - her French is outstanding -  luscious and romantic as evidenced by performances of chansons, J'atten a Navire and Je Ne T'aime Pas. Her German is good, although needing further work to be really convincing, but nonetheless delivering fine performances of Berlin im Licht and Nanna's Leid.

Lost In The Stars is constructed in an ingenious and intriguing way. Director Bill Stephens in conjunction with the two performers has connected the musical numbers together with informative dialogue presented through the eyes of a friend of Weill's (played by Cummings). Generally, Cummings portrayed this characterisation confidently and convincingly, although at times the heavy European accent wandered between French and German  - something to work on, but still very good going for a first night run.

Weill's German cabaret period continued in to the early thirties, his song style further developing along the lines of an expose of the real and not necessarily attractive Berlin Society.

Director, Bill Stephens

With Hitler's appointment as chancellor on 30th January 1933, the bright lights of the Berlin cabaret scene were suddenly extinguished, condemned by the Nazis as "Jewish and Bolshevist culture". Thousands of artists and intellectuals left Germany for uncertain exile - Weill went to America. 

Here he concerned himself almost exclusively with the Broadway musical theatre, and here Cummings presented us with beautifully portrayed renditions of That's Him, I'm A Stranger Myself and My Ship (from Lady In the Dark, 1941). Act II of the show continued with Weill's Broadway output, featuring Lonely House and stunning versions of  September Song and It Never Was You (both from Knickerbocker Holiday, 1938). Act II also unveiled further offerings from the French Chanson repertoire, featuring Le Roi d'Aquitaine and Le Grand Lustucru - once again performed with an outstanding feeling for delivery and sense of story within the French language.

The song Lost In the Stars itself was used both as an opener and a closer to great effect and is from the show of the same name, composed in 1949.

    

Marie Louise Catsalis' accompaniments were absolutely first rate - every phrase and breath of Cummings was felt and accommodated. The two performers really are a wonderful musical unity.

Well - what an amazing show. Some of the historical account which I have given is not included in the dialogue presented by Cummings - perhaps an area for greater reflection at some stage - but Weill's short fifty years of life contains so much that you really can't include too much detail; we'd still be there now!

Originally published in Muse Magazine (Canberra), June 1996