At Theatre des Champs Elysees in Paris, the brilliant mezzo-soprano Angelika Kirschschlager is following up the Lotte Lenya tradition in performing  the two soprano roles in The Mahagonny Songspiel and in Les Sept Péchés capitaux, both by Kurt Weill, music, and Bert Brecht, text
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Applause at Weill Brecht performances. Foto Tomas Bagackas.

These two pieces was performed September 12th and 14th 2009 at Theatre des Champs Elysees, and the audience loved it
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Angelika Kirschschlager is performing and singing brilliantly, and I had the sincere feeling that she was following close in the footsteps to Lotte Lenya, who was the first to perform them in 1927 and 1933. Angelika Kirschschlager has the right feeling in her voice, in addition to having a beautiful tune and a very good register with beautiful hig, and deep tunes
. In Mahagonny she sis followed closely up by Catherine Hunold, a good soprany, with a charm in her performing, which Mahagonny needs, and a beautiful voice, the two female singers duets were great.

But they are not alone about it

. A very good male quartet, Simeon Esper, tenor, Yves Saelens, tenor, Holger Falk, baryton and Graeme Broadbent, bass, followed up with their different and demanding solo ond choirparts. Mr. Graeme Broadbent played too in the last of the pieces the dragrole, with humor charm, and a talent for being a man in woman clothes, that the audience enjoyed.

Ensemble Modern splendidd leaded by the young conductor Jérémy Rhorer, played a big and importent role in this performance, it sounded great, and showed wonderful musicallity.

Well functioning scenography by Nelson Wolmotte, We enjoyed the filmed parts, and the woman on the screen, played by Cécilie Ducrocq in the last of the two pieces. The costumes by Macha Makeïf was good, the production shows a good cooperation between the decor and costumes, whoch we appreciated, and Dominique Bruguière had given it all a good atmosphaere making light.

I do hope that this performance will get a life after these two great performances at Theatre des Champs Elysees, as thiswas Weill and Brecht at its best
. The small historys are well functioning in to days society. The problem is that many people dont know the songs, but in fact some of us have heard for exempel the Alabama song before, and some of the other tunes. I would like to recommend this performance to touring and guesting many places, also for festivals. It could be good for TV too.