Nimbus
Weill: Lost In The Stars / Rudel, Concert Chorale Of New York
$16.99
Details
- Composer
- WEILL. KURT
- Artist
- Hopkins, Woodley, Clarey, Woods, Pindell, Howard, Vogt, Rudel, Concert Chor
- Format
- CD
- Label
- Nimbus
- Released
- Jul 01, 2009
- Catalog #
- NI2543
- UPC
- 710357254321
About
Weill’s last completed work given a fine, dramatic reading.
Lost in the Stars is Weill’s last completed work. It was based on the novel, Cry the Beloved Country by the South African writer, Alan Paton (1903-1988) and represents a very speedy adaptation, since Paton’s book was only published in 1948. Yet by the following year Weill and his librettist, Maxwell Anderson (1888-1959), had written the musical, which opened on Broadway in October 1949, where the original production ran for 273 performances.
In brief, the story concerns Stephen Kumalo, an African pastor, serving in a South African country parish, whose son, Absalom, has gone off to find work and a better life in Johannesburg. There he meets Irina, who conceives their child, but he also falls in with some less suitable male company and with these men he takes part in a burglary, during the course of which a white man – ironically, a campaigner for racial equality in Paton’s novel - is killed. When Stephen, unaware of these events, arrives in Johannesburg to search for his son he eventually finds the pregnant Irina and then locates his son, who is in jail, awaiting trial.
Inevitably Absalom is found guilty and sentenced to death. Not only are father and son reconciled but Stephen realises Irina’s worth. He marries the couple in jail so that their child will have Absalom’s name, and then takes Irina back to the family home and his parish where she is taken into the family’s care before the death sentence on Absalom is carried out.
This is emphatically not a conventional subject for a Broadway musical – like the earlier groundbreaking Showboat, which addressed the issue of miscegenation, it tackles a tough subject but it’s much more gritty than Jerome Kern’s great show. As David Kilroy observes in his excellent note, Lost in the Stars created in 1949 “a musico-dramatic parable of a new social order for an American public floundering with its own racial prejudices in the immediate postwar era.” In fact, in many ways it takes us back to the world of Weill’s collaborations with Bertolt Brecht. For example, there are some similarities in the musical styles. The scoring is for a small ensemble of some sixteen players and quite often the instrumental writing is pungent in a way that recalls those Brecht shows.
Lost in the Stars was Weill’s last completed work and it’s a fine creation, its quality emphasised by this excellent performance. We only get the musical numbers together with some of the spoken dialogue but the story line is not compromised.
The musical invention is strong; there are several memorable numbers in the show. The best of them fall to the character of Stephen and, in a strong cast, Arthur Woodley is one of the best performers of all. He has a fine, firm voice. His tone is consistently strong and round and his diction is excellent – though the libretto is printed it’s almost superfluous since all the cast enunciate very clearly. Woodley brings dignity and intensity to the role and among the highlights of the entire performance are his renditions of ‘Little Gray House’ and the title song. He also gives an excellent account of the emotionally charged soliloquy, ‘O Tixo, Tixo, Help Me!’ in Act II.
The other principal character is Irina, Absalom’s girlfriend. Cynthia Clarey gives a strong account of Irina’s music, singing ‘Stay Well’ expressively and delivering the touching ‘Trouble Man’ with real feeling. My one reservation is that her voice is a big, mature instrument and it might be thought rather too heavy to suggest a young, frightened and vulnerable girl.
Also impressive is Gregory Hopkins as the Leader of the chorus. He has a ringing, pliant tenor voice, which serves the opening number ‘The Hills of Ixopo’ very well. Even better is the ardent song, ‘Cry the Beloved Country’. Incidentally, great trouble has evidently been taken to ensure authentic pronunciation by all the cast; an adviser from the South African embassy, Tuli Demikude, was retained specially for this purpose
The chorus and orchestra are very fine indeed, bringing out all the tension and bite in Weill’s score but providing the right emotional charge. Julius Rudel directs proceedings with evident commitment to the score. The rhythms are kept tight and the memorable tunes flow most convincingly.
The recorded sound is perhaps a little close but not in any troubling way. Indeed, there’s rather a feel of the performance being mounted in a small theatre. Perhaps, though, that feeling is more down to the dramatic flair of this performance. The work clearly matters a great deal to Rudel, who says in a brief introductory comment that he regards it as “a composition of great depth, deceptively couched in simple settings.” That belief in the score shines through in his fine, dramatic reading.
Originally made for the MusicMasters catalogue, it’s excellent news that the recording has now been reissued by Nimbus. All admirers of Kurt Weill will want to add it to their collections but it should be heard by anyone interested in the unique art-form that is the American Musical.
-- John Quinn, MusicWeb International
Lost in the Stars is Weill’s last completed work. It was based on the novel, Cry the Beloved Country by the South African writer, Alan Paton (1903-1988) and represents a very speedy adaptation, since Paton’s book was only published in 1948. Yet by the following year Weill and his librettist, Maxwell Anderson (1888-1959), had written the musical, which opened on Broadway in October 1949, where the original production ran for 273 performances.
In brief, the story concerns Stephen Kumalo, an African pastor, serving in a South African country parish, whose son, Absalom, has gone off to find work and a better life in Johannesburg. There he meets Irina, who conceives their child, but he also falls in with some less suitable male company and with these men he takes part in a burglary, during the course of which a white man – ironically, a campaigner for racial equality in Paton’s novel - is killed. When Stephen, unaware of these events, arrives in Johannesburg to search for his son he eventually finds the pregnant Irina and then locates his son, who is in jail, awaiting trial.
Inevitably Absalom is found guilty and sentenced to death. Not only are father and son reconciled but Stephen realises Irina’s worth. He marries the couple in jail so that their child will have Absalom’s name, and then takes Irina back to the family home and his parish where she is taken into the family’s care before the death sentence on Absalom is carried out.
This is emphatically not a conventional subject for a Broadway musical – like the earlier groundbreaking Showboat, which addressed the issue of miscegenation, it tackles a tough subject but it’s much more gritty than Jerome Kern’s great show. As David Kilroy observes in his excellent note, Lost in the Stars created in 1949 “a musico-dramatic parable of a new social order for an American public floundering with its own racial prejudices in the immediate postwar era.” In fact, in many ways it takes us back to the world of Weill’s collaborations with Bertolt Brecht. For example, there are some similarities in the musical styles. The scoring is for a small ensemble of some sixteen players and quite often the instrumental writing is pungent in a way that recalls those Brecht shows.
Lost in the Stars was Weill’s last completed work and it’s a fine creation, its quality emphasised by this excellent performance. We only get the musical numbers together with some of the spoken dialogue but the story line is not compromised.
The musical invention is strong; there are several memorable numbers in the show. The best of them fall to the character of Stephen and, in a strong cast, Arthur Woodley is one of the best performers of all. He has a fine, firm voice. His tone is consistently strong and round and his diction is excellent – though the libretto is printed it’s almost superfluous since all the cast enunciate very clearly. Woodley brings dignity and intensity to the role and among the highlights of the entire performance are his renditions of ‘Little Gray House’ and the title song. He also gives an excellent account of the emotionally charged soliloquy, ‘O Tixo, Tixo, Help Me!’ in Act II.
The other principal character is Irina, Absalom’s girlfriend. Cynthia Clarey gives a strong account of Irina’s music, singing ‘Stay Well’ expressively and delivering the touching ‘Trouble Man’ with real feeling. My one reservation is that her voice is a big, mature instrument and it might be thought rather too heavy to suggest a young, frightened and vulnerable girl.
Also impressive is Gregory Hopkins as the Leader of the chorus. He has a ringing, pliant tenor voice, which serves the opening number ‘The Hills of Ixopo’ very well. Even better is the ardent song, ‘Cry the Beloved Country’. Incidentally, great trouble has evidently been taken to ensure authentic pronunciation by all the cast; an adviser from the South African embassy, Tuli Demikude, was retained specially for this purpose
The chorus and orchestra are very fine indeed, bringing out all the tension and bite in Weill’s score but providing the right emotional charge. Julius Rudel directs proceedings with evident commitment to the score. The rhythms are kept tight and the memorable tunes flow most convincingly.
The recorded sound is perhaps a little close but not in any troubling way. Indeed, there’s rather a feel of the performance being mounted in a small theatre. Perhaps, though, that feeling is more down to the dramatic flair of this performance. The work clearly matters a great deal to Rudel, who says in a brief introductory comment that he regards it as “a composition of great depth, deceptively couched in simple settings.” That belief in the score shines through in his fine, dramatic reading.
Originally made for the MusicMasters catalogue, it’s excellent news that the recording has now been reissued by Nimbus. All admirers of Kurt Weill will want to add it to their collections but it should be heard by anyone interested in the unique art-form that is the American Musical.
-- John Quinn, MusicWeb International
Tracklist 22 tracks
-
1 Act I: The Hills Of Ixopo: There is a lady road that runs from Ixopo into the hills (Leader, Answerer) 04:16
- Track
- 1
- Title
- Act I: The Hills Of Ixopo: There is a lady road that runs from Ixopo into the hills (Leader, Answerer)
- Duration
- 04:16
- Composer
- Kurt Weill
- Performer
- Gregory Hopkins
- Ensemble
- New York Concert Chorale, Orchestra of St. Luke's
- Conductor
- Julius Rudel
-
2 Act I: Thousands Of Miles: There is a great gulf between people (Stephen) 03:24
- Track
- 2
- Title
- Act I: Thousands Of Miles: There is a great gulf between people (Stephen)
- Duration
- 03:24
- Composer
- Kurt Weill
- Performer
- Arthur Woodley
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of St. Luke's
- Conductor
- Julius Rudel
-
3 Act I: Train To Johannesburg: Attention! The train of Johannesberg will be here in five minutes (Station Master, Chorus, Leader, Young Man, Young Woman, Stephen) 03:28
- Track
- 3
- Title
- Act I: Train To Johannesburg: Attention! The train of Johannesberg will be here in five minutes (Station Master, Chorus, Leader, Young Man, Young Woman, Stephen)
- Duration
- 03:28
- Composer
- Kurt Weill
- Performer
- Richard Vogt, Gregory Hopkins, Arthur Woodley
- Ensemble
- New York Concert Chorale, Orchestra of St. Luke's
- Conductor
- Julius Rudel
-
4 Act I: The Little Tin God: We've come to a time in the age of our planet (John Kumalo, Chorus) 01:29
- Track
- 4
- Title
- Act I: The Little Tin God: We've come to a time in the age of our planet (John Kumalo, Chorus)
- Duration
- 01:29
- Composer
- Kurt Weill
- Performer
- Reginald Pindell
- Ensemble
- New York Concert Chorale, Orchestra of St. Luke's
- Conductor
- Julius Rudel
-
5 Act I: The Search: Look for your son at Fourteen Krause Street (Leader, Stephen, Chorus, Foreman, Mrs. Mikize, Hlabeni, Eland) 05:24
- Track
- 5
- Title
- Act I: The Search: Look for your son at Fourteen Krause Street (Leader, Stephen, Chorus, Foreman, Mrs. Mikize, Hlabeni, Eland)
- Duration
- 05:24
- Composer
- Kurt Weill
- Performer
- Gregory Hopkins, Arthur Woodley
- Ensemble
- New York Concert Chorale, Orchestra of St. Luke's
- Conductor
- Julius Rudel
-
6 Act I, Intro: Little Gray House: Uncle Stephen? (Alex, Stephen) 01:02
- Track
- 6
- Title
- Act I, Intro: Little Gray House: Uncle Stephen? (Alex, Stephen)
- Duration
- 01:02
- Composer
- Kurt Weill
- Performer
- Arthur Woodley, Jamal Howard
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of St. Luke's
- Conductor
- Julius Rudel
-
7 Act I: Little Gray House: It'a a little gray house (Stephen, Alex, Chorus) 04:51
- Track
- 7
- Title
- Act I: Little Gray House: It'a a little gray house (Stephen, Alex, Chorus)
- Duration
- 04:51
- Composer
- Kurt Weill
- Performer
- Arthur Woodley, Jamal Howard
- Ensemble
- New York Concert Chorale, Orchestra of St. Luke's
- Conductor
- Julius Rudel
-
8 Act I: Who'll Buy?: Who'll buy my juicy rutabagas? (Linda) 03:06
- Track
- 8
- Title
- Act I: Who'll Buy?: Who'll buy my juicy rutabagas? (Linda)
- Duration
- 03:06
- Composer
- Kurt Weill
- Performer
- Cynthia Clarey
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of St. Luke's
- Conductor
- Julius Rudel
-
9 Act I: Trouble Man: Irina, if Absalom comes back to you (Stephen, Irina) 03:48
- Track
- 9
- Title
- Act I: Trouble Man: Irina, if Absalom comes back to you (Stephen, Irina)
- Duration
- 03:48
- Composer
- Kurt Weill
- Performer
- Gregory Hopkins, Carol Woods
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of St. Luke's
- Conductor
- Julius Rudel
-
10 Act I: Murderer In Parkwold: Who are you? What do you want? (Servant, Johannes, Matthew, Chorus, Woman, Man, Leader) 01:28
- Track
- 10
- Title
- Act I: Murderer In Parkwold: Who are you? What do you want? (Servant, Johannes, Matthew, Chorus, Woman, Man, Leader)
- Duration
- 01:28
- Composer
- Kurt Weill
- Performer
- Gregory Hopkins
- Ensemble
- New York Concert Chorale, Orchestra of St. Luke's
- Conductor
- Julius Rudel
-
11 Act I: Fear!: These streets are full of evil (Woman, Man, Chorus, White Chorus, Black Chorus) 20:59
- Track
- 11
- Title
- Act I: Fear!: These streets are full of evil (Woman, Man, Chorus, White Chorus, Black Chorus)
- Duration
- 20:59
- Composer
- Kurt Weill
- Ensemble
- New York Concert Chorale, Orchestra of St. Luke's
- Conductor
- Julius Rudel
-
12 Act I: Lost In The Stars: Uncle Stephen, why will Absalom not come home (Alex, Stephen) 03:25
- Track
- 12
- Title
- Act I: Lost In The Stars: Uncle Stephen, why will Absalom not come home (Alex, Stephen)
- Duration
- 03:25
- Composer
- Kurt Weill
- Performer
- Arthur Woodley, Jamal Howard
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of St. Luke's
- Conductor
- Julius Rudel
-
13 Act I: Entr'acte 03:28
- Track
- 13
- Title
- Act I: Entr'acte
- Duration
- 03:28
- Composer
- Kurt Weill
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of St. Luke's
- Conductor
- Julius Rudel
-
14 Act II: The Wild Justice: Have you fished for a fixed star with the lines of its light? (Leader, Chorus) 04:09
- Track
- 14
- Title
- Act II: The Wild Justice: Have you fished for a fixed star with the lines of its light? (Leader, Chorus)
- Duration
- 04:09
- Composer
- Kurt Weill
- Performer
- Gregory Hopkins
- Ensemble
- New York Concert Chorale, Orchestra of St. Luke's
- Conductor
- Julius Rudel
-
15 Act II: O Tixo, Tixo, Help Me!: Stephen, if your want Absalom to live (Voice, Stephen) 05:13
- Track
- 15
- Title
- Act II: O Tixo, Tixo, Help Me!: Stephen, if your want Absalom to live (Voice, Stephen)
- Duration
- 05:13
- Composer
- Kurt Weill
- Performer
- Arthur Woodley
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of St. Luke's
- Conductor
- Julius Rudel
-
16 Act II: Stay Well: If I tell truth to you, my love, my own (Irina, Stephen) 05:07
- Track
- 16
- Title
- Act II: Stay Well: If I tell truth to you, my love, my own (Irina, Stephen)
- Duration
- 05:07
- Composer
- Kurt Weill
- Performer
- Arthur Woodley, Cynthia Clarey
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of St. Luke's
- Conductor
- Julius Rudel
-
17 Act II: The Wild Justice: Ans here again in this place (Leader, Chorus) 00:37
- Track
- 17
- Title
- Act II: The Wild Justice: Ans here again in this place (Leader, Chorus)
- Duration
- 00:37
- Composer
- Kurt Weill
- Performer
- Gregory Hopkins
- Ensemble
- New York Concert Chorale, Orchestra of St. Luke's
- Conductor
- Julius Rudel
-
18 Act II: Absalom Kumalo, you are sentenced to be hanged by the neck (Judge, Leader, Chorus, Stephen, Irina, Woman, Absalom) 05:53
- Track
- 18
- Title
- Act II: Absalom Kumalo, you are sentenced to be hanged by the neck (Judge, Leader, Chorus, Stephen, Irina, Woman, Absalom)
- Duration
- 05:53
- Composer
- Kurt Weill
- Performer
- Arthur Woodley, Cynthia Clarey, Reginald Pindell
- Ensemble
- New York Concert Chorale, Orchestra of St. Luke's
- Conductor
- Julius Rudel
-
19 Act II: Big Mole: Big Mole was a digger of the lastest kind (Alex) 02:09
- Track
- 19
- Title
- Act II: Big Mole: Big Mole was a digger of the lastest kind (Alex)
- Duration
- 02:09
- Composer
- Kurt Weill
- Performer
- Jamal Howard
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of St. Luke's
- Conductor
- Julius Rudel
-
20 Act II: A Bird Of Passage: Lord of the heart, look down uopn (Villager, Chorus, Man) 02:43
- Track
- 20
- Title
- Act II: A Bird Of Passage: Lord of the heart, look down uopn (Villager, Chorus, Man)
- Duration
- 02:43
- Composer
- Kurt Weill
- Performer
- Reginald Pindell
- Ensemble
- New York Concert Chorale, Orchestra of St. Luke's
- Conductor
- Julius Rudel
-
21 Act II: Four o'clock: Four o'clock, it will soon be four (Chorus, Irina, Stephen, Leader) 02:13
- Track
- 21
- Title
- Act II: Four o'clock: Four o'clock, it will soon be four (Chorus, Irina, Stephen, Leader)
- Duration
- 02:13
- Composer
- Kurt Weill
- Performer
- Cynthia Clarey, Arthur Woodley, Gregory Hopkins
- Ensemble
- New York Concert Chorale, Orchestra of St. Luke's
- Conductor
- Julius Rudel
-
22 Act II: Finale: Each lives alone in a world of dark (Chorus) 00:57
- Track
- 22
- Title
- Act II: Finale: Each lives alone in a world of dark (Chorus)
- Duration
- 00:57
- Composer
- Kurt Weill
- Ensemble
- New York Concert Chorale, Orchestra of St. Luke's
- Conductor
- Julius Rudel