Ute Lemper: Sings Kurt Weill Vol II

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In 1992 Lemper collaborated with Michael Nyman to record Songbook. The two artists created music to accompany lyrics based on classic verse by such famous poets as Paul Celan, Arthur Rimbaud, and William Shakespeare. Lemper also performed the role of Lola in Berlin's five-month run of The Blue Angel in 1992. After her performance, she moved back to Berlin and recorded Kurt Weill Songs, Volume II, on London Records. Later in the year, she released another LP, Illusions--her personal interpretation of Edith Piaf and Marlene Dietrich songs. Illusions spent more than 15 weeks in the Number One slot of Billboard's crossover charts, and became the best-selling crossover album of the year. Billboard named Ute Lemper the Number One classical crossover artist of 1993. "Lemper ... can best be described as a very tasteful cabaret artist," wrote Susan Elliot in Billboard, "one with a good deal more emotional authenticity than, say, Barbra Streisand or Liza Minnelli, both of whom she has been compared to." Though critics have praised her glamorous image, Lemper has attributed that characteristic to her portrayal of emotion. "The glamorous part of the image is not really me," she said in the Los Angeles Times. "I am not at all glamorous, and it's really contrary to what I want to do on stage. I prefer to think I am very straightforward ... although maybe still with a secret. Glamour is not what I'm looking for in my performance. I'm looking for emotional expression, not in a sentimental or stylized way, but with complete honesty and directness." Lemper sings mostly in German and French, and uses visual enhancement as much as her vocals to enliven her performances.

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Ute Lemper: Vocalist
Jeff Cohen: Piano

Ensembles and Conductors

RIAS Sinfonietta Berlin
John Mauceri: Conductor

Tracks:

Songs from Happy End (Weill; Lane;

1. Bilbao Song
2. Surabaya Johnny
3. Was Die Herren Matrosen Sagen
4. Der Song Von Mandelay
5. Das Lied Vom Branntweinhandler
6. Youkali Tango

Songs from Marie galante (Weill; Déval; Fernay)

7. Les Filles De Bordeaux
8. Le Train Du Ciel
9. Le Grand Lustucru
10. Le Roi D'acquitaine
11. J'attends Un Navire

Songs from Lady in the Dark /Weill; Hart; Gershwin)

12. One Life To Live
13. A Saga Of Jenny
14. My Ship