''The Seven Deadly Sins'' (german: Die sieben Todsünden, link=no, french: Les sept péchés capitaux, link=no) is a satirical ''ballet chanté'' ("sung

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form ...

") in seven scenes (nine movements, including a Prologue and Epilogue) composed by

Kurt Weill Kurt Julian Weill (March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fru ...

to a German

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major li ...

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a p ...

1933 Events January * January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...

under a commission from

Boris Kochno Boris Evgenievich Kochno or Kokhno (russian: Бори́с Евге́ньевич Кохно́; 3 January 1904 – 8 December 1990) was a Russian poet, dancer and librettist. Early life Kochno was born in Moscow, Russia, on 3 January 1904. His fa ...

and Edward James. It was translated into English by W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman and more recently by Michael Feingold. It was the last major collaboration between Weill and Brecht.

Origins

With the Nazi seizure of power following the Reichstag fire of 27 February 1933, Brecht and Weill–especially Weill as a Jew–recognized that Berlin could no longer serve as their artistic home. Brecht left Berlin and traveled to Paris, stayed briefly in Prague, and then in Vienna. Less than a month later he was in Zurich and then moved to less expensive lodgings in Lugano, Switzerland. There a patron offered him living quarters in his summer home in Carona, outside Lugano. Weill spent time in Paris in December 1932, where he obtained the commission for the ''Seven Deadly Sins''. He contacted Brecht in Carona and Brecht promptly joined him in Paris. The scenario of the libretto mirrors Brecht's own travels, expanded to one-year sojourns in each of seven cities.

Performance history

was commissioned to compose ''Die sieben Todsünden'' by Edward James, a wealthy Englishman who had been in Paris during Weill's visit in December 1932. James's wife, Tilly Losch, was a ballerina who James described as having a striking resemblance to Weill's wife, Lotte Lenya. Because James knew that Weill was going to write for Lenya, he included language in the contract commissioning the work requiring that his wife, Losch, dance opposite her lookalike.Jürgen Schebera: ''Kurt Weill: An Illustrated Life''; New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1997 (). This dictated the complicated split personality plot before

was even asked to write the libretto. ''The Seven Deadly Sins'' premiered in the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris on 7 June 1933. It was produced, directed and choreographed by

George Balanchine George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze; ka, გიორგი მელიტონის ძე ბალანჩივაძე; January 22, 1904 (O. S. January 9) – April 30, 1983) was ...

with '' mise en scène'' by Caspar Neher. The lead roles were played by Lotte Lenya (Anna I) and Tilly Losch (Anna II). According to Nils Grosch, it "was met with bewilderment by the French audience (not just because the work was sung entirely in German). German émigrés living in Paris, however, were enthusiastic and considered it 'a grand evening.'" The production went to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

and opened at the Savoy Theatre under the title ''Anna-Anna'' on 28 June of the same year, performed in an impromptu translation by Lenya. The work was revived by Weill's widow Lenya in the 1950s, with the main singing part transposed to a fourth below its original pitch level in order to allow her to perform her original role.Nils Grosch, Joachim Lucchesi, Jürgen Schebera: ''Kurt Weill-Studien''; Stuttgart: M & P Verlag für Wissenschaft und Forschung, 1996 (). Another version transposed down a full octave was used by Marianne Faithfull in her 1997 recording. The original version has been recorded by, among others, Anne Sofie von Otter, Teresa Stratas, and Anja Silja.

Major productions

:''in German unless otherwise noted'' * June 7, 1933, Paris, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées;

, choreographer; Maurice Abravanel, conductor. * December 4, 1958, City Center,

New York City Ballet New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company ...

; George Balanchine, choreographer; Robert Irving, conductor; Anna I (singer), Lotte Lenya; Anna II (dancer), Allegra Kent (in English). * June 15, 1976, Wuppertal, Wuppertaler Tanzwoche;

Pina Bausch Philippine "Pina" Bausch (27 July 1940 – 30 June 2009) was a German dancer and choreographer who was a significant contributor to a neo-expressionist dance tradition now known as . Bausch's approach was noted for a stylized blend of dance mo ...

, choreographer; Frank Meiswinkel, conductor. * December 23, 1987, Lyon,

Lyon Opéra-Ballet Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of ...

; Maguy Marin, choreographer; Kent Nagano, conductor. * March 15, 1997,

New York State Theater The David H. Koch Theater is a theater for ballet, modern and other forms of dance, part of the Lincoln Center, at the intersection of Columbus Avenue and 63rd Street in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Original ...

, City Opera, Anne Bogart, director,

Derrick Inouye A derrick is a lifting device composed at minimum of one guyed mast, as in a gin pole, which may be articulated over a load by adjusting its guys. Most derricks have at least two components, either a guyed mast or self-supporting tower, and ...

, conductor. * April 26, 2007, London, Royal Ballet; Martha Wainwright, Zenaida Yanowsky,

Marianela Núñez Marianela Núñez (born 23 March 1982) is a British-Argentinian ballet dancer. She is a principal dancer with The Royal Ballet, London. Early life Marianela Núñez was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She has three brothers, all older than sh ...

; director / choreographer

Will Tuckett Will Tuckett (born 1969) is an English director and choreographer, who has created works for many international companies including the Royal Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada, and English National Ballet. Early life Tuckett was born in ...

;

Martin Yates Martin Yates (born 1 July 1958, London) is a British conductor. After attending Kimbolton School (1969–1974), he studied at the Royal College of Music and Trinity College of Music, London, where his teachers included Bernard Keeffe (conducti ...

conductor. * March 17, 2008, Cuenca (Spain) Semana de Música Religiosa de Cuenca;

Mary Carewe Mary Carewe is an English singer and vocal coach, best known as one of the lead vocalists in Karl Jenkins' musical project '' Adiemus'', often singing harmonies with Miriam Stockley. She was born in England and trained as a singer in London. Her ...

, Anna;

Tenebrae Vocal Soloists Tenebrae (— Latin for "darkness") is a religious service of Western Christianity held during the three days preceding Easter Day, and characterized by gradual extinguishing of candles, and by a "strepitus" or "loud noise" taking place in tota ...

, family; Catherine Allard, dancer, choreographer; María Araujo, costumes; Mariona Omedes, video production;

Frederic Amat Frederic may refer to: Places United States * Frederic, Wisconsin, a village in Polk County * Frederic Township, Michigan, a township in Crawford County ** Frederic, Michigan, an unincorporated community Other uses * Frederic (band), a Japanes ...

, stage director;

Joven Orquesta Nacional de España The Spanish National Youth Orchestra (Joven Orquesta Nacional de España, abbreviation JONDE) is a Spanish youth orchestra. It is a member of the European Federation of National Youth Orchestras. See also * Madrid Academic Orchestra * List of yo ...

; José Luis Estelles, conductor. * May 11, 2011,

Patti LuPone Patti Ann LuPone (born April 21, 1949) is an American actress and singer best known for her work in musical theater. She has won three Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards, two Grammy Awards, and was a 2006 inductee to the American Theater Hall of F ...

Wendy Whelan Wendy Whelan (; born May 7, 1967) is an American ballet dancer. She was principal dancer with the New York City Ballet and performed with the company for 30 years, and toured in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Whelan has also been an influential gue ...

, Sara Mearns, Craig Hall; choreographer Lynne Taylor-Corbett * November 2014, Stockholm, Svenska Kammarorkestern; Angelika Kirchschlager, Anna, HK Gruber conductor * June 14, 2017, Toronto, Toronto Symphony Orchestra;

Wallis Giunta Wallis Giunta (born 1985) is an Irish-Canadian mezzo-soprano opera singer and actress performing at leading theatres and opera companies around the world. Early life and education Giunta was born in Ottawa to Colleen Wrighte and Michael Giunt ...

, Anna; Jennifer Nichols, choreographer;

Joel Ivany Joel Ivany is a Canadian stage director and artistic director of Against the Grain Theatre in Toronto, Ontario and artistic director of Edmonton Opera''.'' He is known for directing adaptations of the '' Messiah'', '' Don Giovanni'', and '' Così ...

, director; Peter Oundjian, conductor. * July 6, 2017, Seville,

Teatro de la Maestranza The Teatro de la Maestranza is an opera house located in Seville, Spain. The theatre was conceived to be one of the main cultural venues of the Seville Expo '92, and the first performance took place in 1991, shortly before the inauguration of th ...

Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla The Royal Seville Symphony Orchestra ( es, Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla), founded in 1990, is a symphony orchestra based in Seville, Spain. One of the leading Spanish Orchestras is the resident of the Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville. It ...

;

, Anna/director;

John Axelrod John Neal Axelrod (born March 28, 1966, in Houston, Texas) is an American conductor. Axelrod was elected Artistic and musical director of the Royal Symphony Orchestra of Seville in 2014(ABC de SevillaRetrieved 2014-11-26./ref> and is Principal C ...

conductor. * February 2019, Stuttgart, Staatstheater Stuttgart; Peaches, Anna; Stefan Schreiber, conductor. * November 21, 2020, Leeds, Opera North;

, Anna I; Shelley Eva Haden, Anna II; Gary Clarke, choreographer/director; James Holmes, conductor. * September 27, 2022, Buenos Aires, Teatro Colón; Stephanie Wake Edwards, Anna I; Hannah Rudd, Anna II;

Sophie Hunter Sophie Irene Hunter (born 16 March 1978) is an English theatre director, playwright and former actress and singer. She made her directorial debut in 2007 co-directing the experimental play ''The Terrific Electric'' at the Barbican Pit after her ...

, stage director; Ann Yee, choreographer; Jan Latham-Koenig, conductor.

Roles

Synopsis

''The Seven Deadly Sins'' tells the story of two sisters, Anna I and Anna II. Anna I, the singer, is the principal vocal role. Anna II, the dancer, is heard only infrequently and the text hints at the possibility that the two Annas are the same person: "To convey the ambivalence inherent in the 'sinner', Brecht splits the personality of Anna into Anna I, the cynical impresario with a practical sense and conscience, and Anna II, the emotional, impulsive, artistic beauty, the salable product with an all too human heart."Steven Paul Scher, Walter Bernhart, Werner Wolf: Essays on Literature and Music (1967-2004), Rodopi, 2004. () Anna I sings: "The Family", a male quartet, fills the role of a Greek chorus. They refer to Anna as a single daughter of the family, making a verbal allusion to her divided nature: "Will our Anna pull herself together?" The sisters set out from the banks of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest Drainage system (geomorphology), drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson B ...

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...

to find their fortune in the big cities, intending to send their family enough money to build a little house on the river. After the

prologue A prologue or prolog (from Greek πρόλογος ''prólogos'', from πρό ''pró'', "before" and λόγος ''lógos'', "word") is an opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier story that ...

, in which Anna I introduces the sisters and their plans, each of seven scenes is devoted to one of the seven deadly sins, each encountered in a different

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

city: # Prologue # ''Faulheit /

Sloth Sloths are a group of Neotropical xenarthran mammals constituting the suborder Folivora, including the extant arboreal tree sloths and extinct terrestrial ground sloths. Noted for their slowness of movement, tree sloths spend most of their l ...

'' (city unnamed) # ''Stolz /

Pride Pride is defined by Merriam-Webster as "reasonable self-esteem" or "confidence and satisfaction in oneself". A healthy amount of pride is good, however, pride sometimes is used interchangeably with "conceit" or "arrogance" (among other words) w ...

'' ( Memphis) # ''Zorn /

Wrath Anger, also known as wrath or rage, is an intense emotional state involving a strong uncomfortable and non-cooperative response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat. A person experiencing anger will often experience physical effects, s ...

'' (

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

) # ''Völlerei /

Gluttony Gluttony ( la, gula, derived from the Latin ''gluttire'' meaning "to gulp down or swallow") means over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, or wealth items, particularly as status symbols. In Christianity, it is considered a sin ...

'' (

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

) # ''Unzucht /

Lust Lust is a psychological force producing intense desire for something, or circumstance while already having a significant amount of the desired object. Lust can take any form such as the lust for sexuality (see libido), money, or power. It ...

'' (

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

) # ''Habsucht / Greed'' (

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...

, in posthumous versions

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...

) # ''Neid / Envy'' (

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...

) # Epilogue (''home, in the new little house'') While securing the means to build the little house over the course of seven years, Anna II envies those who can engage in the sins she must abjure. The

epilogue An epilogue or epilog (from Greek ἐπίλογος ''epílogos'', "conclusion" from ἐπί ''epi'', "in addition" and λόγος ''logos'', "word") is a piece of writing at the end of a work of literature, usually used to bring closure to the ...

ends on a sober note, as Anna II's responds with resignation to her sister: "Yes, Anna."

Satire

The libretto is satirical. When Anna II tries to behave morally she is scolded by her alter ego and her family for committing one of the seven sins. For instance, Anna I objects that Anna II is too proud to perform as a cabaret dancer just to please her clientele and needs to abandon her pride and satisfy her clients' lust. When Anna II is angry at injustice, Anna I advises her to exercise self-control. She's advised as well to be faithful to the wealthy man who pays her for love and not share her earnings with the man she loves. Anna II repeatedly surrenders to Anna I with the words "It's right like this." In the case of the last of the seven sins, Anna I warns Anna II not to be envious of people who live as she would like to, "of those who pass the time at their ease and in comfort; those too proud to be bought; of those whose wrath is kindled by injustice; those who act upon their impulses happily; lovers true to their loved ones; and those who take what they need without shame."

Recordings

*''Lotte Lenya sings Kurt Weill's The Seven Deadly Sins & Berlin Theatre Songs'' (Sony 1997) *''Die sieben Todsünden; Chansons'', Brigitte Fassbaender,

NDR Radiophilharmonie The NDR Radiophilharmonie is a German radio orchestra, affiliated with the Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) in Hanover, the capital of Lower Saxony. The orchestra principally gives concerts in the ''Großer Sendesaal'' of the '' Landesfunkhaus Nieder ...

Hannover, (HMA 1951420) *''Weill Symphony No. 2/The Seven Deadly Sins/Songs'',

Elise Ross Elise or Elyse may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Elise, the unidentified person to whom Beethoven dedicated ''Für Elise'' * ''Elise'', a 1979 speculative fiction novel by Ken Grimwood * ''Élise ou la vraie vie'' (''Elise, or the Real Life' ...

, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra conducted by

Simon Rattle Sir Simon Denis Rattle (born 19 January 1955) is a British-German conductor. He rose to international prominence during the 1980s and 1990s, while music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (1980–1998). Rattle was principa ...

Warner Classics 6971852 (2 CDs) *''Die sieben Todsünden''. Gisela May; Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Leipzig;

Herbert Kegel Herbert Kegel (29 July 1920 – 20 November 1990) was a German conductor. Kegel was born in Dresden. He studied conducting with Karl Böhm and composition with Boris Blacher at the Dresden Conservatory from 1935 to 1940. In 1946 he began co ...

conducting, Polydor 429 333-2.; Deutsche Grammophon 139308 *''Die sieben Todsünden.'' Angelina Réaux; New York Philharmonic; Kurt Masur conducting, Warner Classics 1993. (Reissued 2022 as part of Kurt Masur: The Complete Warner Classics Edition - His Teldec & EMI Classics Recordings.) *''The Seven Deadly Sins''. Songs. Marianne Faithfull, Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Dennis Russell Davies conducting. Sung in English. Reverso/RCA Victor 74321 601192. (Reissued 2004 as RCA Red Seal 82876-60872-2.) *''Speak Low. Songs by Kurt Weill & The Seven Deadly Sins'' Anne Sofie von Otter, NDR-Sinfonieorchester conducted by

Sir John Eliot Gardiner Sir John Eliot Gardiner (born 20 April 1943) is an English conductor, particularly known for his performances of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Life and career Born in Fontmell Magna, Dorset, son of Rolf Gardiner and Marabel Hodgkin, Gar ...

; Deutsche Grammophon E4398942 *''Die Sieben Todsünden (The Seven Deadly Sins), Ballet''. Anja Silja, SWR Rundfunkorchester Kaiserslautern, Grzegorz Nowak ,Hänssler Classic – CD 93.109, SWR Music , 2004 *''Die Sieben Todsünden (The Seven Deadly Sins)/Mahagonny Songspiel.''

Ute Lemper Ute Gertrud Lemper (; born 4 July 1963) is a German singer and actress. Her roles in musicals include playing Sally Bowles in the original Paris production of ''Cabaret'', for which she won the 1987 Molière Award for Best Newcomer, and Velm ...

, RIAS Berlin Sinfonietta, John Mauceri, Decca 1990 430 168-2

References

External links

Libretto
Oregon Symphony {{DEFAULTSORT:Seven Deadly Sins, The Operas by Kurt Weill German-language operas Operas One-act operas 1933 operas Plays by Bertolt Brecht Ballets by George Balanchine 1933 ballet premieres New York City Ballet repertory Operas set in the United States Ballets by Lynne Taylor-Corbett Seven deadly sins in popular culture