Berlin! Berlin! Berlin! (cd) : Kabarett und Exil

Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo-soprano), Salon Orchestra of the Komische Oper Berlin, Adam Benzwi

Jurmann/Kaper: Mein Gorilla hat ‘ne Villa im Zoo
Dostal: Heut’ Abend lad’ ich mir die Liebe ein
Holländer: Illusions
Jary: Der Onkel Jonathan
Eisler: The Hollywood Songbook (Selections)
Weill, K: Das Berliner Requiem: III. Marterl
Brühne: Kann denn Liebe Sünde sein
Kreuder: Musik! Musik! Musik!
Spoliansky: Leben ohne Liebe kannst Du nicht

Reflecting a society marked by profound political and cultural upheaval, the music of 1920s–1940s Germany balanced precariously between vibrant vitality and stark despair. This era birthed a diverse blend of classical traditions, popular rhythms, and early jazz, yielding everything from satirical cabaret chansons to somber, biting ballads. The period’s signature sound—Berlin’s own "Prussian swing"—fused rigid marching meters with jazz syncopation, masking melancholy and sharp political commentary behind seemingly cheerful, driving melodies.

The legendary and remarkably versatile mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, alongside the Salon Orchestra of the Komische Oper Berlin under Adam Benzwi, delivers a colorful recital that captures this collective tension. Spanning the Weimar awakening to the collapse of the Third Reich, the program jumps seamlessly from crazy nonsense and sparkling operetta numbers to the poignant, anti-fascist songs of Hanns Eisler and Kurt Weill, exposing the deep undercurrent of sadness beneath the beautiful, glamorous facade.