Stratas Sings Weill

1. One Touch of Venus: I'm A Stranger Here Myself 2. Ausfstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny: Havanna - Lied 3. Happy End: Surabaya-Johnny 4. One Touch of Venus: Foolish Heart 5. Der Silbersee: Ich bin eine arme Verwandre (Fennimore's Song) 6. Lady In The Dark: One Life To Live 7. Marie Galante: J'attends un navire 8. Happy End: Das Lied von der harten Nuss 9. Street Scene: Lonely House 10. Marie Galante: Le Roi d'Aquitaine 11. Ausfstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny: Denn wie man sich bettet 12. Marie Galante: Le Train du ciel 13. Die Dreigroschenoper: Das Lied von der Untulanglichkeit menschlichen Strebens 14. Knickerbocker Holiday: It Never Was You 15. Happy End: Der kleine Leutnant des lieben Gotten

Revealing an affinity for Weill, Teresa Stratas fulfills her promise to Lotte Lenya on her deathbed to "carry on the torch for Kurt Weill's music." Stratas's glorious soprano has never sounded better as she applies her operatic expertise to deliciously caress this music without losing any of the underlying subtext. Lacking the grittiness of other interpreters, she captures the emotional angles by letting her beautiful voice express the tortured heart beneath it; where others shout at you, Stratas sings at you. She casually bounces off the cheerier selections from One Touch of Venus and Happy End, letting Gerard Schwarz's brilliantly conducted orchestra display their wit. Program notes include a fascinating interview with Stratas. --Barbara Eisner Bayer