Songs arranged by
Kurt Weill for
Lotte Lenya from 1938-1949, these 1957 recordings remain definitive versions of many of the
Weill classics introduced to younger audiences with the successful
Lost in the Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill A&M release. Of those later recordings, only
Marianne Faithfull's "Ballad of the Soldier's Wife" came anywhere near to the sublime stylings of
Lenya's; the rest of the album (a popular and acclaimed seller) are trivial renditions by comparison.
Weill most often wrote music to accompany existing lyrics, and
September Song features two tracks with lyrics by
Ogden Nash, two by
Ira Gershwin, two by
Langston Hughes, one by
Alan Jay Lerner, and the remaining five by
Weill's most frequent collaborator,
Maxwell Anderson.
Lenya and
Weill were, of course, a married couple, renowned socially as masters of hilarious verbal barbs and arrows, urbane and sophisticated conversationalists who could easily finish the other's sentence or interject a wonderfully deflating comment with impeccable timing. It was this psychic connection that has made
Lenya the definitive performer of
Weill's work -- every accentuated nuance, hesitant pause, and delicious husky quaver must be regarded as the composer's intention, brilliantly revealed in emotional memory by his surviving lover. The songs on
September Song were recorded late in
Lenya's life; she had retired theatrically before
Weill's death, and was devastated by the loss of her beloved mate in 1950. Unable to remain alone, she formed a bond with close friend George Davis, who became her second husband and coaxed her to return to performing
Weill's songs; together they subsequently dedicated their lives to keeping
Weill's memory alive, in stage performances, recordings, and the creation of the Kurt Weill Foundation of Music. Her return to recording was then, as now, justifiably applauded, as the advance in recording technology captured many exquisite performances, including brilliant versions of "Saga of Jennie," "Speak Low," "Lonely House," "A Boy Like You," "Trouble Man," and "Lost in the Stars," all on this album. All of these songs have been remastered and reissued on CD compilations, but the original vinyl release, with their many photographs and notes by
Maxwell Anderson and
Goddard Lieberson, and their superb Columbia sound, should be proudly part of the collections of enthusiasts of German cabaret or American theater recordings. Enthusiastically recommended.