BBC Concert Orchestra and Synergy Vocals under André de Ridder, with Shara Worden (vocalist).
Kurt Weill: 'The Seven Deadly Sins'
Paul Hindemith: 'Mathis der Maler'
Arnold Schoenberg: 'Accompaniment to a Film Scene', Op 34
(Berlin in the 1930sm was a sassy, sleazy place of decadence, experimentation and simmering tension – the inexorable rise of the Nazis forms the ever-present backdrop to tonight's iconic works. Schoenberg's 'Accompaniment…' is an early example of 'mood music', reflecting the influence of technology as well as his soon-to-be-outlawed modernity. In addition to evoking the era's steamier side, Kurt Weill's sung ballet 'The Seven Deadly Sins' (text by Brecht) reflects the cut-throat razor-sharp edge of 1930s' political realities. Hindemith's opera 'Mathis der Maler' was another victim of fascism: a portrait of Renaissance painter Matthias Grünewald, its subtext of artistic integrity in politically-challenging times led to the Nazis banning the piece.)