Anne Sofie von Otter's latest album, Berlin! Berlin! Berlin! Kabarett und Exil, celebrates the provocative and politically charged club scene of 1920s Berlin, tracing its influence through film, musical theatre, and popular song across several decades. The recital highlights the aesthetic friction between romantic ballads, saucy burlesque, cinematic dreamscapes, and political firecrackers.
Eclectic Programme and Authentic Performances
The programme is intentionally diverse, aiming to showcase the stylistic range of cabaret from the Weimar era to exile. The Salon Orchestra of the Komische Oper Berlin delivers thoroughly authentic performances under conductor Adam Benzwi, with piquant orchestrations and arrangements that are a treat. Most songs are unfamiliar, including a jazzy Balkan stomp from the 1939 film Song of the Desert and a gutsy number by Günter Neumann that kicks off like a Prussian striptease. Musik! Musik! Musik! from the movie Hallo, Janine channels the theme from The Muppet Show.
Von Otter's Mature Artistry
Now 71, von Otter remains the consummate artist, though her range is naturally narrower. She brings deep understanding to the texts, negotiating transitions from her still potent chest voice to a close-miked crooned top. The album includes works by émigrés such as Friedrich Hollaender and Mischa Spoliansky, who embraced Hollywood escapism, and others like Kurt Weill and Hanns Eisler, who wrapped anti-government rhetoric in satirical songs that pulled no punches.
