This is the finest recording of The Seven Deadly Sins currently available, matched only by Gisela May's classic rendition from the "glory days" of East German communism (formerly on DG and Berlin Classics). Anja Silja is a thinking person's diva. After more than four decades before the public this obviously isn't the youthful voice that gave us one of the most fascinating portraits of Wagner's Senta (for Klemperer on EMI), but the artistry, the intelligence, and the probing way with the text remain simply extraordinary.

In the prolog, Silja manages to differentiate the two Annas with remarkable realism: they really do sound like two different people, and the world-weariness comes through right from the beginning. The hollow smugness of "Pride", with its bouncy waltz rhythms, makes a vibrant contrast to the despairing opening of "Lust", and she leads the triumphant march at the conclusion of "Envy" with palpable exultation before signing off with a final, gently sardonic "Ja, Anna!"

The whole performance is simply marvelous, every word crystal clear, and the quartet comprising the family also sings with tremendous gusto and musicality. Nowak conducts the Kaiserslautern orchestra with a perfect feeling for Weill's brittle, sardonic idiom, and the recording has unusual clarity and impact, with the quiet writing for percussion particularly well caught. As a coupling, the rarely-heard but also very worthwhile Hindemith-meets-Mahler Quodlibet is much more than a makeweight filler. A substantial work in four movements lasting some 23 minutes, it deserves to be heard in concert far more often, and once again it would be difficult to imagine a snappier, more alert performance. If you enjoy Weill, then don't overlook this tremendous recording. [10/28/2004]

--David Hurwitz