Album

"Entartete Musik," of which 18 examples in English adaptation are provided here, includes, in the definition of producer Michael Haas, among other things, "important works lost, destroyed or banned by the political disruptions of the twentieth century," in particular, the Third Reich of Nazi Germany. Specifically, these are cabaret songs of the years of the Weimar Republic (1918-1933), written by such composers as Friedrich Hollaender (who became Frederick Hollander when he followed Marlene Dietrich to Hollywood) and Mischa Spoliansky. They reflect the decadence and unfulfilled hopes of a temporary oasis in German history marked by runaway inflation and agitations of the Left and Right, matters treated in the lyrics. The album contains material that provides the perhaps unrealized source of later re-creations like the score for the Broadway musical Cabaret. Ute Lemper (who has performed extensively in that show) gives bravura readings of songs that treat corruption, homosexuality, and a doomed social idealism with music, provided by the Matrix Ensemble, that recalls Kurt Weill and hot jazz. The looming Nazi era is inescapable in such Hollaender songs as "Oh, How We Wish That We Were Kids Again" and especially "Münchhausen." The latter bears some similarity to the folk song "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream," except that we know what happened in Germany instead of the dream of peace and social justice Hollaender proposes. More than a mere history lesson, Berlin Cabaret Songs reawakens a lost era that engages issues of tolerance, sexual confusion, and political uncertainty that continue to affect listeners. It also contains some extremely funny numbers. Jeremy Lawrence's English lyrics, based on translations by Alan Lareau, Kathleen L. Komar, and Haas, are amazingly deft, retaining the German flavor but singing well in their adoptive language. [There is a version of the album sung in German, in addition to the English.]

© William Ruhlmann

© William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

CD 1
Mischa Spoliansky Composer Alles Schwindel (It's All a Swindle), song Work Matrix Ensemble Ensemble, Jeffrey Cohen Piano, Ute Lemper Voice
1	Alles Schwindel (It's All a Swindle), song	4:12			$0.99
Friedrich Hollaender Composer Sex Appeal, song Work Matrix Ensemble Ensemble, Jeffrey Cohen Piano, Ute Lemper Voice
2	Sex Appeal, song	6:09			$0.99
Rudolf Nelson Composer Peter, Peter, komm zu mir zurück, for voice & orchestra Work Matrix Ensemble Ensemble, Jeffrey Cohen Piano, Ute Lemper Voice
3	Peter, Peter, komm zu mir zurück, for voice & orchestra	4:40			$0.99
Mischa Spoliansky Composer Das Gesellschafteslied Work Matrix Ensemble Ensemble, Jeffrey Cohen Piano, Ute Lemper Voice
4	Das Gesellschafteslied	4:20			$0.99
Mischa Spoliansky Composer Wenn die beste Freundin Work Matrix Ensemble Ensemble, Jeffrey Cohen Piano, Ute Lemper Voice
5	Wenn die beste Freundin	2:41			$0.99
Mischa Spoliansky Composer Ich bin ein Vamp! Work Matrix Ensemble Ensemble, Jeffrey Cohen Piano, Ute Lemper Voice
6	Ich bin ein Vamp!	3:55			$0.99
Mischa Spoliansky Composer L'heure bleue, song Work Matrix Ensemble Ensemble, Jeffrey Cohen Piano, Ute Lemper Voice
7	L'heure bleue, song	3:47			$0.99
Friedrich Hollaender Composer Zieh dich aus Petronella! (Take It Off, Petronella!), song Work Matrix Ensemble Ensemble, Jeffrey Cohen Piano, Ute Lemper Voice
8	Zieh dich aus Petronella! (Take It Off, Petronella!), song	2:22			$0.99
Friedrich Hollaender Composer Raus mit den Männern! (Chuck Out the Men!), song Work Matrix Ensemble Ensemble, Jeffrey Cohen Piano, Ute Lemper Voice
9	Raus mit den Männern! (Chuck Out the Men!), song	2:38			$0.99
Berthold Goldschmidt Composer Der Verflossene Work Matrix Ensemble Ensemble, Jeffrey Cohen Piano, Ute Lemper Voice
10	Der Verflossene	4:00			$0.99
Friedrich Hollaender Composer Gesetzt den Fall Work Matrix Ensemble Ensemble, Jeffrey Cohen Piano, Ute Lemper Voice
11	Gesetzt den Fall	4:21			$0.99
Friedrich Hollaender Composer Ich weiß nicht zu wem ich gehöre (I Don't Know Who I Belong To), song Work Matrix Ensemble Ensemble, Jeffrey Cohen Piano, Ute Lemper Voice
12	Ich weiß nicht zu wem ich gehöre (I Don't Know Who I Belong To), song	4:13			$0.99
Mischa Spoliansky Composer Das lila Lied Work Matrix Ensemble Ensemble, Jeffrey Cohen Piano, Ute Lemper Voice
13	Das lila Lied	3:03			$0.99
Mischa Spoliansky Composer Maskulinum-Femininum, song Work Matrix Ensemble Ensemble, Jeffrey Cohen Piano, Ute Lemper Voice
14	Maskulinum-Femininum, song	1:48			$0.49
Rudolf Nelson Composer Mir ist heut so nach Tamerlan! Work Matrix Ensemble Ensemble, Jeffrey Cohen Piano, Ute Lemper Voice
15	Mir ist heut so nach Tamerlan!	4:57			$0.99
Friedrich Hollaender Composer Eine kleine Sehnsucht Work Matrix Ensemble Ensemble, Jeffrey Cohen Piano, Ute Lemper Voice
16	Eine kleine Sehnsucht	4:07			$0.99
Friedrich Hollaender Composer Wir wollen alle wieder Kinder sein! (Oh How We Wish that We Were Kids Again!), song Work Matrix Ensemble Ensemble, Jeffrey Cohen Piano, Ute Lemper Voice
17	Wir wollen alle wieder Kinder sein! (Oh How We Wish that We Were Kids Again!), song	3:51			$0.99
Friedrich Hollaender Composer Münchhausen, song Work Matrix Ensemble Ensemble, Jeffrey Cohen Piano, Ute Lemper Voice
18	Münchhausen, song	8:12			$1.49