Kurt Weill - The Seven Deadly Sins (HK Gruber)

Information

Composer: Kurt Weill

• The Seven Deadly Sins
• The New Orpheus
• Concerto for Violin and Wind Orchestra, Op. 12

Wallis Giunta, mezzo-soprano

Jennifer France, soprano

Katarina Andreasson, violin

Benjamin Herzl, violin

Swedish Chamber Orchestra

HK Gruber, conductor

Date: 2025

Label: BIS

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This release reunites HK Gruber and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra for a second exploration of Kurt Weill’s work, following their well-received recording of the symphonies and The Silver Lake. The program features sopranos Wallis Giunta and Jennifer France, along with violinists Katerina Andresson and Benjamin Herzl, in three contrasting compositions. The Seven Deadly Sins opens the album with its pointed satire of capitalist values through Anna’s journey to earn money for her family. The New Orpheus blends aria and song to recount a modernized, tragic quest to save Eurydice. The Violin Concerto, a major piece from Weill’s early period, reveals the theatrical instincts that shaped his later stage works. Together, the selections highlight Weill’s distinctive fusion of sophistication and accessibility.

Heinz Karl "HK" Gruber, born in Vienna in 1943, is a composer, conductor, and chansonnier whose distinctive, theatrically inflected style has earned international recognition. A former Vienna Boys’ Choir member and long-time double bassist with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, he co-founded the avant-garde “MOB art and tone ART” ensemble. His works have been commissioned by major orchestras, and his concertos for artists such as Håkan Hardenberger, Yo-Yo Ma, Colin Currie, and Emanuel Ax are widely performed. An active conductor, he has appeared with leading ensembles worldwide. Renowned as a chansonnier, especially for Frankenstein!!, he continues to premiere new works and maintains a substantial discography.