''The Seven Deadly Sins'' (, ) is a satirical ''ballet chanté'' ("sung

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

") in seven scenes (nine movements, including a Prologue and Epilogue) composed by

Kurt Weill Kurt Julian Weill (; ; March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for hi ...

to a German

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known as Bertolt Brecht and Bert Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a p ...

1933 Events January * January 11 – Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independen ...

under a commission from

Boris Kochno Boris Evgenievich Kochno or Kokhno (; 3 January 1904 – 8 December 1990) was a Russian poet, dancer, and librettist. Early life Kochno was born in Moscow, Russia, on 3 January 1904. His father served as a colonel in the hussars. He studied at ...

and

Edward James Edward Frank Willis James (16 August 1907 – 2 December 1984) was a British poet known for his patronage of the surrealist art movement. Early life and marriage James was born on 16 August 1907, the only son of William James (who had inheri ...

. It was translated into English by

W. H. Auden Wystan Hugh Auden (; 21 February 1907 – 29 September 1973) was a British-American poet. Auden's poetry is noted for its stylistic and technical achievement, its engagement with politics, morals, love, and religion, and its variety in tone, ...

and Chester Kallman and more recently by Michael Feingold. It was the last major collaboration between Weill and Brecht.

Origins

With the Nazi seizure of power following the

Reichstag fire The Reichstag fire (, ) was an arson attack on the Reichstag building, home of the German parliament in Berlin, on Monday, 27 February 1933, precisely four weeks after Adolf Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany. Marinus van der Lubbe, ...

of 27 February 1933, Brecht and Weill–especially Weill as a Jew–recognized that Berlin could no longer serve as their artistic home. Brecht left Berlin and traveled to Paris, stayed briefly in Prague, and then in Vienna. Less than a month later he was in Zurich and then moved to less expensive lodgings in Lugano, Switzerland. There a patron offered him living quarters in his summer home in Carona, outside Lugano. Weill spent time in Paris in December 1932, where he obtained the commission for the ''Seven Deadly Sins''. He contacted Brecht in Carona and Brecht promptly joined him in Paris. The scenario of the libretto mirrors Brecht's own travels, expanded to one-year sojourns in each of seven cities.

Performance history

was commissioned to compose ''Die sieben Todsünden'' by

, a wealthy Englishman who had been in Paris during Weill's visit in December 1932. James's wife, Tilly Losch, was a

ballerina A ballet dancer is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet. They rely on years of extensive training and proper technique to become a part of a professional ballet company. Ballet dancer ...

who James described as having a striking resemblance to Weill's wife, Lotte Lenya. Because James knew that Weill was going to write for Lenya, he included language in the contract commissioning the work requiring that his wife, Losch, dance opposite her lookalike.Jürgen Schebera: ''Kurt Weill: An Illustrated Life''; New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1997 (). This dictated the complicated split personality plot before

was even asked to write the libretto. ''The Seven Deadly Sins'' premiered in the

Théâtre des Champs-Élysées The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées () is an entertainment venue standing at 15 avenue Montaigne in Paris. It is situated near Avenue des Champs-Élysées, from which it takes its name. Its eponymous main hall may seat up to 1,905 people, while th ...

in Paris on 7 June 1933. It was produced, directed and choreographed by

George Balanchine George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze;, Romanization of Georgian, : April 30, 1983) was a Georgian-American ballet choreographer, recognized as one of the most influential choreographers ...

with ''

mise en scène Mise or Miše may refer to: * Mise (mythology), a deity addressed in the ''Orphic Hymns'' * Ante Miše (born 1967), Croatian footballer * Jerolim Miše (1890–1970), Croatian painter, teacher, and art critic * MISE, an abbreviation for Mean integ ...

'' by

Caspar Neher Caspar Neher (born Rudolf Ludwig Caspar Neher; 11 April 1897 – 30 June 1962) was an Austrian-German scenographer and Libretto, librettist, known principally for his career-long working relationship with Bertolt Brecht. Neher was born in Augs ...

. The lead roles were played by

Lotte Lenya Lotte Lenya (born Karoline Wilhelmine Charlotte Blamauer; 18 October 1898 – 27 November 1981) was an Austrian-American singer, diseuse, and actress, long based in the United States. In the German-speaking and classical music world, she is be ...

(Anna I) and Tilly Losch (Anna II). According to Nils Grosch, it "was met with bewilderment by the French audience (not just because the work was sung entirely in German). German émigrés living in Paris, however, were enthusiastic and considered it 'a grand evening.'" The production went to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and opened at the

Savoy Theatre The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre was designed by C. J. Phipps for Richard D'Oyly Carte and opened on 10 October 1881 on a site previously occupied by the Savoy ...

under the title ''Anna-Anna'' on 28 June of the same year, performed in an impromptu translation by Lenya. The work was revived by Weill's widow Lenya in the 1950s, with the main singing part transposed to a fourth below its original pitch level in order to allow her to perform her original role.Nils Grosch, Joachim Lucchesi, Jürgen Schebera: ''Kurt Weill-Studien''; Stuttgart: M & P Verlag für Wissenschaft und Forschung, 1996 (). Another version transposed down a full octave was used by

Marianne Faithfull Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull (29 December 1946 – 30 January 2025) was an English singer and actress who achieved popularity in the 1960s with the release of her UK top 10 single " As Tears Go By". She became one of the leading female art ...

in her 1997 recording. The original version has been recorded by, among others, Anne Sofie von Otter,

Teresa Stratas Teresa Stratas (born May 26, 1938) is a Canadian operatic soprano and actress of Greeks, Greek descent. She is especially well known for her award-winning recording of Alban Berg's ''Lulu (opera), Lulu''. She is formally retired. Early life an ...

, and Anja Silja.

Major productions

:''in German unless otherwise noted'' * June 7, 1933, Paris, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées;

, choreographer;

Maurice Abravanel Maurice Abravanel (January 6, 1903 – September 22, 1993) was an American classical music conductor. He is remembered as the conductor of the Utah Symphony for over 30 years. Life Abravanel was born in Salonika, Rumelia Eyalet, Ottoman Emp ...

, conductor. * December 4, 1958,

City Center A city centre, also known as an urban core, is the commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely equivalent terms that exist in ...

New York City Ballet New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company's fir ...

; George Balanchine, choreographer; Robert Irving, conductor; Anna I (singer), Lotte Lenya; Anna II (dancer), Allegra Kent (in English). * June 15, 1976, Wuppertal, Wuppertaler Tanzwoche;

Pina Bausch Philippine "Pina" Bausch (27 July 1940 – 30 June 2009) was a German dancer and choreographer who was a significant contributor to a neo-expressionist dance tradition now known as . Bausch's approach was noted for a stylised blend of dance move ...

, choreographer; Frank Meiswinkel, conductor. * December 23, 1987, Lyon, Lyon Opéra-Ballet; Maguy Marin, choreographer;

Kent Nagano Kent George Nagano (born November 22, 1951) is an American conductor and opera administrator. Since 2015, he has been ''Generalmusikdirektor'' (GMD) of the Hamburg State Opera (until 2025). Early life and education Nagano was born in Berkeley, ...

, conductor. * March 15, 1997, New York State Theater, City Opera,

Anne Bogart Anne Bogart (born September 25, 1951) is an American theatre and opera director. She is currently one of the artistic directors of SITI Company, which she founded with Japanese director Tadashi Suzuki in 1992. She is a professor at Columbia Uni ...

, director, Derrick Inouye, conductor. * April 26, 2007, London,

Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded ...

;

Martha Wainwright Martha Wainwright (born May 8, 1976) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician. She has released seven critically-acclaimed studio albums. Wainwright is the daughter of musicians Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III and the younger si ...

, Zenaida Yanowsky, Marianela Núñez; director / choreographer Will Tuckett; Martin Yates conductor. * March 17, 2008, Cuenca (Spain)

Semana de Música Religiosa de Cuenca ''Semana'' (Spanish: ''Week'') is a weekly magazine in Colombia. History ''Semana'' was founded in 1946 by Alberto Lleras Camargo (who would become president of Colombia in 1958) and that folded in 1961. It was relaunched by journalist in 1 ...

; Mary Carewe, Anna; Tenebrae Vocal Soloists, family; Catherine Allard, dancer, choreographer; María Araujo, costumes; Mariona Omedes, video production; Frederic Amat, stage director; Joven Orquesta Nacional de España; José Luis Estelles, conductor. * May 11, 2011,

Patti LuPone Patti Ann LuPone (born April 21, 1949) is an American actress and singer. After starting her professional career with The Acting Company in 1972, she soon gained acclaim for her leading performances on the Broadway and West End stage. Known f ...

, Wendy Whelan, Sara Mearns, Craig Hall; choreographer

Lynne Taylor-Corbett Lynne Aileen Taylor-Corbett (December 2, 1946 – January 12, 2025) was an American choreographer, director, lyricist and composer. Life and career Lynne Taylor-Corbett was born in Denver, Colorado on December 2, 1946. She grew up in the area a ...

* November 2014, Stockholm, Svenska Kammarorkestern; Angelika Kirchschlager, Anna,

HK Gruber Heinz Karl "Nali" Gruber (born 3 January 1943), who styles himself HK Gruber professionally, is an Austrian composer, conductor, double bass player and singer. He is a leading figure of the so-called Third Viennese School. Career Gruber is said ...

conductor * June 14, 2017, Toronto, Toronto Symphony Orchestra; Wallis Giunta, Anna; Jennifer Nichols, choreographer; Joel Ivany, director; Peter Oundjian, conductor. * July 6, 2017, Seville,

Teatro de la Maestranza The Teatro de la Maestranza is an opera house located in Seville, Spain. The theatre was conceived to be one of the main cultural venues of the Seville Expo '92, and the first performance took place in 1991, shortly before the inauguration of the ...

Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla The Royal Seville Symphony Orchestra (), founded in 1990, is a symphony orchestra based in Seville, Spain. One of the leading Spanish Orchestras is the resident of the Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville. Its first music director was Vjekoslav Šu ...

; Wallis Giunta, Anna/director; John Axelrod conductor. * February 2019, Stuttgart,

Staatstheater Stuttgart The Staatstheater Stuttgart (Stuttgart State Theatre) is a theatre with three locations, Staatsoper Stuttgart, Oper Stuttgart (Opera Stuttgart), Stuttgart Ballet, Stuttgarter Ballett (Stuttgart Ballet), and Schauspiel Stuttgart (Stuttgart Drama ...

;

Peaches The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called nectarines. Peac ...

, Anna; Stefan Schreiber, conductor. * November 21, 2020, Leeds,

Opera North Opera North is an English opera company based in Leeds. The company's home theatre is the Leeds Grand Theatre, but it also presents regular seasons in several other cities, at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, the Lowry Centre, Salford Quays a ...

; Wallis Giunta, Anna I; Shelley Eva Haden, Anna II; Gary Clarke, choreographer/director; James Holmes, conductor. * September 27, 2022, Buenos Aires,

Teatro Colón The Teatro Colón () is a historic opera house in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is considered one of the ten best opera houses in the world by National Geographic. According to a survey carried out by the acoustics expert Leo Beranek among leadin ...

; Stephanie Wake Edwards, Anna I; Hannah Rudd, Anna II; Sophie Hunter, stage director; Ann Yee, choreographer;

Jan Latham-Koenig Jan Betrand Latham-Koenig, (born December 1953) is a British conductor and sex offender. He conducted all of the BBC ensembles, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He was appointed an OBE for services to Rus ...

, conductor.

Roles

Synopsis

''The Seven Deadly Sins'' tells the story of two sisters, Anna I and Anna II. Anna I, the singer, is the principal vocal role. Anna II, the dancer, is heard only infrequently and the text hints at the possibility that the two Annas are the same person: "To convey the ambivalence inherent in the 'sinner', Brecht splits the personality of Anna into Anna I, the cynical impresario with a practical sense and conscience, and Anna II, the emotional, impulsive, artistic beauty, the salable product with an all too human heart."Steven Paul Scher, Walter Bernhart, Werner Wolf: Essays on Literature and Music (1967-2004), Rodopi, 2004. () Anna I sings: "The Family", a male quartet, fills the role of a

Greek chorus A Greek chorus () in the context of ancient Greek tragedy, comedy, satyr plays, is a homogeneous group of performers, who comment with a collective voice on the action of the scene they appear in, or provide necessary insight into action which ...

. They refer to Anna as a single daughter of the family, making a verbal allusion to her divided nature: "Will our Anna pull herself together?" The sisters set out from the banks of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

to find their fortune in the big cities, intending to send their family enough money to build a little house on the river. After the

prologue A prologue or prolog (from Ancient Greek πρόλογος ''prólogos'', from πρό ''pró'', "before" and λόγος ''lógos'', "speech") is an opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier st ...

, in which Anna I introduces the sisters and their plans, each of seven scenes is devoted to one of the

seven deadly sins The seven deadly sins (also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins) function as a grouping of major vices within the teachings of Christianity. In the standard list, the seven deadly sins according to the Catholic Church are pride, greed ...

, each encountered in a different American city: # Prologue # ''Faulheit /

Sloth Sloths are a Neotropical realm, Neotropical group of xenarthran mammals constituting the suborder Folivora, including the extant Arboreal locomotion, arboreal tree sloths and extinct terrestrial ground sloths. Noted for their slowness of move ...

'' (city unnamed) # ''Stolz /

Pride Pride is a human Emotion, secondary emotion characterized by a sense of satisfaction with one's Identity (philosophy), identity, performance, or accomplishments. It is often considered the opposite of shame or of humility and, depending on conte ...

'' ( Memphis) # ''Zorn /

Wrath Anger, also known as wrath ( ; ) or rage, is an intense emotional state involving a strong, uncomfortable and non-cooperative response to a perceived provocation, hurt, or threat. A person experiencing anger will often experience physical ef ...

'' (

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

) # ''Völlerei /

Gluttony Gluttony (, derived from the Latin ''gluttire'' meaning "to gulp down or swallow") means over-indulgence and over-consumption of anything to the point of waste. In Christianity, it is considered a sin if the excessive desire for food leads to a ...

'' (

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

) # ''Unzucht /

Lust Lust is an intense desire for something. Lust can take any form such as the lust for sexuality (see libido), money, or power. It can take such mundane forms as the lust for food (see gluttony) as distinct from the need for food or lust for red ...

'' (

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

) # ''Habsucht /

Greed Greed (or avarice, ) is an insatiable desire for material gain (be it food, money, land, or animate/inanimate possessions) or social value, such as status or power. Nature of greed The initial motivation for (or purpose of) greed and a ...

'' (

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

, in posthumous versions

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

) # ''Neid /

Envy Envy is an emotion which occurs when a person lacks another's quality, skill, achievement, or possession and either desires it or wishes that the other lacked it. Envy can also refer to the wish for another person to lack something one already ...

'' (

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

) # Epilogue (''home, in the new little house'') While securing the means to build the little house over the course of seven years, Anna II envies those who can engage in the sins she must abjure. The

epilogue An epilogue or epilog (from Greek ἐπίλογος ''epílogos'', "conclusion" from ἐπί ''epi'', "in addition" and λόγος ''logos'', "word") is a piece of writing at the end of a work of literature, usually used to bring closure to the ...

ends on a sober note, as Anna II's responds with resignation to her sister: "Yes, Anna."

Satire

The libretto is satirical. When Anna II tries to behave morally she is scolded by her alter ego and her family for committing one of the seven sins. For instance, Anna I objects that Anna II is too proud to perform as a cabaret dancer just to please her clientele and needs to abandon her pride and satisfy her clients' lust. When Anna II is angry at injustice, Anna I advises her to exercise self-control. She's advised as well to be faithful to the wealthy man who pays her for love and not share her earnings with the man she loves. Anna II repeatedly surrenders to Anna I with the words "It's right like this." In the case of the last of the seven sins, Anna I warns Anna II not to be envious of people who live as she would like to, "of those who pass the time at their ease and in comfort; those too proud to be bought; of those whose wrath is kindled by injustice; those who act upon their impulses happily; lovers true to their loved ones; and those who take what they need without shame."

Recordings

*''Lotte Lenya sings Kurt Weill's The Seven Deadly Sins & Berlin Theatre Songs'' (Sony 1997) *''Die sieben Todsünden; Chansons'',

Brigitte Fassbaender Brigitte Fassbaender (; born 3 July 1939), is a German mezzo-soprano opera singer and a stage director. From 1999 to 2012 she was Theater manager, intendant (managing director) of the Tyrolean State Theatre in Innsbruck, Austria. She holds the ti ...

, NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover, (HMA 1951420) *''Weill Symphony No. 2/The Seven Deadly Sins/Songs'', Elise Ross, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra conducted by

Simon Rattle Sir Simon Denis Rattle (born 19 January 1955) is a British conductor with German citizenship. He rose to international prominence during the 1980s and 1990s, while music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (1980–1998). Rat ...

Warner Classics 6971852 (2 CDs) *''Die sieben Todsünden''.

Gisela May Gisela May (31 May 1924 – 2 December 2016) was a German actress and singer. Early life May was born in Wetzlar, Germany. Both her mother, Kate May, and her father, Ferdinand May, were writers. She studied at the drama school in Leipzig from 19 ...

; Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Leipzig; Herbert Kegel conducting, Polydor 429 333-2.; Deutsche Grammophon 139308 *''Die sieben Todsünden.'' Angelina Réaux; New York Philharmonic; Kurt Masur conducting, Warner Classics 1993. (Reissued 2022 as part of Kurt Masur: The Complete Warner Classics Edition - His Teldec & EMI Classics Recordings.) *''The Seven Deadly Sins''. Songs.

, Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra,

Dennis Russell Davies Dennis Russell Davies (born April 16, 1944, in Toledo, Ohio) is an American conductor and pianist. He is chief conductor of the Brno Philharmonic and of the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra. Biography Davies studied piano and conducting at ...

conducting. Sung in English. Reverso/RCA Victor 74321 601192. (Reissued 2004 as RCA Red Seal 82876-60872-2.) *''Speak Low. Songs by Kurt Weill & The Seven Deadly Sins'' Anne Sofie von Otter, NDR-Sinfonieorchester conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner; Deutsche Grammophon E4398942 *''Die Sieben Todsünden (The Seven Deadly Sins), Ballet''. Anja Silja, SWR Rundfunkorchester Kaiserslautern, Grzegorz Nowak, Hänssler Classic – CD 93.109, SWR Music, 2004 *''Die Sieben Todsünden (The Seven Deadly Sins)/Mahagonny Songspiel.'' Ute Lemper, RIAS Berlin Sinfonietta, John Mauceri, Decca 1990 430 168-2 *''The Kurt Weill Album'' Katharine Mehrling, Konzerthausorchester Berlin Joana Mallwitz, Deutsche Grammophon 508353

References

External links

Libretto

Oregon Symphony The Oregon Symphony is an American symphony orchestra based in Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded as the "Portland Symphony Society" in 1896, it is the sixth oldest orchestra in the United States, and oldest in the Western United States. It ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seven Deadly Sins, The Operas by Kurt Weill German-language operas Operas One-act operas 1933 operas Plays by Bertolt Brecht Ballets by George Balanchine 1933 ballets New York City Ballet repertory Operas set in the United States Ballets by Lynne Taylor-Corbett Seven deadly sins in popular culture