Paris Days, Berlin Nights / Ute Lemper, Vogler Quartet

• Audio Samples
• Album Summary
• Notes & Reviews
• Also Purchased
• Works Details

Audio Samples

Album Summary

Performers

• Ute Lemper (Soprano)
• Stefan Malzew (Accordion)
• Stefan Malzew (Clarinet)
• Stefan Malzew (Piano)

Ensemble

• Vogler Quartet

Composers

• Stefan Malzew
• Russian Traditional
• Louis Maitrier
• Hanns Eisler (Conductor) (1898 - 1962)
• Chava Alberstein (1946 - )
• Michael Emer
• Astor Piazzolla (1921 - 1992)
• Jacques Brel (1929 - 1978)

Notes & Reviews:

Chanteuse Ute Lemper and the Vogler Quartet journey through the European songbook of the Weimar years - from Paris to Berlin, to Argentina's nuevo tango and to Eastern Europe. Stefan Malzew's delicate yet powerful arrangements bring an urgency and haunting sensuality to the universe of these stories.

"The world of cabaret can be divided into two distinct categories: Ute Lemper and everyone else..." - Chicago Tribune
"The Vogler Quartet belong in the highest category of contemporary string quartets." - The Guardian

Notes & Reviews:

: Tim Vogler, Stephan Forck, Stefan Fehlandt, Frank Reineke.

Recording information: Konzertkirche Neubrandenburg (02/19/2012-02/21/2012).

The title Paris Days, Berlin Nights is a little misleading. One might expect French songs about morning-after regrets and German ones about living cynically hedonistically, but this collection goes way beyond that. It includes songs about war, abandonment, the indifference of time to human suffering, and gritty street life, with music by Piazzolla and Polish-Jewish composer Chava Alberstein in addition to the expected Kurt Weill, Hanns Eisler, and Jacques Brel. Uniting them all is Lemper's incredible voice and sense of drama, no matter what language. The energy she puts into songs such as Der Graben or Ballade vom Wasserrad is so great, it's hard to believe that no physical harm is done, but she comes right back every time, putting just as much into the next one. She is well supported by the Vogler Quartet and accordionist/clarinetist/pianist Stefan Malzew, all of whom come close to matching Lemper's intensity when needed. Malzew made all the arrangements, and they are very well done. They not only provide interesting, textural accompaniment to the voice, the gestures also support the character and theme of the texts. Malzew even sneaks in little details, such as quoting La Marseillaise in L'Accordéoniste or a sustained, high-pitched note (like what is heard when a grenade falls) in Der Graben. Although the album's title might not fit the contents, Lemper and colleagues do make these culturally diverse songs go together. The concentration of their passion keeps the set as a whole from becoming desperately bleak and gives the music a fascinating presence. ~ Patsy Morita

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Works Details

Maitrier, Louis : Elle fréquentait la rue Pigalle (She Frequented the Rue Pigalle), song

• Performers: Ute Lemper (Soprano); Stefan Malzew (Accordion); Stefan Malzew (Clarinet); Stefan Malzew (Piano)
• Ensemble: Vogler Quartet
• Running Time: 4 min. 59 sec.

Emer, Michael : L'Accordéoniste (La fille de joie est triste), song

• Performers: Ute Lemper (Soprano); Stefan Malzew (Accordion); Stefan Malzew (Clarinet); Stefan Malzew (Piano)
• Running Time: 6 min. 11 sec.

Malzew, Stefan : Surabaya Johnny / Die Moritat von Mackie Messer, medley for voice & string quartet (after Kurt Weill

• Performers: Ute Lemper (Soprano); Stefan Malzew (Accordion); Stefan Malzew (Piano); Stefan Malzew (Clarinet)
• Running Time: 9 min. 54 sec.
• Period Time: Contemporary

Eisler, Hanns [Conductor] : Der Graben

• Performers: Stefan Malzew (Clarinet); Stefan Malzew (Piano); Ute Lemper (Soprano); Stefan Malzew (Accordion)
• Running Time: 5 min. 3 sec.
• Period Time: Modern

Eisler, Hanns [Conductor] : Über den Selbstmord, for voice & piano

• Performers: Ute Lemper (Soprano); Stefan Malzew (Piano); Stefan Malzew (Accordion); Stefan Malzew (Clarinet)
• Running Time: 3 min. 2 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Written: 1942

Eisler, Hanns [Conductor] : Die Ballade vom Wasserrad, for voice & piano

• Performers: Ute Lemper (Soprano); Stefan Malzew (Piano); Stefan Malzew (Accordion); Stefan Malzew (Clarinet)
• Running Time: 4 min. 30 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Written: 1934

Piazzolla, Astor : La última grela, tango song

• Performers: Stefan Malzew (Piano); Stefan Malzew (Accordion); Ute Lemper (Soprano); Stefan Malzew (Clarinet)
• Running Time: 7 min. 12 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Written: 1971

Piazzolla, Astor : Enrico IV

• Performers: Stefan Malzew (Piano); Ute Lemper (Soprano); Stefan Malzew (Accordion); Stefan Malzew (Clarinet)
• Running Time: 4 min. 41 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Written: 1982

Piazzolla, Astor : Yo soy María, tango song (from the operetta María de Buenos Aires)

• Performers: Stefan Malzew (Accordion); Ute Lemper (Soprano); Stefan Malzew (Piano); Stefan Malzew (Clarinet)
• Running Time: 3 min. 23 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Written: 1968

Traditional, Russian : Tëmnaya nocz (Dark Night)

• Performers: Stefan Malzew (Piano); Stefan Malzew (Accordion); Stefan Malzew (Clarinet); Ute Lemper (Soprano)
• Running Time: 5 min. 59 sec.

Alberstein, Chava : Ikh stey unter a Bokserboym

• Performers: Stefan Malzew (Clarinet); Ute Lemper (Soprano); Stefan Malzew (Accordion); Stefan Malzew (Piano)
• Running Time: 6 min. 40 sec.
• Period Time: Contemporary
• Form: Vocal

Alberstein, Chava : Stiller Abend, song

• Performers: Stefan Malzew (Clarinet); Ute Lemper (Soprano); Stefan Malzew (Accordion); Stefan Malzew (Piano)
• Running Time: 6 min. 5 sec.
• Period Time: Contemporary
• Form: Vocal

Brel, Jacques : Ne me quitte pas

• Performers: Stefan Malzew (Piano); Ute Lemper (Soprano); Stefan Malzew (Accordion); Stefan Malzew (Clarinet)
• Running Time: 5 min. 28 sec.
• Period Time: Modern