Die sieben Todsünden
TANGLEWOOD MUSIC CENTER (2016)
photos courtesy of Hilary Scott
DIE SIEBEN TODSÜNDEN by Kurt Weill
Conductor: Nuno Coelho
Cast: F. Barron, C. Sokolski, D. Buzaglo, R. Cherry, T.H. Reeves, D. Belavy
Production: N. Muni (stage direction/scenery/clothes/lighting)
“Some of the most memorable offerings of recent Tanglewood summers have been the staged theatrical productions of the Tanglewood Music Center, and a program Monday in Ozawa Hall proved that this year is no exception. Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s “Seven Deadly Sins” was this year’s chosen work, and the night’s strikingly vibrant performance would have sufficed to make it a rewarding evening. But it was also capped by a riveting account of Shostakovich’s rarely spotted Symphony No. 14, a work of profound vision and harrowing beauty.
On Monday, the cast of TMC vocal fellows was strong across the board, but mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron as Anna was the charismatic star. TMC conducting fellow Nuno Coelho led a smartly paced traversal of the score and drew solid playing from the orchestra. Add in Nicholas Muni’s tautly resourceful staging, and you had a performance with real teeth.
– Jeremy Eichler, The Boston Globe
“The TMC performance altered things slightly, with both sides of Anna played by the English mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron, who was asked to sing and dance. Where she excelled was crafting a character, using her voice, stage presence and just enough dance movement. The stage director and designer Nic Muni, a TMC faculty member, used a sparse stage well. It was a dazzling performance.”
– Seth Aronstein, Ionarts