Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

We reviewers are curious people: offer us this and we say we would rather have that. This CD is a case in point. Weill's 'Eternal Road' is an epic setting of the Jewish story that lasts for more than three hours so what we are given here are highlights. We break into the story at Act One, Scene Three where Abraham is told to sacrifice Isaac and then jump on through the Old Testament bumping into such great people as Joseph and his brothers (now there's an idea for a musical), Moses, Ruth and on to Jeremiah and the false prophet Chananiah. It left this reviewer's head spinning and wishing that we could hear all of one act rather than little bits from all four. The cast is far too extensive to list but the singing and musicianship is of a high standard. The music is varied, sounding operatic in places with both recitative and full arias and moving from traditional synagogue music to jazz (which reminds us that Weill's greatest hit is "Mack The Knife"). Like Leonard Bernstein, Kurt Weill wrote for both concert hall and synagogue and like Bernstein he cannot be boring if he tried.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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