Kerry-Anne Kutz
Review: Kutz takes on Weill by Hollie Watson
West Island Chronicle
It was an ambitious concept, a unique and challenging undertaking which took three years to come to fruition. With Songs from Berlin to New York, Pierrefonds virtuoso Kerry-Anne Kutz marks the release of her 10th recording. The CD is a compilation of 13 songs by German-Jewish composer Kurt Weill (1900-1950), whose often avante-garde style left an indelible imprint on Western musical theatre. It will be launched Sunday at St. Columba-by-the-Lake Church in Pointe Claire.
“It was Pierre Dionne, an artistic director of the company which produced my last CD (The Juliet Letters), who approached me with the project,” she said.
“While I knew Mack the Knife and September Song, it was in the process of choosing the songs that I came to appreciate his repertoire,” said the gifted and versatile singer, who performs in multiple languages and whose ethereal voice has been heard in venues across North America, Europe, India, and Australia. While researching Weill’s compositions, “I became caught up in his life,” Kutz said, adding that despite the odds “he made a way for himself. Life is difficult for a composer – that hasn’t changed since Bach’s time.”
After collaborating with Bertolt Brecht on the controversial and critically acclaimed The Threepenny Opera, Weill would go on to leave Germany.
“He was outspoken against the Nazis, and even after he settled in France, he encountered anti-Semitism,” she said, adding that Weill emigrated to the United States in 1935, where he went on to conquer Broadway.
Of the songs on the CD, she is particularly enamoured of Je Ne T’aime Pas and Moon-Faced, Starry-Eyed. “But my all-time favourite is My Ship,” said Kutz, who despite her stature as a vocal artist maintains close ties to her community. She often appears locally in concert, is a volunteer board member with West Island Youth Symphony Orchestra, and vocal coach at Lindsay Place High School.
One of the accompanists on From Berlin to New York is her husband Michael Cartile, with whom she last worked on Out of the Silence in the 1990s. Cartile is a distinguished trumpet player who has long performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival and who has played in numerous mega-productions such as Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera.
“The realization of this disc was a magnificent experience. All the musicians are extraordinary, and I was very happy with the arrangements, and with the editing by George Doxas,” Dionne said.
The CD was produced by XXI-21 Productions, and was recorded at the Boutique de son in Pointe Claire. It is available in downtown stores, or can be ordered by contacting www.kerry-anne.net or kkutz@videotron.ca.
THE JULIET LETTERS / ELVIS COSTELLO
Kerry-Anne Kutz & The Abysse String Quartet
XXI-CD 2 1541
Christophe Rodriguez-
Journal de Montréal 25 février 2006
La première version parue en 1992 (Warner) est presqu'introuvable. En juillet 2005, enregistrée cette fois-ci avec Kerry-Anne Kutz et le quatuor à cordes Abysse, cette réflexion du compositeur Elvis Costello sur l'héroïne de Shakespeare Juliet Capulet connaît un second souffle. Entre la musique classique et l'univers cabaret des années 20, ce songe autour des sentiments amoureux est une agréable découverte. * * * * (4/5 étoiles)
Translation:
The first version appeared in 1992 (Warner) has been almost impossible to find. In July 2005, The Juliet Letters was recorded by Kerry-Anne Kutz and The Abysse String Quartet. This reflection by Elvis Costello (and The Brodsky Quartet) on Shakespeare's Juliet Capulet has re-emerged. Between the jazz, classical music genres and cabaret of the 1920's this musical venture explores the many facets of love. A delightful discovery! **** (4/5 stars