Composer

:

Kurt Weill

Genre

:

Ballet

Style

:

Opera-Ballet

Compose Date

:

1933

First Performance

:

Jun 7, 1933

Average_duration

:

34:55

Movement_count

:

9

Movement ....

Die sieben Todsünden (The Seven Deadly Sins) is a ballet composed by Kurt Weill with a libretto by Bertolt Brecht. The ballet was composed in 1933 and premiered in Paris in June of the same year. The ballet is divided into seven movements, each representing one of the seven deadly sins. The plot of the ballet follows the journey of Anna, a young woman from Louisiana, as she travels with her family to seven different cities in search of work. In each city, Anna is confronted with a different sin, which she must commit in order to earn money for her family. The sins include pride, envy, anger, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust. The ballet is characterized by its use of jazz and popular music, which was a departure from the classical music typically used in ballets at the time. The music is also notable for its use of spoken word, which was a Brechtian technique that emphasized the political and social commentary of the ballet. The movements of the ballet are as follows: 1. Prologue: The Family's Departure - This movement introduces the audience to Anna and her family as they leave Louisiana in search of work. 2. The City of Pride - In this movement, Anna arrives in the city of New Orleans and is confronted with the sin of pride. 3. The City of Envy - Anna travels to the city of Memphis, where she is confronted with the sin of envy. 4. The City of Anger - Anna arrives in the city of Los Angeles, where she is confronted with the sin of anger. 5. The City of Sloth - Anna travels to the city of Philadelphia, where she is confronted with the sin of sloth. 6. The City of Greed - Anna arrives in the city of Boston, where she is confronted with the sin of greed. 7. The City of Gluttony and Lust - In the final movement, Anna arrives in the city of San Francisco, where she is confronted with the sins of gluttony and lust. Overall, Die sieben Todsünden is a powerful commentary on the social and economic conditions of the time, as well as a groundbreaking work in the history of ballet.

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