Gisela May - Singt Brecht - Eisler - Dessau (Wergo, LP 1968)

Gisela May (May, 31 1924 - December, 02 2016) was a distinguished German character actress of theatre and a singer, critically acclaimed for performing the songs written by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weil. She also appeared as a film and TV actress in a number of movies between 1951 and 1991.

Gisela May studied at the drama school in Leipzig. She was employed for nine years at various theatres, including the State Theatre of Schwerin and the State Theatre in Halle. From 1951 she was engaged at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin, Max Reinhardt's former workplace. She played a variety of roles from the classics to modern.

In 1962 Gisela May moved to Bertolt Brecht's theatre group, the Berliner Ensemble, to which she belonged for 30 years. Here she played many roles including Madame Cabet in "The Days of the Commune," Mrs Peachum in "The Threepenny Opera,and " Mrs Kopecka in "Schweik in the Second World War." The theatrical highlight in Brecht's stage work was her personification of Mother Courage. This performance was for about 13 years until the end of 1992 central to the repertoire of the Berliner Ensemble. Since 1992, the artist has been freelance, often working at Berlin's Renaissance Theatre.

Gisela May's second career as a chanteuse ran parallel to her acting. The composer Hanns Eisler valued her particularly for her command of Brecht's style, and worked with her.
In addition to song interpretation Gisela May has experience in the Musicals: in Hello Dolly, she performed as the title character at the Metropol Theatre in Berlin, as well as Fraulein Schneider in "Cabaret" at the “Theater des Westens”.

Here´s the albmum "Gisela May singt Brecht -Eisler - Dessau", collecting songs with words by Bertolt Brecht, including selections from his theatrical works. It was released on the ETERNA label in the GDR in 1967 and licensed on the Wergo label (West Germany) in 1968. It was recorded March to May, 1966, with Gisela May (vocals) accompanied by orchestra (conducted by Henry Krtschil) or piano.

Tracks:
01. Aus 'Der gute Mensch von Sezuan' - Das Lied vom achten Elefanten
02. Aus 'Herr Puntila und sein Knecht Matti' - Ballade vom Forster und der Grafin
03. Aus 'Die Rundkopfe und die Spitzkopfe - Kuppellied
04. Kleines Lied
05. Aus 'Der kaukasische Kreidekreis' - Grusches Lied~Vier Generale
06. Moderne Legende
07. Lied einer deutschen Mutter
08. An meine Landsleute
09. Aus 'Die Rundkopfe und die Spitzkopfe' - Lied eines Freudenmadchens
10. Aus 'Die Rundkopfe und die Spitzkopfe' - Lied von der belebenden Wirkung des Geldes
11. Vier Wiegenlieder einer proletarischen Mutter
12. Ballade von der Judenhure Marie Sanders
13. Aus 'Schweyk im zweiten Weltkrieg' - Das Lied von der Moldau
14. Aus 'Schweyk im zweiten Weltkrieg' - Das Lied vom kleinen Wind
15. Aus 'Schweyk im zweiten Weltkrieg' - Das Lied vom Kelch
16. Aus 'Schweyk im zweiten Weltkrieg' - Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib

Gisela May - Singt Brecht - Eisler - Dessau (Wergo)
(224 kbps, cover art included)