Weill’s final work to be premiered in Germany is making a comeback. In recent years, a new critical edition of the music has aided a number of highly successful European productions of Der Silbersee, which Weill created in 1932 in collaboration with playwright Georg Kaiser. Now, a landmark new production by Chicago Opera Theater has brought the work to the United States for the first time since 1990.

COT General Director Lawrence Edelson “nobly” directed the “visually stunning” production, which featured an “ingenious” set designed by Jeffrey D. Kmiec. James Lowe conducted the orchestra and “excellent” chorus with “admirable clarity” and “irresistible crackle and vitality.” Bass-baritone Justin Hopkins was “sensational,” performing the role of Olim with “sympathy and conviction.” His counterpart, Chaz’men Williams-Ali, portrayed a “fiery and impassioned” Severin. Soprano Ariana Strahl suffuses her Fennimore with “ingenuous charm.”

The press response was unanimous in recognizing Der Silbersee’s importance, particularly in light of the state of the contemporary world…

“A neglected Weill masterpiece… a searing critique of a society teetering on the brink of fascist disaster, sounding a timeless warning of the consequences of authoritarian abuse, wealth inequality and police misconduct. Der Silbersee is one of Weill’s finest theater scores.”
Chicago Classical Review – John von Rhein

“A rapturous theatrical hybrid that’s opera, operetta and dramatic theater all wrapped into one… an epic experience that feels intimate and close… Chicago Opera Theatre’s production may inspire other companies to share the opera’s message about possibilities that can take shape and grow despite the odds while simultaneously laying bare some of humankind’s more onerous tendencies.“
Splash Magazines Worldwide – Mitchell Oldham

Chaz’men Williams-Ali (Severin) and Justin Hopkins (Olim). Photo: Michael Brosilow.

“The fairy tale that took on fascism… a genre-jumping play with music, replete with broad humor, spoken dialogue, and music—something like Mozart’s Magic Flute… brave work, written and produced at a time of real personal and societal danger. Its political implications are clear, even didactic—and chillingly still relevant.”
Chicago Reader – Deanna Isaacs

“Weill’s music for Der Silbersee is hauntingly beautiful throughout—especially the wistful choral conclusion that is prophetic of Weill’s own journey across a big body of water to find freedom and safety… the work’s messages stressing forgiveness and endurance in the face of overwhelming adversity not only make Der Silbersee a valiant curio of its own time, but a contemplative one for ours as well.”
Gramilano – Scott C. Morgan

Ariana Strahl (Fennimore) with the Ensemble. Photo: Michael Brosilow.

“A prescient synchronicity for today’s world, a fairy tale for sentient people who understand the dangers of across-the-board conformity. Kurt Weill used elements of blues, jazz, and classical to create a uniquely surreal sound.”
Third Coast Review – Kathy D. Hey

“Somewhere between play, opera and political fable, this 1933 hybrid resists the tidy categories that make theatrical works digestible. Chicago Opera Theater’s production embraces this essential ambiguity and builds its strength from it.”
Seen and Heard International – Zach Carstensen

“Not really an opera, an operetta, or a musical theater piece. It’s a bit of all three with a dash of cabaret tossed in for good measure… It jabs at capitalism and the inequities of the status quo, also harbors remarkable hope for the future with a story that celebrates compassion, forgiveness and hope.”
Hyde Park Herald – M.L. Rantala