"Artistic Quality: 10. Sound Quality: 8. It’s amazing that we’ve had to wait this long for a recording of Kurt Weill’s operatic masterpiece “Die Bürgschaft” (“The Covenant”). Anyone who enjoys “The Seven Deadly Sins” or the Second Symphony will not need to read another word before grabbing this important release. Although not a Brecht collaboration (Weill wanted to focus on musical values more than his erstwhile partner felt tolerable), the plot might have come straight from the famous poet’s Communist heart. A tale of greed and betrayal of friendship set during a (highly topical) totalitarian takeover of an otherwise bucolic community, the almost totally immoral behavior of many of the principal characters finds a perfect emotional counterpoint in Weill’s bitter, sardonic, always poignant and somehow compassionate music. Recorded at the drop of a hat during the 1999 Spoleto Festival, this performance sports excellent teamwork from an ensemble cast with no weak links, though none are “big names,” and lively conducting from Julius Rudel. Recorded sound is a little boxy, but Weill fans won’t care. I didn’t. The bleakness of the plot aside, this opera’s total neglect is as inexplicable as the music itself is masterly. "