Mythos und Legende / Myth and Legend is a compilation album by German–American actress and singer Marlene Dietrich, released in 1994 by EMI Electrola. The three–compact disc set contains recordings made between the 1920s and the 1960s, presenting a retrospective of Dietrich's career as a vocalist.
Critics regard the compilation as a comprehensive and valuable compilation of the singer's career. According to some critical opinions, the box set stands out for its track selection, sound quality, and variety of song versions, highlighting Dietrich's artistic development over time. The album is also seen as documenting her cultural significance and historical impact, while her vocal interpretations reflect the maturity and nuance of her performances throughout her career.
Album details
Marlene Dietrich's Mythos und Legende is a 3-CD box set released by EMI, spanning approximately 35 years of Dietrich's recordings from the late 1920s to the mid-1960s. The collection features multiple versions of several songs, illustrating changes in arrangements over time as well as the singer's artistic development. The famous song "Falling in Love Again" appears in four versions, including early recordings and a previously lost version.[2]
Each CD includes a booklet documenting recording details and historical context, and the set also comes with a separate booklet for the slipcase that provides a short biography of Dietrich, key dates, and milestones in her life. The compilation highlights both popular songs and rare recordings, offering a comprehensive overview of Dietrich's musical career for listeners and collectors.[2]
Critic Michael Boldhaus of Cinemusic.de gave a positive assessment of the compilation, highlighting that the 3-CD edition provides a comprehensive overview of Dietrich's musical career, spanning approximately 35 years of recordings. He praised the track selection, sound quality, and the variety of song versions, which illustrate both changes in musical taste and the singer's artistic development. Boldhaus considers the compilation more than a simple film souvenir, offering a solid and engaging musical experience for Dietrich's fans, and gives the work an overall favorable evaluation.[2]
Critic Helmut Braun of Deutschlandfunk, discussing the repression of musicians and artists during the Nazi regime, mentions Marlene Dietrich: Mythos und Legende as a record of Dietrich's career and cultural significance. Braun highlights the historical context in which the artist was persecuted by the Nazis as a "traitor to the homeland", emphasizing that her music and film presence became symbols of resistance. The album is cited as a documentation of Dietrich's trajectory, showcasing her musical legacy and the relevance of her recordings in the cultural landscape of the time.[4]
In an article published in the German magazine Du, the critic highlighted the song "Sch… Kleines Baby" (Hush, Little Baby), and noted that Dietrich's interpretation made it evident that she was no longer the young woman of earlier years, an observation illustrated by the quotation of verses from the song, in which her voice takes on the tone of a lullaby.[5]
.jpg)
