A massive spectacle, The Eternal Road is nothing less than the story of the Jews as set forth in the Old Testament. Beginning in a synagogue, where a group of Jews has gathered to escape persecution, the Rabbi begins reading from the Torah, portions of which motivate the succeeding scenes:
the stories of Abraham and Sarah, Jacob and Rachel, Moses, Ruth, Saul and David, and Jeremiah, among others.
The action moves back and forth from biblical re-enactments to the synagogue. Eventually the group is driven out of the synagogue by soldiers, but their sorrow is turned to joy by a vision of the Messiah.

Act I: "The Patriarchs"
Scene 6: Abraham and Isaac
Scene 7: Jacob and the Angel
Scene 8: Jacob and Rachel
Scene 16: The death of Jacob
Act II: "Moses"
Scene 17: In Egypt / Miriam and Moses
Scene 20: Moses receives the Commandments / Dance around the golden calf
Scene 21: The Beam, Moses
Scene 22: Moses addresses the people
Scene 23: Moses gives the Commandments / The death of Moses
Act III: "The King"
Scene 24: Naomi and Ruth
Scene 24: (cont.) Ruth and Boaz
Act IV: "The Prophets"
Scene 32: Isaiah and Jeremiah
Scene 33: The streets of Jerusalem
Scene 34: Jeremiah
Scenes 35 & 36: Chananiah the false prophet / The mob attacks Jeremiah
Scene 40: Transformation / Finale

Original German title: Der Weg der Verheissung (The Road of Promise)
Cast:
Singing roles: Rabbi (tenor), Eliezer (baritone), White Angel (tenor), 2 Dark Angels (tenor, baritone) , Abraham (baritone), Sarah, Isaac, Jacob (tenor), Rachel (soprano), Joseph (baritone), His Brothers, Moses (baritone),
Miriam (soprano), Voice of God (baritone), Angel of Death (bass), Ruth (mezzo-soprano), Boaz (baritone), Reaper (baritone), Saul (baritone), David (tenor), Solomon (baritone), Chananjah (baritone), Jeremiah (high baritone),
Voice of the Angel of the End of Days; double chorus, SATB.
Speaking roles: Pious Men, President, Elders, Women, and Boys of the Congregation, The Estranged One and his son, The Adversary, The Timid Soul, The Rich Man, The Watchman, The Youth, The Strange Girl, The Witch of Endor, Bath-Sheba, Uriah, Zedekiah, Pashur.
Orchestra: 2.1.5 (2 bass cl).1; 4.3.3.1; 2 pianos, harp, organ, guitar, timp, perc; strings.
Duration: full evening

1.	The Covenant (Abraham, The Voice)
2.	Sacrifice of Isaac (The Voice, Abraham)
3.	Jacob and Rachel (The Voice, Jacob, Rachel)
4.	Joseph and His Brothers (Joseph's Brothers, Two Angels, Jacob, Joseph)
5.	Moses in Egypt (Miriam, Moses)
6.	At the Mountain (Idol Worshipper)
7.	In the Wilderness (Moses)
8.	The Promised Land (Moses, The Voice, Two Angels, Soul of Moses)
9.	Ruth the Moabite (Naomi, Ruth, Boaz)
10.	King David (David, Dark Angel)
11.	The Building of the Temple (David, Ruth, Solomon)
12.	Two Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Idol Merchant)
13.	Zedekiah's Decision (False Prophet, Jeremiah, Rachel)
14.	A Vision (The Voice)

Actors and singers for “The Road to Promise”, arrive in New York, Oct. 15 1935 - nd
Lt to Rt: Francesco von Mendelson, Eleanor von Mendelson, Kurt Weill, Lotte Lenya, and Meyer Weisgall

Naxos 8.559402 8.559406		The Eternal Road (Extraits, en anglais) Ted Christopher, baritone / Ian DeNolfo, tenor / Karl Dent, tenor / Constance Hauman, soprano / James Maddalena, baritone / Barbara Rearick, mezzo-soprano / Vale Rideout, tenor / Hanna Wollschlager, mezzo-soprano Ernst Senff Chor / Rundfunk-Kinderchor Berlin / Sigurd Brauns, choirmaster / Manfred Roost, choirmaster Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin / Gerard Schwarz, conductor
Ambiente		Orgelmusik aus Dessau Ambiente Stefan Nusser Schuke-Orgel Propsteikirche St. Peter und Paul in Dessau
Preiser Records 90531		Anita Ammersfeld (soprano) sings Kurt Weill Song of Ruth July 29, 2003
Navona Records NV6059 (2 CDs)		The Road of Promise Anthony Dean Griffey, Mark Delavan, Ron Rifkin, Philip Cutlip, Lauren Michelle, Justin Hopkins, and Megan Marino MasterVoices choral ensemble Orchestra of St. Luke’s / Ted Sperling Recorded live during the US premiere at Carnegie Hall in May 2015
January 4, 1937, New York, Manhattan Opera House, Max Reinhardt, dir., Isaac van Grove, cond. June 13, 1999, John Mauceri, cond. (In German with French Subtitles), Theater Chemnitz, Michael Heinicke, Schmidt, T. Adam, Bednarski (Arte Video)

Capriccio  C5500

Albert Dohmen (baryton, soliste), Kurt Azesberger (soliste), Michael Papst (soliste), Ursula Fiedler (soliste), Anselm Lipgens (soliste), Gottfried Hornik (soliste), Bernd Fröhlich (soliste), Georg Tsulufis (soliste), Wiener Jeunesse-Chor, Wiener Motettenchor, Gumpoldskirchner Spatzen ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra / Dennis Russell Davies Enregstrement 1998 / 2001 Date de sortie : 2nd Juin 2023