Threepenny Opera, The - Kurt Weill

The Threepenny Opera transforms opera to the musical theatre. Originally adapted from John Gay’s The Beggar’s opera in 1928, to Die Dreigroschenoper, by German composer Kurt Weill and lyricist Bertolt Brecht, the score weaves together elements of grand opera with cabaret and jazz. The English translation and adaptation was then completed by Marc Blitzstein in 1954.

Brecht met Weill in 1927, when the two men discussed using the genre ...
.../> A CD of the Threepenny Opera can be purchased for £12.99 from most good music stores. It was released on the Decca label on 14th February 2000.

The opera tells the story of the murderering gangster, MacHeath aka Mac the Knife. Set in London's criminal underworld in the 1930s. It opens in Jonathan Peachum’s shop. Peachum runs a business clothing beggars and providing them with a location to beg in for a share in the profits. “A ... more

The Threepenny Opera transforms opera to the musical theatre. Originally adapted from John Gay’s The Beggar’s opera in 1928, to Die Dreigroschenoper, by German composer Kurt Weill and lyricist Bertolt Brecht, the score weaves together elements of grand opera with cabaret and jazz. The English translation and adaptation was then completed by Marc Blitzstein in 1954.

Brecht met Weill in 1927, when the two men discussed using the genre of opera to combine their respective abilities. Their first collaboration was the songspiel, The Little Mahagonny performed during 1927. The two men soon then started work on a full-scale opera. Brecht took on the script of the Beggars Opera for Weill to write the modern melodies and Brecht added several new scenes and songs.

A CD of the Threepenny Opera can be purchased for £12.99 from most good music stores. It was released on the Decca label on 14th February 2000.

The opera tells the story of the murderering gangster, MacHeath aka Mac the Knife. Set in London's criminal underworld in the 1930s. It opens in Jonathan Peachum’s shop. Peachum runs a business clothing beggars and providing them with a location to beg in for a share in the profits. “A man who sees another man on a street corner with only a stump for an arm will be so shocked the first time he'll give him sixpence. But the second time it'll only be a Threepenny bit. And if he sees him a third time, he'll have him cold-bloodedly handed over to the police”.

Mac leads his gang by terror. He bribes the police. A womeniser, he impregnates his lover Lucy (the daughter of the chief of police, Tiger Brown), he marries Peachum's daughter Polly, and he has a passionate relationship with the prostitute Low-Dive Jenny.

Mac is arrested and about to be hung at the end when in a deus ex machina (intervention from god), he is saved by the Queen and knighted and granted an annual pension of 10,000 pounds.

This CD version has more dialogue links between the songs than previous recordings giving more of an overview to the opera as a whole. The recording has a balanced array of performers staying close to Weill's and Brecht’s aesthetics political intent. Rene Kollo (tenor) plays MacHeath with a sinister overtones, Mario Adorf (baritone) plays Peachum and Rolf Boysen (bass baritone) Tiger Brown. Ute Lemper (soprano), plays Polly Peachum with innocence mingled with defiance, Mirva (mezzo-soprano) is a superb Jenny and Helga Dernesh (mezzo-soprano) gives Mrs Peachum a versility and brilliance. The Berlin RIAS Chamber Choir provides the chorus.

The Berlin RIAS Sinfonietta uses the original instrumentation of clarinet, alto sax, tenor sax, 2 trumpets, trombone, piano, guitar and percussion.

John Mauceri conducts creating a fast-moving tempo and sublime contrasting moods from the niavity of “Polly’s Song”, the joviality of The “Wedding Song”, the encouraging marching salvation “Army Song”, the tender “Love Song” to the despair of the “Call to the Grave”.

The opera’s signature song, "Mack the Knife" has become a cultural artifact, sung and played by many different artistes and genres. It was particularly made popular in the 1950’s when performed by stars including Bobby Darrin, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra regularly. Others tracks (not previously mentioned) are Morning Anthem, Instead Of Song, Pirate Jenny, Ballad of Dependency, The World is Mean, Tango Ballad, Ballad of the Easy Life, Barbara Song, Jealousy Duet, How to Survive, Useless Song, Solomon Song, Death Message and Mounted Messenger.

The opera is a momentous union of the revolutionary collaboration between Brecht. Although, the original text was a sardonic and bitter critique of Weimar Germany following the country’s defeat in World War l, his portrayal of the world of beggars, murderers and prostitutes is easily transposed to the seedy criminal underworld of 1950s London.

It is a masterpiece of musical theatre that opened the door to the multitude of shows that now perform to packed audiences. This CD gives the closest auditory experience to actually watching a live performance.
 

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