[Operas by Title] [Operas by Composer]
[Home] [Previous Opera] [Next Opera]

DREI GROSCHEN OPER

(THREE PENNY OPERA)

By Bertolt Brecht/Kurt Weill

VIDEO: (1931), subtitles, 114 min., B & W -- Directed G. W. Pabst. Adapted from the play by Bertolt Brecht with Lotte Lenya and Rudolph Forster. A "Beggar's Opera" set in 19th- Century London underworld. HOM THR 110 [Home Video] Available as Order #OL 313 $39.95 from the German Language Video Center catalog About as close to the spirit of the world premiere as one can get. [G.R.]

AUDIO: A) CBS: Lotte Lenya, Bruckner-Rueggeberg conducting (mid-1950s); some pretty high-handed transpositions and rearrangements, but still the most authentic "complete" (more or less) recording ever made; mono [G.R.]

B) DECCA/LONDON: Uta Lemper, Mauceri conducting; more accurate textually and featuring some real voices, but does not quite capture the nihilistic bitterness of the Lenya recording; stereo [G.R.]

C) TELDEC: Lotte Lenya, Mackeben conducting (original cast, 1930); excerpts only, but fascinating glimpse into the original feeling of this work; Lenya a lot brighter and coldly perky--bone-chilling; in dated mono [G.R.]

[Operas by Title] [Operas by Composer]
[Home] [Previous Opera] [Next Opera]

If you have comments or suggestions, email me at geo.riggs @verizon.net

This page hosted by

Get your own Free Home Page