Listen to your favorite songs from the threepenny opera by broadway revival cast now. The threepenny opera prologue summary and analysis gradesaver. Threepenny opera revival, musical, operetta, offbroadway opened in new york city sep 20, 1955 and played through dec 17, 1961. A summary of prologue and act i, scene i in bertolt bretchts the threepenny opera. The threepenny opera project gutenberg selfpublishing. Mack the knife, the name of the murder ballad moritat that introduces macheath into the play, negatively compares the shows antihero to a shark.
Sheet music arranged for pianovocalguitar in c major transposable. The very best of rosemary clooney album including song video, artist biography, translations and more. About the threepenny opera the first presentation of blitzsteins adaptation was given in a concert version at brandeis university on june 14, 1952. The ballad of mack the knife from the threepenny opera. Mack the knife part of the movie the threepenny opera. The official database for broadway theatre information. Stream adfree with amazon music unlimited on mobile. Synopsis t he threepenny opera proclaims itself an opera for beggars, and it was in fact an attempt both to satirize traditional opera and operetta and to create a new kind of musical theater based on the theories of two young german artists, composer kurt weill and poetplaywright bert brecht. Features mack the knife and pirate jenny alongside lesser known brecht tunes like surabaya johnny and the ballad of the soldiers wife.
Another lyric book for a notreallywell known tony award winning musical called the threepenny opera. In many ways it was a revolutionary work, turning its back on traditional operatic practices and unabashedly reverting to the tradition of the number opera, as well as forming a viable. The character of macheath, later to become mack the knife, first appeared in the beggars opera by john gay 16851732. I especially like the happy ending bit for the finale, which makes light fun of. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the threepenny opera and what it means.
The threepenny opera study guide contains a biography of bertolt brecht, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. The threepenny opera prologue summary and analysis. Lyrics to mack the knife from the threepenny opera by rosemary clooney from the come ona my house. The threepenny opera lyrics the ballad of mack the knife. Ballad of mack the knife moritat reprise ballad singer. The threepenny opera turns the accepted values of the good life upside down, says theater critic brooks atkinson. The substantial soprano part was conceived for berlins shooting star, 27yearold carola neher. Mack the knife from the threepenny opera d opera guide. Mack the knife wears white kid gloves which give the minimum away. Mack the knife wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. Peter lutz, operainside, the online opera guide to the song mack the knife from the threepenny opera from kurt weill and bertold brecht. Jan 15, 2016 bertolt brecht and kurt weills the threepenny opera, which was based on john gays the beggars opera of 1728, opened in berlin in 1928. The song is modeled after the moritat from mord meaning murder and tat meaning deed, a kind of medieval ballad traditionally sung by. If you want to hear more about the threepenny opera, click on this link to the opera portrait.
Mack the knife part of the movie the threepenny opera mack the knife part of the movie the threepenny opera. Read interesting facts and hear great youtube videos about the famous aria mack the knife. It was adapted from an 18thcentury english ballad opera, john gays the beggars opera, and offers a socialist critique of the capitalist world. The threepenny opera a new production of bertolt brecht and kurt weills famous 1928 play with music, chronicling the consequences of peachums discovery that his daughter polly has secretly married londons most notorious gangster macheath mack the knife. Threepenny opera revival, musical, operetta, broadway opened in new york city may 1, 1976 and played through jan 23, 1977. Mack the knife or the ballad of mack the knife is a song composed by kurt weill with lyrics by bertolt brecht for their 1928 music drama the threepenny opera. In the threepenny opera, the moritat singer with his street organ introduces and closes the drama with the tale of the deadly mackie messer, or mack the knife, a character based on the dashing highwayman macheath in john gays the beggars opera who was in turn based on the historical. Ballad of mack the knife morning anthem instead of song wedding song pirate jenny army song love song ballad of dependency first threepenny finale the world is mean pollys song tango ballad ballad of the easy life barbara song jealousy duet.
Apr 01, 2004 the character of macheath, later to become mack the knife, first appeared in the beggars opera by john gay 16851732. Bertolt brecht sings mack the knife from the threepenny. Alan cumming returns to broadway as mack the knife opposite cyndi lauper, ana gasteyer, nellie mckay and jim dale in the roundabout theatre company revival of the threepenny opera which opens. Threepenny opera broadway musical 1976 revival ibdb. Jerry orbach mack the knife from the three penny opera. Made famous in the threepenny opera and sung by hildegard knef, this tune was a hit from its 1928 debut through the late 50s and it remains a favorite for many music lovers. Bertolt brecht sings mack the knife from the threepenny opera. In particular, mack the knife turns these values upside down. The prologue is the ballad of mac the knife, a song that is harsh and grating to listen to in the german.
Gay was a popular english playwright and poet, a friend and collaborator of jonathan swift and alexander pope. Here ms lenya sings mack the knife in its original german. In 2015 the library of congress added mack the knife by louis armstrong and bobby darin to the national recording registry. Give your band a workout with this hardswingin chart from dave wolpe. Upgrade to pro to read expert guidance for the ballad of mack the knife and unlock other amazing theatre resources. Provided to youtube by sony music entertainment mack the knife from the threepenny opera nick cave kurt weill kenny wollesen. The threepenny opera is earthy, cynical and quite nasty in its way. In pabsts film, the beggars march which peachum threatens and blackmails brown with, actually does go ahead and interfere with queen victoria. The beggars opera is a comic ballad opera, the first of its kind, and took london theatre by storm. The threepenny opera 1976 broadway revival cast allmusic. The question and answer section for the threepenny opera is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. The threepenny sound, widely cherished and instantly recognizable, is a result of weills unique gifts.
A moritat is a medieval version of the murder ballad performed by strolling minstrels. Bertolt brecht and kurt weills the threepenny opera, which was based on john gays the beggars opera of 1728, opened in berlin in 1928. Mar 15, 2018 shortly before the threepenny opera was to open, harald paulsen, playing mack the knife, demanded an entrance song that would announce his character. Mack the knife from the threepenny opera sheet music. The threepenny opera musical theatre wikia fandom powered.
Even sharks are more honest than macheath, sayeth bertolt brecht. In many ways it was a revolutionary work, turning its back on traditional operatic practices and unabashedly reverting to the tradition of. The threepenny opera arthur schroder, carola neher, erika helmke, gerda madsen, harald paulsen, kurt gerron, berlin state opera orchestra, haller revue jazz orchestra, jean lenoir orchestra, marek weber and his orchestra, orchesterbegleitung, pierre chagnon orchestra, hans schindler, jean lenoir, lewis ruth, marek weber. In the threepenny opera, he is known as mackie messer messer is german for knife. Threepenny opera broadway musical 1955 revival ibdb. Brechts gritty 1929 recording of the song is consistent with the ragged aesthetic of the original production of the threepenny opera, with its intentionally threadbare sets and its cast of actors who were not accomplished singers. Print instantly, or sync to our free pc, web and mobile apps. The role was written for the dapper harald paulsen, a seasoned operetta tenor with excellent acting skills p olly. The portrait of kurt weills and bertold brechts song mack the knife. Known in english as mack the knife, the original german version of the classic song is mackie messeer. The song mack the knife was witten by kurt weill for his wife lotte lenya.
Mack the knife or the ballad of mack the knife german. Weill threepenny opera weill threepenny opera amazon. Marc blitzsteins english adaptation of the threepenny opera established the work in america, more than a quartercentury after it had premiered in europe, spending years in an offbroadway theater and even spawning a pop hit in mack the knife. Roger daltrey and others perform the famous opening song in this 1989 film adaptation of the threepenny opera. This version of mack the knife by bertol brecht have all the dark roughness that the three penny opera demands.
I especially like the happy ending bit for the finale, which makes light fun of the human condition of working ones life away. Bertolt brecht wasnt much of a singer, but he could really roll his rs. Mack the knife, the name of the murder ballad moritat that introduces macheath into the play, negatively compares the shows anti. Choose from the threepenny opera sheet music for such popular songs as mack the knife, pirate jenny, and tango ballad. The threepenny opera is a play with music by bertolt brecht, adapted from a translation by elisabeth hauptmann of john gays 18thcentury english ballad op. The threepenny opera by kurt weill album lyrics musixmatch. The ballad describes many of the things that macheath, known as mac the knife, has. Threepenny opera broadway musical 1966 revival ibdb. Dec 27, 2009 mack the knife part of the movie the threepenny opera. Because of her husbands sudden death she had to be replaced at the premiere, but she joined the cast some months later and also played the part in the 1931 film version. The threepenny opera by broadway revival cast on amazon. Read the ballad of mack the knife from the story the threepenny opera lyrics by osm0709 olivia m with 432 reads. Mack the knife performed by the 2016 national theatre cast of the threepenny opera. Print and download mack the knife sheet music from the threepenny opera.
Mack the knife threepenny opera madamina, il catalogo, catalogue aria don giovanni. The song has become a popular standard recorded by many artists, including a us and uk number one hit for bobby darin in 1959. But in the uptight 1950s, blitzstein was restricted from translating bertolt brechts caustic lyrics accurately, and the cast album was even more. Shortly before the threepenny opera was to open, harald paulsen, playing mack the knife, demanded an entrance song that would announce his character. Leave it to brecht and weill to make it so humorous and quite frightening. Threepenny opera revival, musical, operetta, broadway opened in new york city oct 27, 1966 and played through nov 6, 1966. Provided to youtube by universal music group the ballad of mack the knife from the threepenny opera gerald price the threepenny. Bertolt brecht the threepenny opera lyrics and tracklist.
417 993 240 869 849 244 1044 122 141 1313 480 102 1013 1560 1370 812 28 840 628 1616 1467 59 1369 1531 97 1040 763 1421 740 226 234 1087 143 1121 617 970 277 1193 189 838 944 395