The Threepenny Opera

9.0(1)19952h 43m1

The 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 poet-playwright Bert Brecht. The show opens with a mock-Baroque overture, a nod to Threepenny's source, The Beggar's Opera, a brilliantly successful parody of Handel's operas written by John Gay in 1728. In a brief prologue following the overture, a shabby figure comes onstage with a barrel organ and launches into a song chronicling the crimes of the notorious bandit and womanizer Macheath, "Mack the Knife." The setting is a fair in Soho (London), just before Queen Victoria's coronation. In this production, Weill champion HK Gruber led the Ensemble Modern in a performance of Weill's complete original score, the first time it had been heard in Germany in many years. This production was broadcast on German television (3sat).

Share WhatsApp Telegram
Status
Released
Budget
—
Box office
—
Language
German
  • opera
  • society
  • critic
  • music
  • schauspiel

Top billed cast

Behind the camera

Produced in

Germany

Videos

No extra videos are listed for this title yet.

Release dates

  • GermanyDE

    • TV1 Jan 1995

Frequently asked questions

The Threepenny Opera was released on 1 January 1995.

Member reviews

Sign in to rate and review. Browsing stays free and open.

Sign in

Member comments

0

Sign in to post a comment. Browsing stays free and open.

Sign in

More like this