Cabaret by Kurt Weill & Marc Blitzstein--UNC Gerrard Hall
Saturdays, June 14 & June 21, 8pm
A New Destination--Intimate Cabarets in Historic Gerrard Hall
When one thinks of Kurt Weill (and Bertolt Brecht, his collaborator for many years) one immediately thinks of cigarette smoke infested nightclubs lit by gaslight so prevalent in pre-war
Marcus Samuel Blitzstein, says his biographer, Eric Gordon, ''more than anyone, defined American words set to American music.'' Born 1905 in Philadelphia, student of conductor Nadia Boulanger in Paris and German composer Arnold Schoenberg, his best-known works were for the theatre: The Cradle Will Rock (1937), the circumstances of whose production by Orson Welles and John Houseman became legendary and the opera Regina (1949) But by far his most lucrative work was his English-language adaptation of the Kurt Weill-Bertolt Brecht’s The Threepenny Opera (1952) which became a Broadway hit. He was working on a Metropolitan Opera commission for an opera about the Sacco-Vanzetti case when he was murdered in Martinique in 1964.
Performed by baritone Charles Stanton, Shannon French, Sharon Szymanski,
Lyrics are by Maxwell Anderson, Marc Blitzstein, Bertold Brecht, Ira Gerschwin, Paul Green, Alan Jay Lerner, Ogden Nash, Dorothy Parker, and Kurt Weill.
Kurt Weill and Marc Blitzstein
Kurt Weill was born on March 2, 1900 in Dessau, Germany. Weill grew up with musical influence, as his father was a cantor in a synagogue. When he was only twelve, Weill began composing and during his teens, Weill accompanied singers from the Dessau Court Opera. Weill enrolled at the Berlin Hochschule fur Musik, and began studying under Humperdink. Then, after spending one year as a theater conductor, Weill was accepted into Busoni’s class. He earned a living by a variety of jobs to include playing organ in a synagogue, playing piano in a tavern, tutoring students in music theory, and as a music critic for a German radio station.
By the time Weill turned 25, he was already recognized as a leading composer because of the success of his works at international festivals and in theater. In 1926, Weill’s first opera, “Der Protagonist” premiered in Dresden. During this period, Weill’s music was considered “modernist” and he was highly influenced by jazz and dance. In 1927, Weil was commissioned to write music for the Baden-Baden Music Festival. Weill collaborated with Bertolt Brecht to create “Mahongonny”. The two worked together to create many musical compositions, including “Die Dreigroschenoper”, which was writtern for a singer in the commercial theater. Lotte Lenya, Weill’s wife, largely contributed to the success of this opera.
After time, Weill became frustrated with Brecht and his role of music in political theater, and he began searching for other musicians with whom to collaborate. Weill ended up partnering with Caspar Neher to produce “Die Burgschaft” and “Der Silbersee” with “Georg Kaiser”. These works angered the Nazis and riots broke out at some of Weill’s performances. Therefore, Weill decided to leave Germany and go to Paris where he completed his Second Symphony and a ballet-with-voices; “Die sieben Todsunden” (his last collaboration with Brecht). Weill also wrote a musical called Marie Galante, many caberet chansons and the score for Franz Werfel’s play “Der Weg der Verheissung”, which was also produced in America due to the help of Max Reinhardt. When Weill went to America to oversee this production he decided to move there with his wife Lenya. At this point, Weill set his sights on Broadway. His first musical, “Johnny Johnson”, was based on a play by Paul Green and introduced Weill to all of America. Weill collaborated with many talented playwrights during the next ten years of his life. Weill and Maxwell Anderson wrote “Knickerbocker Holiday”, and he paired with Moss Hart and Ira Gershwin to produce “Lady in the Dark”. Some of Weill’s other Broadway works include “One Touch of Venus”, “Street Scene”, and “Love Life”, all of which were collaborations.
Weill continued to write music until 1950 when he suffered a heard attack and died tragically. At that point Weill’s “German works” were being rediscovered, and only today can we fully appreciate his talent and diversity.
Marcus Samuel Blitzstein was born in 1905 in Philadelphia. From a young age, Blitzstein was very musical. His first public piano concert was at the age of seven. In 1924, Blitzstein became one of the first students at the Curtis School of Music. Two years later he went to study in Europe with Nadia Boulanger and Arnold Schoenberg. When he was merely 23 years old, Blitzstein had already written Piano Sonata. That same year Blitzstein met Eva Goldbeck and the two got married, even though Blitzstein was a homosexual. In the late 1920’s, Blitzstein tried his hand at writing opera and produced Triple Sec and Parabola and Circula. At that point, Blitzstein decided opera was “trash” and “rotten nineteenth-century stuff,” therefore he started writing more musicals.
In 1936, Blitzstein’s wife Eva died suddenly. Blitzstein was devastated and began pouring into his work and became very involved in politics. Thus, Blitzstein created his most famous work, a political opera called The Cradle Will Rock. When World War Two commenced, Blitzstein joined the Air Force and became the music director for the American Broadcasting Station in London. During this time, Blitzstein wrote his best-known choral piece, The Airborne.
After the war, Blitzstein returned to New York where he was asked to write music to Lillian Hellman’s play, The Little Foxes. Thus, Blitzstein’s most frequently performed composition and great American opera was born- Regina. Although Regina was a highly successful opera, it was not Blitzstein profited most from his adaptation of Weill and Brecht’s Threepenny Opera, from which came a song that can still be heard on the radio today- Mack The Knife.
Blitzstein continued to compose opera and musical theater pieces. But these projects were less familiar and some of them were even considered “artistic failures.” In 1963, Blitzstein decided to take a break and visit Martinique for the winter. While he was there, Blitzstein was robbed and beaten and ended up dying of internal injuries. On that day, America lMarcus Samuel Blitzstein was born in 1905 in Philadelphia. From a young age, Blitzstein was very musical. His first public piano concert was at the age of seven. In 1924, Blitzstein became one of the first students at the Curtis School of Music. Two years later he went to study in Europe with Nadia Boulanger and Arnold Schoenberg. When he was merely 23 years old, Blitzstein had already written Piano Sonata. That same year Blitzstein met Eva Goldbeck and the two got married, even though Blitzstein was a homosexual. In the late 1920’s, Blitzstein tried his hand at writing opera and produced Triple Sec and Parabola and Circula. At that point, Blitzstein decided opera was “trash” and “rotten nineteenth-century stuff,” therefore he started writing more musicals.
In 1936, Blitzstein’s wife Eva died suddenly. Blitzstein was devastated and began pouring into his work and became very involved in politics. Thus, Blitzstein created his most famous work, a political opera called The Cradle Will Rock. When World War Two commenced, Blitzstein joined the Air Force and became the music director for the American Broadcasting Station in London. During this time, Blitzstein wrote his best-known choral piece, The Airborne.
After the war, Blitzstein returned to New York where he was asked to write music to Lillian Hellman’s play, The Little Foxes. Thus, Blitzstein’s most frequently performed composition and great American opera was born- Regina. Although Regina was a highly successful opera, it was not Blitzstein profited most from his adaptation of Weill and Brecht’s Threepenny Opera, from which came a song that can still be heard on the radio today- Mack The Knife.
Blitzstein continued to compose opera and musical theater pieces. But these projects were less familiar and some of them were even considered “artistic failures.” In 1963, Blitzstein decided to take a break and visit Martinique for the winter. While he was there, Blitzstein was robbed and beaten and ended up dying of internal injuries. On that day, America lost one of its brilliant composers, yet even today, his music lives on.
On that day the music world lost one of its brilliant composers, yet even today, his music lives on.