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Pirate Jenny) Text: Bertolt Brecht, Music: Kurt Weill. Performed by Lotte Lenya (The Wife of Kurt Weill) From: Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera

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Pirate Jenny) Text: Bertolt Brecht, Music: Kurt Weill. Performed by Lotte Lenya (The Wife of Kurt Weill) From: Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera Info link Germany "Seeräuber-Jenny" (Pirate Jenny) Text: Bertolt Brecht, music: Kurt Weill. Performed by Lotte Lenya (the wife of Kurt Weill) From: Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera) The Threepenny Opera is a "play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, The Beggar's Opera, with music by Kurt Weill and insertion ballads by François Villon and Rudyard Kipling. Although there is debate as to how much, if any, Hauptmann might have contributed to the text, Brecht is usually listed as sole author. The work offers a Socialist critique of the capitalist world. It opened on 31 August 1928 at Berlin's Theater am Schiffbauerdamm. In 1931 it was adapted into a film by G. W. Pabst. Another film version was made in 1961 in West Germany by Wolfgang Staudte. Short synopsis Set in Victorian London, the play focuses on Macheath (aka. "Mackie Messer" or "Mack the Knife"), an amoral, antiheroic criminal. Macheath marries Polly Peachum. This displeases her father, who controls the beggars of London, and he endeavours to have Macheath hanged. His attempts are hindered by the fact that the Chief of Police, Tiger Brown, is Macheath's old army comrade. Still, Peachum exerts his influence and eventually gets Macheath arrested and sentenced to hang. Macheath escapes this fate via a deus ex machina moments before the execution when, in an unrestrained parody of a happy ending, a messenger from the Queen arrives to pardon Macheath and grant him the title of Baron. The details of the original 1928 text have often been substantially modified in later productions. A draft narration by Brecht for a concert performance begins: "You are about to hear an opera for beggars. Since this opera was intended to be as splendid as only beggars can imagine, and yet cheap enough for beggars to be able to watch, it is called the Threepenny Opera." The song – "Seeräuber-Jenny" The song depicts Low-Dive Jenny (German: Spelunken-Jenny), a character based on Jenny Diver (1700–1741). Low-Dive Jenny is a lowly maid at a "crummy old hotel", imagining avenging herself for the contempt she endures from the townspeople. A pirate ship – with eight sails, and with 50 cannons – enters the harbor, fires on the city and flattens every building except the hotel. The pirates come ashore, chain up all the townspeople, and present them to Jenny, who orders the pirates to kill them all. She then sails away with the pirates. The song was originally placed in the first act and sung by Mackie's bride, Polly Peachum, who resents her parents' opposition to her trying her luck with Mackie and is fantasizing about avenging herself on the constraints of her family. However, the song is frequently moved to the second act and given to the prostitute Jenny. Jenny has given Mackie, her former lover, shelter from the police but is jealous of his wife, Polly. Eventually, she tips off the police, who catch Mackie and take him to his hanging. Her song suggests that she likes the idea of having Mackie's fate in her hands. I use the original 1931 film version of the song. Notice that this version does not include verse 2 (see the lyrics translation on the next page). In addition, here is a link to a later studio recording with better sound and with all four verses, also sung by Lotte Lenya: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23ie9nojg5I. Notice that this version is in a different key. Translation of the lyrics Verse 1 Gentleman, today you see me washing glasses And I make the beds for everyone. And you give me a penny and I quickly thank you And you see my rags and this shabby hotel And you don't know who you're talkin' to. But one evening there'll be shouting at the harbor And people will ask: What's all the shouting about? And people will see me smiling while I do the glasses And people will say: What's she got to smile about? And a ship with eight sails And with fifty cannons Will lie at the waterfront. Verse 2 (not in the film version) They say: Go clean your glasses, my child And hand me the penny. And the penny is accepted, and the bed is made! (Nobody will sleep in it tonight.) And they still don't know who I am. But one evening there'll be a fuss at the harbor And they'll ask: What's all the fuss? And they'll see me standing behind the window And they'll say: Why the evil smile? And the ship with eight sails And with fifty cannons Will fire on the town. Verse 3 Gentlemen, then your smile will disappear Because the walls will come tumbling down And the town will be flattened to the ground. Only a shabby hotel will be spared from the attack And they'll ask: Who's the special one living there? And tonight there'll be shouting around the hotel And they'll ask: Why was the hotel spared? And they'll see me step out the door in the morning And they'll say: She was living there? And the ship with eight sails And with fifty cannons Will fly flags from its mast. Verse 4 And hundreds will come ashore around noon And will step into the shadows And will catch anyone in any door And lay him in chains and bring him before me And ask: Which one should we kill? And at that midday it will be quiet at the harbor When they ask, who has to die. And then they'll hear me say: All of them! And when the heads roll, I'll say: Hurray! And the ship with eight sails And with fifty cannons Will disappear with me..
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