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Kurt Weill Newsletter KURT WEILL NEWSLETTER Volume8,Number 1 Spring1990 Kurt Weill IN THIS ISSUE 1990 KURT W EILL FESTIVAL IN NORTH RHINE WESTPHALIA 7 (Re-) Unification? by Christopher Hailey 9 Der Kuhhandel by Michael Morley 11 Niederrheinische Chorgemeinschaft review by Jurgen Thym 12 KURT-WED.,L-FESTIVAL Robert-Schumann-Hochschule concert review by Gunther Diehl 13 Teacher Workshops in Heek 13 Exhibitions 14 Press Clippings 15 COLUMNS News in Brief 2 Letters to the Editor 5 New Publications 16 Selected Performances 27 BooKs Studien zur Berliner Musikgeschichte edited by Traude Ebert-Obermeier 18 PERFORMANCES Street Scene at the English National Opera 20 Sinfonia San Francisco 21 Lady in the Dark at Light Opera Works 22 \-.il!N'! ~pt.-a.hl~ll~ail Seven Deadly Sins atTheJuilliard School 23 l,,lllll•~-'ll~,l......,._1,_.. ,,.,,..._,'ftt~nt '\1l~.11,....,..'(11tt lt11.-.....t.., 3-ld•llrilrll ..-•1fw......... Ji,d~(ontllldilt , l""NNW"a.....iK,..1 11.-fw-,.,,,...,t ~,\ Downtown Chamber and Opera Players 24 RECORDINGS Die Dreigroschenoper on Decca/London 25 7 North Rhine Westphalia Christopher Hailey analyzes th e significance of the festival and symposium, Mich ael Morley critiques Der Kuhha ndel, J u rgen Thym an d Gunt h er Diehl report on concerts. Also news articles, p hotos, and p ress clippings. 2 The American Musical Theater Festival opens the first professional revival of Love Life on 10 June at the Walnut Theatre in Philadelphia. The show runs through 24 June, with Almeida Festival in London performances at 8:00 PM Tuesday-Saturday and matinees on 13, 16, 20, and 24 June at 2:00 PM. Members of the creative team are Barry Harman (director), Robert Kapilow (musical 3 director), Chris Chadman (choreographer), Loren Sherman (sets), Randy Barcelo (cos­ Great Lakes Theater Festival in tumes), and Beverly Emmons (lighting). Cleveland and Weill Festival at Debbie Shapiro, winner of a TonyAward for her performance in]erome Robbins' Broadway, the Boston Conservatory and Richard Muenz, most recently seen in the off-Broadway Maltby-Shire musical Closer Than Ever, portray the protagonist-couple Susan and Sam Cooper. A full report will appear in the next issue. NEWS IN BRIEF rector, and the production is by Andreas anchine's "Les Ballets" in the development Reinhardt. The cast includes Eva Gilbofer of ballet history. The organizers were com­ (Begbick), Trudeliese Schmidt/Ning Liang/ pelled to make minor changes in the exhibi­ Renate Spingler Genny), William Pell 0immy tion for the Saratoga installation: some set Mahoney), Toni Blankenheim/Carl Schultz pieces were too fragile to make the trans­ (I'rinity Moses), Peter Galliard/Donald Atlantic trip, and all the scenic backdrops George Oakob Schmidt), and Frieder from the original production were too tall for Stricker (I'obby Higgins). Other dates are the gallery. However, the new version will 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, and 20 June. include photographic reproductions ofitems recently discovered in France, as well as Mahagonny bows at this year's Maggio materials borrowed from several American Musicale Fiorentino at the Teatro Verdi in Florence. Staged by Graham Vick and led by repositories. The Kurt Weill Foundation has loaned a recently acquired sketch study Jan-Latham Konig, the new production is de­ which Caspar Neher made for the "Anger" signed by Maria Bjornson. Catherine scene in Die sieben Todsiinden. music Malfitano takes the role of]ennyand Yvonne t"------ Minton that of Begbick. Performances are According to Allison Moore, Museum slated for 12, 15, 17, 21 June. Other produc­ Director, a new catalogwillinclude memoirs tions in the Florence May Festival, which by Boris Kochno, a reprint of an article by runs from 28 April-4 July, are Rimsky­ Lincoln Kirstein from Vogue, 1933, an essay 13 fune • 14fuly 1990 Korsakov's Invisible City ofKitezh, JI Trova­ by Pritchard, as well as a checklist of tl1e ex­ Almeida Festival in London to re, Donizetti'sParisina, and Don Giovanni. hibition. The museum is opening two other exhibitions on 23 May: "100 Years of the Russ.ian Ballet 1830-1930" (from the Lenin­ Almeida Presents UK Premieres Street Scene Returns to New York grad State Museum ofTheater and Music) and "Shaping the American Dance Dream," Th.is summer the Almeida International After a lengthy contractual dispute re­ both of which run through 7 October. For Festival of Contemporary Music and Per­ sulted in the cancellation of the entire Sum­ further information, call (518) 584-2225. formance will celebrate its tenth anniverary mer-Fall 1989 season, New York City Opera season with three British premieres during is back on its feet and will undertake an its "WeiU Event," 14 and 16 June at Un.ion ambitious and interesting schedule, includ­ KURT WEILL NEWSLETTER Chapel io London's Islington district. Three ing new productions of a Ravel double-bill Vol. 8, No. 1 ; Spring 1990 theater works will be presented in arrange­ L'heure espagnole/L'enfant et Les sortiliiges, ments devised byDavid Drew:Marie Galante Janacek's From the House of the Dead. © 1990 Kurt Weill Foundation for Music and two suites from Weill's American pe­ Flotow's Martha. and Schoenberg's Moses 7 East 20th Street riod, "Cry, The Beloved Country" from Lost and Aron. New York, NY 10003-1106 in the Stars, and "War Play" from Johnny Tel. (212)505-5240 Street Scene re-enters the repertory on 7 Fax (212)353-9663 fohnso11. American singers Angelina Reaux September with performances on 12, 15, 20, and Damon Evans will singthe leading roles, 23, and 29 September. Ian McDiarmid will narrate, and Robert The Newsletter is published to provide an open Ziegler will conduct the Matrix Ensemble. Chris Nance will conduct the perform­ forum wherein interested readers may express a ances, andPatricia Birch sets thechoreogra­ The Almeida will also presentWeill's songs variety of ideas and opinions. The opinions ex­ phy. Jack O'Brien and Jay Lesenger, stage in two contrasting programs. Angelina pressed do not necessarily represent the pub­ directors, Paul Sylbert, set designer, Mar­ lisher's offidal vfewpoint. The editor encourages Reaux, a "legit" soprano who has won enthu­ jorie McGown, costume designer, and siastic acclaim in the US with various Kurt the submission of articles, reviews, and news Gilbert V. Hemsley, Jr., lighting designer, items for inclusion in future issues. The submis­ Weill evenings, will make her British debut complete the production team. Margaret in a solo, all-Weill program at the Almeida sion deadline for the next issue is 1 September Cusack and Claudia Cummings will alter­ 1990. Theatre on 15 June, and The Willem Breu­ nate as Anna Maurrant, and William Parcher ker Kollektief, a Dutch jazz ensemble also and Charles Karel share the part of the David Farneth, Editor periorming in Britain for the first time, will Mario R. Mercado, Associate Editor husband Frank Maurranl Maureen O'Flynn create its unique brand of improvisations John Watson, Editorial Assistant assumes the role of their daughter, Rose. using Weill's melodies. Sam Kaplan will be played by Kevin Ander­ Board of Trustees Another highlight of the Festival, which son and Michael Rees Davis. Kim Kowalke, President runs from 13 June to 14 July, is the world Henry Marx, Vice-Presidem premiere of John Cage's Europeras Ill & IV, Lys Symonette, Vice-President a work scored for eight singers, two pian.ists, Les Ballets Jetes to Saratoga Guy Stern, Secretary Milton Coleman, Treasurer and six gramophone operators. Also fea­ Springs tured are compositions by Gidon Kremer, Philip Getter The National Museum of Dance in Sara­ Harold Prince Susana Rinaldi, Arvo Part, and Henryk Julius Rudel Gorecki. For information, telephone the toga Springs, New York presents the exhibi­ Almeida in London at (71) 226 1577. tion "Les Ballets 1933" from 23 May to 29 Foundation Staff July 1990. TheRoyal Pavilion ArtGallery and Kim Kowalke, President Museums, Brighton, England firslmounted David Farneth, Director and Archivist Mahagonny Rises in New the show in 1986, and itsubsequentlytoured Lys Syrnonette, Musical Executive European Productions to two other locations in England. [See Jane Marlo R. Mercado, Director of Programs John Watson, Secretary The Hamburg Staatsoper premieres a new Pritchard's article in vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 10-11.] production of Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Curator Jane Pritchard has reorganized Point Seven Systems, Production Mahagonny on 9 June. Bruno Weil serves as the exhibition for an American audience and conductor, Glinter Kramer is the stage di- emphasized the role played by George Bal- Weidner & Son, Printing Kurt Weill Newsletter Volume 8 Number 1 2 NEWS IN BRIEF Conductor Maurice Abravanel was honored with the first Distinguished Achievement Award given by the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music in a ceremony on 23 March 1990 at the International Kurt Weill Sympo­ sium, Duisburg, Federal Republic of Germany. Kirn H. Kowalke, President, made the presentation during the dinner hosted by Mr. Josef Krips, Mayor of the City ofD uisburg, on behalfo f the Foundation'sBoar d ofTrustees "in recognition of lifetime devotion to the music ofKurt Weill onboth sides oftheAtlantic."Toe award ofSteuben glass accompanied a citation listing the numerous concert and stage works which Abravanel has conducted throughout his career. Abravanel, conductor and music director emeritus of the Utah Symphony, serves as Artist-in-Residence to the Berkshire Music Center at theTanglewood Music Maurice Abravanel, Carolyn Abravanel, Kim Kowalke Festival. International Advisory Council turing Weill's music, the Boston Conserva­ in the Dark, presented bythe Conservatory's M eets tory also presented Angelina Reaux in a Theater Division on 8-11 March (for a brief recital of Weill songs and Dr. Leonard review, see page 25). The International Advisory Council of the Lehrman and Helene Williams, in a lecture­ KurtWeill Foundation met for the first time concert devoted to the music of Marc Blitz.
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