KURT WEILL NEWSLETTER Volume 5, Number 2 Fall 1987 AMTF Receives Federal Grant for university production is reviewed in this Love Life issue). The grant represents part of the The American Music Theater Festival NEA's six-million dollar effort to assist recently received an $80,000 grant from opera and musical theater companies the National Endowment for the Arts to throughout the United States. Other support its 1988 planned production of recipients include the Metropolitan and l Love Life and to assist in rehearsals of New York City Operas (in support of Revelation of the Courthouse Park, by the their free summer programs), the Hous­ pioneering microtonal composer, Harry ton Grand Opera, the Lyric Opera of Partch. The AMTF production of the Chicago, the Opera Guild of Greater Weill-Lerner collaboration will mark the Miami, and the Washington, DC, Na­ first professional revival of the work (a tional Institute for Music Theater. IN THIS ISSUE Say No to Mediocrity: The Crisis of Musical Interpretation by 6 Kurt Weill Love Life Begins at Forty by Terry Millei· 8 The Seven Deadly Sins at Brighton by Jane P1itchard 10 Columns Letters: David Drew Answers Richard Taruskin 3 Around the World: Kurt Weill Festival in New York 4 I Remember: Your Place, Or Mine?: An "un-German" Affair by 5 David Drew's Handbook Published Felix Jackson New Publications in UK and US 12 Selected Performances 23 Kurt Weill: A Handbook by David Drew was published in September by Reviews Faber and Faber in the United Kingdom Kurt Weill Festival in New York Allan Kozinn 13 and the University of California Press in Seven Deadly Sins in London Paul Meecham 16 the United States. The definitive cata­ Mahagonny in Westphalia Josef Heinzelrnann 15 logue section includes short synopses of One Touch of Venus at Goodspeed Gary Fagin 17 every stage work- and descriptions of the The Princeton Festival Frank Lewin 17 extant manuscripts. This central part of Die Dreigroschenoper in Berlin Guy Stem 18 the book is preceded by the most exten­ Die Dreigroschenoper in Hungary Mikl6s Galla 18 sive chronology of WeiU's life yet publi­ Books shed and followed by an account of his unfulfilled projects which breaks entire­ Ferruccio Busoni: Selected Letters translated and edited by 19 Antony Beaumont Christopher Hailey ly new ground, not least in what the au­ thor has to say about such controversial Caspar Neher: Brecht's Designer by John Willett Thomas Bloom 19 topics as the composer's relations with The Singer's Musical Theatre Anthology Jo-n Alan Conrad 20 Brecht and with radical politics. David Recordings Dr_ew prefaces the book with an enthrall­ Johnny Johnson Glen Becker 21 ing account of his personal involvement with Kurt Weill's music and its tangled l fortunes since the composer's death in * CHANGE OF ADDRESS * 1950. Foundation Moves to New Headquarters Scholars, producers, performers, and On 29 September the Foundation moved to its new facility at Holtz House in aficionados alike will find valuable in­ formation and fascinating reading in this New York's "Flatiron District." The Weill-Lenya Research Center and the Foun­ handsomely produced handbook, the dation offices share the handsome new space, which was designed by architect result of Drew's twenty-five years of re­ Michael Dodson, working in collaboration with David Farneth and Mario Merca­ search. The Kurt Weill Foundation for do. All correspondence with the Foundation should be addressed to: Music is offering the book at a special price to Newsletter subscribers. Please The Kurt Weill Foundation for Music see the order form on page 24 of this is­ 7 East 20th Street sue. New York, NY 10003-1106 Telephone (212) 260-1650 NEWS IN BRIEF A New Orpheus Wins Deems Taylor Street Scene Fights AIDS Steve Reich Speaks Out on Weill Award and Eisler Kim Kowalke, editor of A New Orphe­ Street Scene gained its first profes­ " ... I always like to think of people like us: Essays on Kurt Weill (Yale Univer­ sional production in Great Britain on 26 Kurt Weill and Hanns Eisler. They both sity Press, 1986), wi.11 be presented the April and earned over £20,000 to benefit were good Germans in a bad time. They ASCAP Deems Taylor Award on 2 De­ London Lighthouse, the first AIDS hos­ both were, perhaps, good socialists at a cember in New York. 1987 marks the pice program in the UK. The one-time Fascist time. And as a J ew in Germany twentieth anniversary for the awards, gala charity performance, forming part at the time, I would have been glad to given for outstanding books and articles of International AIDS Day, was given at have both of them on my side, helping me on music. A New Orpheus is a col.lection the Palace Theatre and profited from the to live. of seventeen critical essays assessing ta1ents of John Owen Edwards (conduc­ But, life is cruel and man uncouth. various aspects of Weill's life and works. tor), Peter Walker (director), Tom Jobe Alas, Eisler's music to me comes across The majority of the essays evolved from (choreographer), Charles Maude (de­ as heavy-handed, dogged, and we have to papers presented at the first internation­ signer), and a large cast of Britain's give him an "E" for effort, but his music al conference on Weill held in New Ha­ leading actors and singers, including is a bore, I believe. ven, Connecticut, in November 1983 and Meriel Dickinson, Elaine Paige, Hilary Kurt Weill is a musical genius. He has co-sponsored by the John Herrick Jack­ Western, Linda Brewer, Rosemary a lightness, he has an irony, and the son Mu.sic Library at Yale University Ashe, Gay Soper, Tommy Ki:irnberg, music continues to live - whatever its and the Kurt Weill Foundation for Mu­ Paul Harrhy, Christopher Blades, political content." sic. In addition to Kowalke, the contrib­ Yvonne Bachem, Rosie Ashe, Geoffrey utors to the collection include: Christo­ Burridge, Janis Kelly, and Alec Mc­ From a video production, Steve Reich: A pher Hailey, Alexander L. Ringer, John Cowen. New Musical Language, produced by Rockwell, Stephen Hinton, Susan C. All participants and authors donated MJW Productions for the Arts Council of Cook, Alan Chapman, Ian Kemp, Doug­ their services to this important cause. Great Britain in association with las Jarman, John Fuegi, Michael Mor­ Street Scene was a critical, as well as a WNET/Thirteeri, New York, 1987. ley, Ronald K. Shull, David Drew, Guy popular success. Tom Sutcliffe, The Stern, Matthew Scott, John Graziano, Guardian, commented, "Why should Larry Stempel, and David Farneth. The theater audiences, fed recently on a diet award, given by the American Society of of musicals devoid of music, not be Composers, Authors and Publishers, is allowed a work of this quality and pas­ KURT WEILL NEWSLE'ITER Vol. 5, No. 2 Fall 1987 named in honor of the late composer, sionate intensity? There was no dress music critic, and editor, who served as rehearsal for Sunday's AIDS gala, but © Kurt Weill Foundation for Music 1987 the President of ASCAP from 1942-48. Street Scene was triumphantly vindi­ 7 East 20th Street cated. It works." And writing for The New York, NY 10003-1106 Three Broadway Shows Now Stage, Frank Granville Barker com­ (212) 260-1650 Available in the UK mented, "The miracle ofWeill's score is that it gives memorable life to each ofthe MCI Mail 296-6674 As a result of a new agreement be­ varied characters who long to escape tween Chappell International Music from the pressures of poverty. The vital­ The Newsletter is published to provide an open Publishers Limited, London and the ity of Elmer Rice's drama came across forum wherein interested readers may express Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, a variety of ideas and opinions. The opinions splendidly in Peter Walker's production expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the Knickerbocker Holiday, Street Scene, and despite inevitable restriction of rehears­ publisher's official viewpoint. The editor en­ Lost in the Stars are now available for al time, and the musical direction ofJohn courages the submission of articles, reviews, general licensing in all English­ Owen Edwards was electrifying." and news items for inclusion in future issues. speaking countries outside of the United The submission deadline for the next issue is States and Canada. English-language Street Scene on German Radio 15 January 1988. productions throughout Europe are also included. For further information, David Farneth, E<litor Westdeutscher Rundfunk Koln will Mario R. Mercado, Associate Editor please contact the Foundation or Chap­ produce Kurt Weill's American Opera, James Lynch, Production Assistant and pell International at 129 Park Street, Street Scene in May 1988. Donald Ar­ Typesetting London WlY 3FA, England. thur will direct and Jan Latham-Konig will conduct the opera, which will be sung Board of Trustees Happy End at the Olympics Kim Kowalke, President in English. Lys Symonette, who worked Henry Marx, Vice-President Happy End will open on 24 February with WeilJ on the original 1946 produc­ Lys Symonette, Vice-President at the Margaret Greenham Theatre of tion, will serve as music consultant and Guy Stern, Secre~ the Banff Centre in A1berta, Canada. coach. Performances will be given at Milton Coleman, Treasurer The production will enjoy an extensive Duisberg and Recklinghausen in addi­ Harold Prince tour of Canada, including performances tion to Cologne. Recent WDR produc­ Julius Rudel at the 1988 Winter Olympic Games at tions have included Der Zar liisst sich Calgary. Kelly Robinson will direct, and photographieren, Der Lindberghflug, Foundation Staff Craig Bohmler and Wyn Davies will Kim Kowalke, President Aufstieg undFaU der Stadt Mahagonny, David Farneth, Director and Archivist share the conducting duties on the tour.