KURT WEILL NEWSLETTER Volume 13, Number 1 Spring 1995 I cene B OOKS 18 Gunther Diehl: Der junge Kurt Weill und seine Oper "Der Protagonist." Susanne Shigihara John Willett, ed., Hugh Rorrison, trans.: Bertolt Brecht Journals 1934-55. Michael Morley Bryan Gilliam, ed.: Music and Performance during the Weimar Republic. Derrick Puffett PERFORMANCES 22 Street Scene in Ludwigshafen. Gisela Schubert Die Dreigroschenoper in Frankfurt. Horst Koegler Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny in Diisseldorf and Chemnitz. Kraft-Eike Wrede Die Dreigroschenoper in London. Patrick O'Connor One Touch of Venus in Malmo, Sweden. Tony Kaplan AU-Weill Concert in Frankfurt. Gunther Diehl R ECORDINGS 29 Die sieben Todsiinden on Deutsche Grammophon and Teldec. Daniel Albright Jeunesse Festival in Vienna Deadline Extended for Kurt Weill Highlights Kurt Weill Prize Nominations Plans are underway for a major Weill com­ A remarkable response has greeted the memorative festival in Vienna from 29 Sep­ call for nominations for the first annual Kurt Kurt Weill Foundation tem ber to 24 October 1995. Organized by Weill Prize. The Prize is to be awarded in the Musikaliscbe Jugend CTeunesse Musicale) fall of this year to the autllor of a work of Grant Program Osterr_!'!ichs, an organization founded imme­ outstanding scholarship dealing with twenti­ diately after the Second World War, this eth-century musical theater (including op­ month-long festival wilJ be presented at the era). inquiries about application and nomi­ Musikverein and the Konzerthaus, the most nation procedures have come from scholars prestigious concert halls in Vienna. and publishers around the world. The many Reminder: 1 November 1995 is the The MusikalischeJ ugend organization has entries received to date, ranging in scope application deadline for 1996 funding engaged many orchestras and individual from journal articles to complete books, al­ by the Kurt Weill Foundation for performers from both sides of the Atlantic: ready ensure a highly competitive selection the radio symphony orchestras of Berlin, process. Largely to accommodate the nu­ Music. To request guidelines, call Cologne, and Hamburg (NDR), the Wmd merousinternational respondents, theFoun ­ (212) 505-5240. Orchestra of the Vienna Philharmonic, the dation has extended thedeadlineforsubmis­ Slovenia Philharmonic, and the prestigious sion of entries until 15 May 1995. European contemporary chamber orches­ The Kurt Weill Prize is co-sponsored by tras Ensemble Modern (Frankfurt) and theAmerican Musicological Society, Ameri­ Klangforum (Vienna). Soloists Angelina can Society for Theatre Research, Modern Reaux, Damon Evans, and RobertaAlexander Language Association, and Kurt Weill Foun­ will appear along with conductors Dennis dation for Music, lnc. For information on Russell Davies, Vladimir Fedoseyev, HK nomination guidelines, please contact the Gruber, Peter Keuschnig and Jan Latham­ Foundation. Konig. Music and Scholarship at the Along with the many Weill compositions Annual Kurt-Weill-Fest in Dessau to be performed (including Johnny Johnson among other works) the festival program A co-production of the city of Dessau, also promises a selection of works by other Germany and that city's Kurt-Weill­ twentieth-century composers including GeseUschaft, the annual Kurt-Weill-Fest for Busoni, Hindemith, Milhaud, Mahler, thisyearopenedon2March 1995, theninety­ Stravinsky, Gershwin, Copland, Eisler and fifth anniversary of the composer's birth. Ives. Several composers who have been The eleven-day festival featured, as usual, influenced by Weill, including Leonard performances of several works by Weill, in­ Bernstein and Morton Gould, will also be cluding the Symphony #2 and the Concerto represented. for Violin andWi nds. Especially notable was the premiere, conducted byVicto rSymonette, London's Threepenny Opera of the Suite in E, Weill's first surviving at­ Nominated for West End Award tempt at orchestral composition. The orga­ nizers also programmed works by othertwen ­ TI1e Donmar Warehouse production of tieth-century composers, including Weill's Tlze Threepenny Opera was recently nomi­ teachers, Busoni and Humperdinck. nated for an Olivier Award, the English Performers from all over Germany partici­ equivalent to the American Tony award. pated in the festival. Two American singers. Nominated under the category of "best mu­ Teri Hansen and Ivan Thomas, both ofwhom sical revival," this extremely popular pro­ appeared in theacclaimed production ofStreet duction has attracted critical attention since Scene atBerlin 'sTheater desWestens, joined it opened in December oflastyear. (See the Lys Symonette in a recital of songs from review on page 26 ofthis issue.) Critics have WeilJ's American works. Mrs. Symonette been unanimous in heralding JeremySams's embellished the performances with remarks new translation of Brecht's lyrics. about her experiences in the American mu­ sical theater. Focus on Weill in Opernwelt Especially prominent among the many Opernwelt, the German-language opera events included in the Kurt-WeilJ-Festwas a monthly, devoted a significant portion of its scholarlysymposium,fittinglyentitled"New February issue to the topic "Von Brechtzum Contributions to Weill Research in Germany." Broadway: Die zwei Welten des KurtWeilJ" The symposium featured, along with estab­ (From Brechtto Broadway: The two worlds lished scholars such as GuyStem andJi.irgen of Kurt Weill) . The issue included reviews of Schebera, a whole new generation of young recentstage productions, books and record­ scholars, including Nils Grosch, Guntller ings, contributed by a number of notable Diehl, Andreas Hauff, Stefanie Wust, and critics, including Horst Koegler, a Jong-time Elmar Juchem. Those present also heard Weill aficionado. The issue also contained presentations by Rtidiger Pfeiffer on the an interview with Lys Symonette and histori­ Bauhaus and music, and Guido Birnberg on cal photos of Weill and Lotte Lenya. Weill reception in Russia. More Publications Now Available from the KWF. See the expanded book selection on the back cover. 2 Volume 13 Number 1 Kurt W,eill Newsletter John Mauceri Conducts More Kurt More on Mahagonnys Around the Weill Performances and 1995 Grants Awarded Recordings World John Mauceri is in the midstofa very busy London season ofWeill performances. In addition to 1n December 1994, the Board ofTrustees his Boston Symphony concert with Ute London can look forward to a new English of the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, Lemper in April (see the news story on p.5), language Rise and Fall of the City of Inc. approved the recommendations of Mauceri conducted the premiere ofhis corn· Mahagonny. The English National Opera production, using the translation byMichael the Independent Grants Advisory Panel pilation A Kurt Weill Songbook/or Orchestra on July 1994 at the Hollywood Bowl with Feingold, premieres at the Coliseum on 8 to award the grants listed below. 20 Lemper as guest soloist. (The Songbook June 1995 with performances continuing incorporates Morton Gould's 77ze Two Worl~ through 30 June. This production repre­ of Kttrl Weill.) A recording of the perfor· sents the much anticipated operatic debut of Research mance will be released on the Philips label in director Deel an Donellan and designer Nick fall 1995. The conductor has also recently Ormerod, the founders of London's eel• J. Bradford Robinson, Seefeld, Germany. presented RobertRussell Bennett's arrange­ ebrated "Cheek by Jowl" theater company. Grant to support a study ofWeill's ment Five Songs/or Huckleberry Finn. ("Cheek by Jowl" performed at the Brooklyn handling of jazz orchestration and Academy ofMusicin New York last October In May, Mauceri will conduct the Lisbon to critical acclaim and full houses at every instrumental techniques in his Eu­ premiere of Street Scene, at the Teatro performance.) ropean works. Nacional de Sao Carlos, scheduled to open on 27 May 1995 and run for four perfor• Two members of the cast will also be Pascal Huynh, Paris, France. Grant to mances. The director will be Jose making theirdebut: Robert Brubaker Oimmy support research involved in Wallenstein, with sets designed by Vera Mahoney) and Riccardo Simonetti curating the first major exhibition Castro. Principal cast members will include (Pennyback BilO. Other members of the cast are Sally Burgess (Widow Begbick), on Weill in France. The exhibition, Josephine Barstow, Spiro Malas, Mark Beudert, Ann Howard, J orge Vaz de Leslie Garrett Genny), Adrian Thompson in collaboration with the Mona Bis• Carvalho, Ana Paula Russo, Carlos (Fatty), Brian Matthews {Trinity Moses), marck Foundation and the Goethe Guidlherme, and Ivan Thomas. Richard Angas (Alaska Wolf Joe), and John Daszal Gack O'Brien and Toby Higgins). Institut Paris, will run from January As for other future events, later this year · Performances will be conducted by Sian through March 1996. the conductor plans to record Weill's Con­ Edwards (through 23 June), and James with certo for Violin and Wind Instruments Holmes (26, 28, 30 June). soloist ChantalJuilletfor the London/Decca Dissertation Fellowship label. His collaboration with Utelemperwill A number of special events will take place be renewed on 30 September and 1 October around the time ofthe premiere. The Friends Elmar Juchem, University of Gtittingen, of this year in a concert with the Leipzig of ENO have organized two film screenings Gtittingen, Germany. Grant to sup­ Radio Orchestra (MDR-Sinfonieorchester). ofrecentdocumentariesonWeill, introduced portarchival and source