KURT WEILL NEWSLETTER Vol. 2 No. 1 Spring 1984 Foundation Initiates Grants Program Early Weill Manuscripts Discovered The Board of Trustees is pleased to contain a detailed description of the On November 5, 1983, during the last announce the establishment of the project, a current resume of individuals day of the Kurt Weill Conference at Foundation's first grants program, de­ involved and/or a profile of purposes, Yale University, Foundation President signed to further its goals of promoting activities and past achievements of or­ Kirn Kowalke announced the discovery public understanding and appreciation ganizations, and an itemized statement of 14 early Weill manuscripts dating of the musical works of Kurt Weill. In of how the amom1t requested would be from 1916-19, with one fragment com­ 1984, the Foundation is accepting pro­ utilized. After applications have been posed possibly as early as 1911. Of the posals in five major categories related reviewed by the Foundation's staff, ad­ 14 manuscripts, 11 are of compositions to the perpetuation of Weill' s artistic ditional supporting materials may be W1known to have existed, or presumed legacy: requested for consideration by the Ad­ lost. Dr. Hanne Weill Holesovsky, l. Research Grants visory Panel on Grant Evaluations, daughter of Weill's brother Hanns, in­ 2. Publicatwn Assistance which will make recommendations to formed Lys Syrnonette in November, 3. Performance and Production Grants the Board of Trustees. Grants will be 1981, that her mother, Rita Weill (now 4. Dissertatwn Fellowships awarded on an objective and non-dis­ deceased), might possess a number of 5. Travel Grants criminatory basis. Selection criteria items relating to Kurt Weill. The Foun­ Preliminary applications should be will include: the relevance and value of dation was able to secure photocopies received by April 30, 1984, and must the proposed project to the achieve­ of the majority of the manuscripts and ment of the Foundation's purpose; the the copies are now available for study quality of the project; evidence of the at the Weill/Lenya Research Center. Firebrand Parts Found applicant's potential, motivation, and The original manuscripts are safely ability to carry out the project success­ sealed in a bank vault awaiting a pro­ In a surprise call from Eugene Moon fully; and evidence of the applicant's bate settlement, after which the Foun­ of Theodore Presser Co., the Fom1da­ prior record of achievement in the field dation will begin negotiations for their tion recently learned of the existence of covered by the project. Applicants will purchase. Included in the discovery are the orchestral material (parts, chorus be informed of awards by July 1, 1984. an Intermezzo for piano (1917), an Or­ parts) to Firebrand of Florence, Weill's Please address all proposals and cor­ chestral Suite (ea. 1919) and portions of 1945 musical with lyrics by Ira Gersh­ respondence to David Farneth at the a song cycle, Ofrah 's Lieder (ea. win and book by Edwin Justis Mayer. Foundation's headquarters. 1916-17). Presser had custody of the materials due to earlier contractual arrange­ ments with Chappell & Co. Although the show had a disappointing run on Broadway, the operetta-like score con­ tains some of Weill's most engaging music. The discovery makes possible the realization of revivals without the investment of thousands of dollars re­ quired for copying the orchestral parts. Jnquiries regarding Firebrand of Florence should be addressed to the Foundation. September Song Walter Huston's 1938 recording of "September Song" was a Hall of Fame winner at this year's Grammy Awards. Hutton· Cobb and Linda Lou Allen share a tender moment in Down in the Valley on PBS' "Great Performances." NEWS IN BRIEF Foundation Sponsors Yale Exhibits Weill Surveyed Mu_sicales to Introduce Weill Manuscripts at Two Universities Young Artists T he Yale Music Library, which Courses on Kurt Weill are currently houses the W eill/Lenya Archive, will being planned at two American univer­ have an exhibit of archival materials sities. Dr. Alexander Ringer of the 1n co1taboration with the New York this summer during June, July, and University of Illinois, Champaign­ Chapter of the Alumni Association of August in Yale's Beinecke Rare Book Urbana, reports that, "by popular the Curtis Institute of Music, the Kurt and Manuscript Library. On display demand,'' he is working to schedule an Weill Foundation will begin its pro­ will be a selection of autograph manu­ intensive four-week summer course on jected series of musicales on April 27 at scripts of Weill's, correspondence with Weill's operatic and theatrical works. 8 p.m. Ruth D'Agostino, soprano, colleagues such as Milhaud,. Ira Ger­ The lecture course for graduate Katherine Turner, soprano, Blair shwin, Brecht, Georg Kaiser, Ma>...'Well students would begin early in July, Wilson, tenor, and Reginald Pindell, Anderson, and Ogden Nash, docu­ 1984. Prof. David Laurent of Brown baritone, will present a program of ments from the careers of Weill and University, Providence, Rl, is working songs by Kurt Weill, Ned Rorem, Lenya, and a large display of icono­ on a Weill course for undergraduates, Samuel Barber and Leonard Bernstein. graphy. Summer hours at the Beinecke in conjunction with Brown's German All of these young artists are graduate Library are Monday-Friday 8:30-5:00, Department. This course, if approved, students of the Curtis Institute, and Saturday 10:00-5:00, and Sunday would also focus on stage works, and have made appearances with major 2:00-5:00 (closed weekends in August). would be taught during the 1984-85 musical organizations in both opera school year. Previous "composer and concert. Due to limited seating Blatas Exhibition courses" at Brown have examined please call the Foundation for reserva­ Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Verdi; tions. in Venice Weill would be the first twentieth cen­ Artist Arbit Blatas will be featured in tury composer to be studied in recent an exhibition entitled Impressions of memory. Down in the Valley The Threepenny Opera at the Teatro on Great Performances Goldoni in Venice between August 30 and October 1. The exhibition will in· The editor welcomes submission of news elude oils, lithographs and bronzes and items, reviews, and articles by readers for PBS will present the Kurt Weill­ is co-sponsored by the Italian Commis­ inclusion in future issues of the Newsletter. Arnold Sundgaard folk opera, Down in sioner of Culture and the City of Submission deadline for the next issue is the Valley, as part of its "Great Perfor­ Venice. The internationally renowned August 15, 1984. mances" series. Air time for New York painter and sculptor has created a large City is 8 PM, April 16, but affiliates' body of work inspired by The The Kurt Weill Newsletter Volume 2, Number 1, Spring 1984 broadcasts may vary, so check your Threepenny Opera and was a long-time local listings. friend of Lenya. Blatas' interpretation David Farneth, Editor Produced by the Moving Picture of Lenya in bronze is on display at the Company, the film was directed by Weill/Lenya Research Center. William Madison. Assistant to the Editor Frank Cvitanovich, co-produced by Cvitanovich and Nigel Stafford-Clark, Weill/Lenya Research and Carl Davis was musical director. © Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, Inc. Shot on location in England, a1t di­ 1984 Center Hosts 142 West End Ave-Suite 1R rector Anton Furst transformed the Music Library Meeting New York, NY 10023 local countryside into the Smokey (212) 873-1465 Mountains. On April 28, the Greater New York Board of Trustees Linda Lou Allen stars as J ennie; Chapter of the Music Library Associa­ Hutton Cobb is her hapless lover, Kim Kowalke, President tion will hold its spring meeting at the Lys Symonette, Vice-President Brack Weaver; and Van Hinman is the Weill/Lenya Research Center. Topics Henry Marx, Vice-President preacher. Singer Judy Collins will host on the program include the Founda­ Guy Stern, Secretary the broadcast. The production, tion's history and programs, the ar­ Milton Coleman, Treasurer originally aired last year on BBC Harold Prince chive collections and poljcies, and the Julius Rudel Channel 4, will mark Down in the recently discovered Weill manuscripts. Valley 's American debut on national The meeting will conclude with a Foundation Staff television. musical presentation by Curtis In· Kim Kowalke, President Lys Symonette, Musical Executive stitute of Music students and a tour of David Fameth, Archivist/Director of the Research Center. Prognuns William Madison, Program Assistant KURT WEILL NEWSLETTER PAG~ 2 THE PRESIDENT'S COLUMN The Motto of Mahagonny: ''Du Darfst!" by Kirn Kowalke of horrors, but also for many producers and Ina Wittich, without any license Mahagonny has always had an identi· and directors of Mahagonny who create whatsoever. When I attended a perfor­ ty problem. Whenever I hear of a new their own horrors night after night. mance of this "Brecbtfest," I found an production, my first question is always, Like the city ofnets, the opera needs no hour-long burlesque of the two Maha· "Which Mahagonny?" The Songspiel or hurricanes or typhoons for its destruc­ gonnys, accompanied by piano, croaked the opera? the Paris version or the Cur· tion-men can do as well. As Jimmy by non-singers, with a Scott Joplin rag jel version? the Berliner Ensemble's Macintyre advises in Scene 11, ''Now's interpolated and most of the lyrics of "Kleine Mahagonny" or some other, the time to indulge in forbidden acts the opera rendered as spoken dialogue. new concoction? Since there are only . no laws will stop it!'' Apparently In December 1983, the Foundation two versions of Mahagonn~ authorized not. The last year bas witnessed no learned of a similar production at the for performance throughout the world fewer than five blatant and willful in­ San Francisco Repertory Theatre, (the Songspiel [UE 1112889] and the full.