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Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera); Berlin 1930

Teldec

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1. Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera), opera: Ouvertüre Und Moritat Von Mackie Messer
2. Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera), opera: Seeräuberjenny
3. Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera), opera: Liebeslied
4. Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera), opera: Barbara Song
5. Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera), opera: Erstes Dreigroschen-Finale
6. Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera), opera: Abschied
7. Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera), opera: Zuhälterballade
8. Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera), opera: Ballade Vom Angenehmen Leben
9. Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera), opera: Eifersuchtsduett
10. Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera), opera: Zweites Driegroschen-Finale
11. Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera), opera: Moritat Und Schlußchoral
12. Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny (Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny), opera: Wie Man Sich Bettet
13. Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny (Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny), opera: Alabama Song
14. Das Nachtgespenst, for voice & piano
15. Peter, Peter, komm zu mir zurück, for voice & orchestra
16. Guck doch nicht immer nach dem Tangogeiger Hin, for voice & orchestra
17. Jonny, wenn du Geburtstag hast, song for voice & orchestra
18. Vom Seemann Kuttel Daddeldu for voice & orchestra
19. Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera), opera: Chant D'Amour
20. Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera), opera: Tangoballade
21. Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera), opera: Ballade De La Vie Agréable
22. Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera), opera: Kanonensong
23. Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera), opera: Lied Von Der Unzulänglichkeit Des manschilichen St
24. Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera), opera: Chant Des Canons

Average customer rating:

It's Carola Neher - not Lotte Lenya

Just to clear something up, from hearing the samples on this site I'm almost positive that the female voice on this CD is Carola Neher (who played Polly in the original cast), not Lotte Lenya. In my opinion Neher was a much more pleasant singer than Lenya. Sad to say, she'd end up in a Stalinist Death Camp a few years later after fleeing from the Nazis to the USSR. The digital remastering seems to be nice, again judging from the samples (my grandmother had the original record and it was very noisy and not clear at all.) This is pretty much all that is left of pre-Third Reich German recordings, of course life recording during an actual performance was totally out of the question back than.

I Love Threepenny.

I've loved the "Three Penny Opera" since I was associated with a production in college. This is a fine CD of the original Berlin cast.

Also, there are some French versions, some sung by Brecht, and some other Berlin songs of the day by Kurt Gerron, Marlene Dietrich, et al.

An Excellent Document

The review the complains of the abbreviated versions of the songs that are included on this CD, and that some of the songs are missing, misses the point. The Barbara song, which is mentioned by name, was set up by the Moritatssaenger in a way which makes it clear that the song was also truncated on the original 78 release from 1930...

Listen to this for what it's worth: it's great documentary, and includes two Mahoganny songs, some songs by Hollaender, etc...(also, check out the 1999 release of the Threepenny Opera on BMG, with Nina Hagen as Frau Peachum...)

Bone chilling excerpts from the original 1930 Berlin cast

This CD features Lotte Lenya with Mackeben conducting the original German cast of 1930. It has excerpts of the show only, but it's a fascinating glimpse into the original feeling of Kurt Weill's best known work. Lenya is bright and coldly perky. The sound is strctly old fashioned mono.

Disappointing - these are abbreviated versions of the songs

As far as the record goes, the performances are wonderful. But -- there are many songs missing from the Three Penny Opera, and those that are included are sometimes presented in an abbreviated form. For instance, Barbara Song only has the last verse -- missing the wonderful wordplay and contrast with the earlier two verses.