The original L'Opéra de quat'sous premiered on August 31, 1928, at the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm in Berlin.
Compositional Technique
Kurt Weill's music for L'Opéra de quat'sous uniquely blends contemporary dance music, American jazz, German cabaret, and Lutheran chorale influences.
Interpretation
This recording features a new French translation by Alexandre Pateau, commissioned by the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, with input from the artistic team and performers.
Cultural Impact
Before World War II, L'Opéra de quat'sous had over 10,000 performances across Europe and was translated into dozens of languages, sparking a "Threepenny fever" in Berlin.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded live in July 2023 at the Palais de l'Archevêché in Aix-en-Provence, as part of the Festival international d'art lyrique d'Aix-en-Provence.
Composition History
L'Opéra de quat'sous (The Threepenny Opera) by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht is based on John Gay's 1728 ballad-opera, The Beggar's Opera.
Compositional Technique
Bertolt Brecht incorporated verses directly from the medieval French poet François Villon into five of the songs in L'Opéra de quat'sous, including the famous "Ballade des pendus."
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(with spoken text and melodramas in English)
