Synopsis

The story of Mahagonny begins with three criminals on the run from the law. They decide to found a city where people can do anything as long as they have money. Anything goes in Mahagonny--drinking, gambling, sex--and the town is soon populated by various kinds of hedonists. Two characters, Jenny, a prostitute, and Jimmy, a lumberjack, become lovers and generally dominate the plot. Mahagonny survives a typhoon at the end of act 1, and act 2 depicts various scenes of debauchery, until Jimmy discovers that he cannot pay his bills. Then he is sentenced to death (in a court where murderers go free), and discontent destroys the city, which burns as the inhabitants march away carrying placards of protest, although they have nowhere to go.

Performance Information

English title: Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny
Cast: Leokadja Begbick (mezzo-soprano), Fatty (tenor), Trinity Moses (baritone), Jenny Hill (soprano), Jimmy Mahoney (tenor), Jakob Schmidt (tenor), Bill (baritone), Joe (bass), Tobby Higgins (tenor),
Chorus of six girls and the men of Mahagonny.
Orchestra: 2 (2 picc).1 sop. sax.1 alto sax (bari. sax).1 ten. sax. 2 (cbn); 2.3.2.1; piano, harmonium ad lib., banjo, bass guitar, bandoneon, timp, perc; strings
Stage orchestra - 2 picc, 2 cl, 3 sax (sop., alto, ten.) 2 bn; 2.2.2.1; piano, zither or xylophone, banjo, bandoneon, perc.; 3 vn.
Duration: full evening
Revised piano-vocal score (David Drew, 1969)
Authorized Translations:
English -- David Drew & Michael Geliot; Arnold Weinstein & Lys Symonette; Michael Feingold
French -- Jean-Claude Hémery & Geneviève Serrau
Italian -- Fedele d'Amico

Principal productions

• March 9, 1930, Leipzig, Walter Brügmann, dir., Gustav Brecher, cond.
• December 21, 1931, Berlin, Theater am Schiffbauerdamm, Caspar Neher, dir., Alexander von Zemlinsky, cond.
• January 16, 1963, London, Sadler's Wells, Ralph Koltai, dir., Colin Davis, cond. (in English)
• September 25, 1977, Berlin, Komische Oper, Joachim Herz, dir., Robert Hanell, cond.
• November 16, 1979, New York, Metropolitan Opera, John Dexter, dir., James Levine, cond. (in English)
• June 12, 1990, Firenze, Maggio musicale fiorentino, Graham Vick, dir., Jan Latham-König, cond.
• March 22, 1992, Stuttgart, Ruth Berghaus, dir., Markus Stenz, cond.
• October 14, 1995, Paris, Opéra National, Graham Vick, dir., Jeffrey Tate, cond.
• July 24, 1998, Salzburg, Salzburg Festival, Peter Zadek, dir., Dennis Russell Davies, cond.

LP Philips L 09 418-20 LP Columbia K3L 243 CD CBS M2K 37874 / 77341 CD Sony SM2K 91184 BEAR FAMILY 16019		Lotte Lenya, Heinz Sauerbaum, Gisela Litz North Deutscher Radio Chor NDR Orchester Wilhelm Brückner-Rüggeberg, cond.  1956
VAIA 1193 PEARL 9294 Documents 221310		Extraits Lotte Lenya The Three Admirals Theo Mackeben and his Jazz Orchestra (recorded February 1930)
Pearl GEMM CDS 9189 Gold 53089		Extraits Lotte Lenya  Chorus Berlin Kurfürstendamm Theatre Orchestra Dir. Hans Sommer
CD Capriccio 10 160-61		Anja Silja, Anny Schlemm, Wolfgang Neumann Kölner Rundfunkorchester Jan Latham-König, cond.
Video (VHS) Kultur 2078 (DVD) Kultur D2078		Catherine Malfitano, Gwyneth Jones, Jerry Hadley Radio Symphonieorchester Wien Dennis Russell Davies, cond. Peter Zadek, stage dir. Brian Large, video dir. (Salzburg Festival)