Synopsis

Macheath (Mack the Knife), notorious bandit and womanizer, runs afoul of Jonathan Peachum when he marries Peachum's daughter Polly in a ceremony of doubtful legality. Peachum's resolve to have Mack sent to the gallows is complicated by the fact that Mack's old army buddy is the chief of police, Tiger Brown. Peachum and his wife commence a series of strategems to ensnare Mack: bribing prostitutes to turn him in, exercising their influence over the police, and ultimately threatening to ruin the coronation of Queen Victoria by having all the beggars in London (whom Peachum controls) line the parade route. Mack is imprisoned, escapes, and is imprisoned again. When his hour of execution arrives, however, a mounted messenger appears with the Queen's reprieve, which includes a baronetcy and an annual pension of 10,000 pounds.

Song list

• Moritat vom Mackie Messer
• Morgenchoral des Peachum
• Anstatt-dass-Song
• Hochzeits-Lied
• Seeräuberjenny
• Kanonen-Song
• Liebeslied
• Barbara-Song
• Erstes Dreigroschenfinale
• Melodram
• Pollys Lied
• Ballade von der sexuellen Hörigkeit
• Zuhälterballade
• Ballade vom angenehmen Leben
• Eifersuchtsduett
• Zweites Dreigroschenfinale
• Lied von der Unzulänglichkeit menschlichen Strebens
• Salomon-Song
• Ruf aus der Gruft
• Grabschrift
• Drittes Dreigroschenfinale
• Anhang - Arie der Lucy (piano only)

Performance Information

English title: The Threepenny Opera
Cast: Singing roles - Street Singer, Macheath (tenor), J.J. Peachum (baritone), Mrs. Peachum (mezzo-soprano), Polly Peachum (soprano), Tiger Brown (bass baritone), Lucy Brown (soprano), Jenny (mezzo-soprano), Constable Smith, ensemble.
Speaking roles -- Filch, the Rev. Kimball, the gang of thieves, beggars, prostitutes, policemen.
Orchestra: alto sax (fl, cl, bar. sax); ten. sax (sop. sax, bn, bass cl); tpt; tbn (double bass); banjo (cello, guitar, Hawaiian guitar, mandolin, bandoneon); timp/perc (tpt 2); harmonium (celesta, piano).
Authorized Translations:
English - in all territories: Michael Feingold, outside the USA and Canada: Ralph Manheim & John Willett; Hugh McDiarmid; Robert David McDonald
French - Jean-Claude Hémery
Italian -- Emilio Castellani

Principal productions

• August 31, 1928, Berlin, Theater am Schiffbauerdamm, Erich Engel, dir., Theo Mackeben, cond.
• March, 1929, Wien, Raimund Theater, Karlheinz Martin, dir., Norbert Gingold, cond.
• September 24,1937, Paris, Théâtre de l'Etoile, Francesco von Mendelssohn, dir., Selmar Meyrowitz, cond. (in French)
• February 1956, Milano, Piccolo Teatro, Giorgio Strehler, dir., Bruno Maderna, cond. (in Italian)
• April 23, 1960, Berlin, Berliner Ensemble, Erich Engel, dir., Hans-Dieter Hosalla, cond.
• May 1, 1976, New York, New York Shakespeare Festival, Richard Foreman, dir., Stanley Silverman, cond. (in English)
• May 23, 1987, Berlin, Theater des Westens, Günter Krämer, dir., Peter Keuschnig, cond.
• October 2, 1994, Frankfurt Schauspielhaus, Hans Hollmann, dir., HK Gruber, cond.
• June 6, 1996, Tokyo, Seinen-Za
• September 8, 1999, San Francisco, American Conservatory Theatre, Carey Perloff, dir., Peter Maleitzke, cond.

LP CBS S 66239 LP Columbia 02S 201 LP Odyssey Y2 32977 LP Philips L 09 421-22 LP CBS 78279 (2 LPs) CD CBS MK 42637 CD Bear Family 16019		Lotte Lenya, Wofgang Neuss Günther Arndt chor Sender Freies Orchester Berlin Wilhelm Brückner-Rüggeberg, cond. 1958
LP Telefunken 97012 LP Capitol / Telefunken P8117		Lotte Lenya, Kurt Gerron, Erich Ponto Willy Trenk-Trebitsch, Erika Helmke Lewis-Ruth-Band Conducted By Theo Mackeben 7 Dec. 1930
Teldec 9031-75025-2 Teldec 0630-13824-2 Teldec 39842 92812-2 Teldec Basic Edition 100è Teldec 0927-42663-2
Pearl GEMM 9189 VAI 1193 SYMPOSIUM 1285
LP Historia 625 CD MP Records Pastel 201898
Capriccio 10 346		Enregistrements historiques
Philips 6768 700 CD Philips 426-668-2		Frankfurt Opera Wolfgang Rennert, cond.
London 430 075-2		René Kollo, Ute Lemper, Milva, Mario Adorf, Helga Adorf, Helga Dernesch, RIAS Berlin Sinfonietta, John Mauceri, cond.
Koch International Classics 3-7006-2		Waldemar Kmentt, Manfred Jung, Stephanie Myszak Anelia Shoumanova Bulgarian Radio Television Mixed Choir and Symphony Orchestra Victor Symonette, cond.
LP Amadeo AVRS 6023 Amadeo 423 810-2 LP Vanguard SRV 2735D LP Vanguard VRS 9002 Vanguard OVC 8057 Line Music (Cantus Classics) 5.00991 LP Majestic LP Karussell 635130 Past Classic 2464866		Anny Felbermayer, Liane Augustin, sopranos Rosette Anday, contralto Helge Rosvaenge, Kurt Preger, tenors Alfred Jerger, baritone Chor und Ensemble der Wiener Staatsoper F. Charles Adler, cond Overture A1.1 Helge Roswaenge Ouverture - Moritat Vom Mackie Messer Akt 1 A1.2 Alfred Jerger Morgenchoral Des Peachum A1.3 Alfred Jerger, Rosette Anday Anstatt Dass-Song A1.4 Chor Hochzeitslied A1.5 Liane Augustin Seeräuberjenny A1.6 Kurt Preger, Frederick Guthrie Kanonensong A2.1 Liane Augustin, Kurt Preger Liebeslied A2.2 Liane Augustin Barbara-Song A2.3 Various 1. Dreigroschenfinale Akt 2 B1.1 Liane Augustin Pollys Lied B1.2 Hedy Fassler, Kurt Preger Melodram / Zuhälterballade B1.3 Kurt Preger Ballade Vom Angenehmen Leben B1.4 Anny Felbermayer, Liane Augustin Eifersuchtsduett B1.5 Various 2. Dreigroschenfinale Akt 3 B2.1 Alfred Jerger Lied Von Der Unzulänglichkeit Menschlichen Strebens B2.2 Hedy Fassler Salomon-Song B2.3 Kurt Preger Ruf Aus Der Gruft B2.4 Kurt Preger Grabschrift B2.5 No Artist Gang Zum Galgen B2.6 Various 3. Dreigroschenfinale
Polydor 543-563-2 Polydor 428 349-5		Helmut Qualtinger, Hannes Messemer, Karin Baal, Sylvia Anders, James Last, cond.
Capriccio 60-058-1		Walter Raffeiner, Peter Nikolaus Kante, Ulrike Steinsky, Gabriele Ramm The König Ensemble Jan Latham-König, cond.
BMG 74321 66133-2		Max Raabe, Nina Hagen, Sona MacDonald Ensemble Modern HK Gruber, cond.
DG		The Best of Dreigroschenoper Dominique Horwitz Armin Pokorn Uli J. Messerschmidt Wolfgang Ekholt
Film (Pabst, 1931) - Français - Allemand
Film (Wolfgang Staudte, 1962) CD Telefunken		Curd Jürgens, Hildegard Knef, Gert Fröbe Peter Sandloff (cond.)