Not about writing. About music.
I’ve played the violin since I was five, and have played in orchestras forever. First, school chamber groups (we all know what they sound like: 25 little kids squeaking their way through “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star), then university orchestras, and then adult amateur and semi-professional ones. For the past 15 years (can that be true?), I’ve played with The Kensington Philharmonic, performing three concerts a year, mostly in London’s Chelsea Old Town Hall. There’s always a wonderful soloist, always a rousing ouverture, and always an important symphony from “The Repertoire”, everything from Beethovan to Dvorak to Mozart to Sibelius and back again. But every once in a while, I’m presented with a piece of music that is so new to me, so unheard of, that I hang my head in shame lamenting the woeful holes in my musical education.
For our next concert on Sunday, 22 June, 7.30 pm we will be playing the 2nd Symphony of Kurt Weill. Here is all that I’ve known up until now about Kurt Weill:
1. He wrote “The Three Penny Opera” with Bertolt Brecht
2. He was married to the famous German cabaret singer, Lotte Lenya
3. He wrote “Mack the Knife” which was to be made famous by Bobby Darren.
4. For some reason, I always thought the musical “Cabaret” was based on his work, but I may have made that up.
But what I didn’t know is that he was predominantly a classical composer coming from a religious Jewish background (his father was a cantor), and that he wrote nearly thirty-years-worth of sonatas, concerti, lieders, symphonies. Now all of this is vaguely interesting in a cocktail party sort of way. But what is presently knocking my socks off is how incredibly fantastic this 2nd Symphony is. Beautiful, lyrical melodies. Stirring rhythms. Interesting though comfortably-resolving dissonances. Where have you been all my life?
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a clip of the symphony to share with you. Do go out a buy a cd so you can hear it for yourself. But instead, here’s a video of Lotte Lenya singing her husband’s heart-breaking song, “Surabaya Johnny.” You don’t need to understand German to get it.
Cabaret was based on the books of Christopher Isherwood, a gay Brit living in Berlin.
I’m not sure if he had any connections with Weill, but I guess as Weill was married to Lotte Lenya and Isherwood was clearly part of the Berlin decadent cabaret scene, then it is quite possible. But Weill didnt write the music for it, that came much later I think, as it was developed into a stage play first called I am a Camera.
Cx ( who did a German degree many years ago!!)
Cathy– yes, right! Now I remember. I’ve heard about “I Am a Camera.” Maybe I just became aware of “The 3 Penny Opera” at the same time that i became aware of Cabaret and so I’ve conflated them together…..Thanks!
Gosh I didn’t know any of that – how fascinating – off to buy the CD – in fact I saw Lotte Lenya in ‘The Threepenny Opera’ in a theatre the size of your palm in New York.It had been running forever and either she’d been in it the whole time or she’d coem back after an absence – but she was unique – not a great voice but a way of phrasing that was unforgettable.And the subtle pauses, and half-pauses – I can still hear them.
And cathy is right: Cabaret is based on a group of stories called something like ‘farewell to berlin’ which was turned into a play called ‘I am a Camera’ by John van Druten, which was turned into a musical called ‘Cabaret’ by Kander and Ebb. Whew! In my youth I played Sally Bowles (in I am a Camera) in stock – it’s a lovely play – oh I just read eeh rest of cathy’s post and I see it’s got the same info – never mind! I never did a German degree, but I acted in Germany (in English)and you don’t need to know German to appreciate a book written by an Englishman about an Englishman in Germany, adapted by another Englishman for the American stage
Sounds very interesting – I will have to try and hunt it down. I’m always a bit crap when it comes to classical music….I keep forgetting that I actually really love it!! (I guess that way I can keep rediscovering it so perhaps it’s not all bad!!)
C x
You’re so multi-talented. I’m in awe!
OMG! YOu write like a dream, you play one of the most difficult instrumetns ever, is there no end to your talent? What skill are you going to reveal next? Seriously, I am so impressed, I adore listening to the violin.
I came across him when I was studying Brecht years ago. I really wish I was in the UK for the concert. Oh well, next time.
There is an award for you over at mine 🙂
C x