’ve always heard of “The Threepenny Opera,” and of course, I am familiar with its one hit, “Mack the Knife.” However, I know nothing about the work – other than that the music is by Kurt Weill – and I’ve never heard the soundtrack or seen the show.
I had a theory about the show’s lack of popularity (or should I say “exposure”? “longevity”?), although I’ve now changed my tune on that (pun intended). I thought, perhaps, that “The Threepenny Opera” was not in demand, so to speak, because it had the word “opera” in the title – and that the show’s moniker worked against it. LIke “Urinetown.” I know folks who have refused to see “Urinetown” all because of the show’s name, but it’s a very ingenious, mischievous show with catchy tunes, clever lyrics, crowd-pleasing dance numbers, and a provocative message. “The Threepenny Opera” has little (none?) of that. Hence, perhaps the show’s name has worked against it, but maybe its lack of staying power is due more to its banality than its title. I found it interesting to read up on the show’s history (HERE), and I also read up a bit on Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill (I never realized that “September Song” was by Weill). However, I could barely make it through “The Threepenny Opera” twice. As a matter of fact, I didn’t. I listened to the soundtrack on Spotify early in the week, and then mid-week I tried watching a production of the show on YouTube. I stopped half-way through, with the intention of finishing it, but then I thought “Why? Why waste my time?” The show is dull. The music is uninspiring, forgettable, and dull. Oh, there are some interesting bits of orchestration now and then, but the show is just wearisome and dull. Did I say it was dull? Anyway, that’s my two cents on “The Threepenny Opera.”
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A New Hope:As the header above says, each week I will listen to a piece of classical music that I've never heard before, and then I will report out what I thought about it. Archives
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