Play with music after John Gay's The Beggar's Opera; in three acts.
German translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann.
Adaptation and lyrics by Bertolt Brecht.

Threepenny Opera website

Synopsis
Song List
Performance Information
Recordings

Macheath (Harald Paulsen) in prison,
with Mrs. Peachum (Rosa Valletti) and Polly (Roma Bahn), Berlin, 1928.

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
Hochzeitslied
Seeräuberjenny
Kanonen-Song
Liebeslied
Barbarasong
Erstes Dreigroschenfinale
Melodram
Pollys Lied
Ballade von der sexuellen Hörigkeit
Zuhälterballade
Ballade vom angenehmen Leben
Eifersuchtsduett
Zweites Dreigroschenfinale
Lied von der Unzulänglichkeit menschlichen Strebens
Salomonsong
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).
Duration: full evening, 65 minutes music
Published Editions: piano-vocal score, Universal Edition, UE 8851
study (full) score, Universal Edition, Philharmonia 400 (UE 14901)
Critical edition: Kurt Weill Edition, Series I, volume 5 (full score and libretto);
full score and libretto (reduced-size version of critical edition; German text only), Universal Edition UE 32 992
piano-vocal score (German and English), European American Music EA 4002 PV
Facsimile: Kurt Weill Edition, Series IV, volume 1 (holograph full score)
Performance Rights and Rentals: USA, UK, BREV: EAMC
GER: SUHR, except former GDR: SUHR/KWF/SCHOTT
FRANCE, BELG, SWIT: SACD/AMPH (for French-language text music materials; for German-language text and music material, the agents are Amphion (France), ALMO (Belgium), Jecklin (Switzerland))
AUST, HUNG, CZECH: UE
SCAN: NORD
All other territories: SUHR or its agent
Authorized Translations: English -- Ralph Manheim & John Willett (outside the USA and Canada), Michael Feingold, Hugh McDiarmid, Robert David McDonald & Jeremy Sams
French -- Jean-Claude Hémery
Italian -- Emilio Castellani
Authorized English Adapatation: Marc Blitzstein
First Production: August 31, 1928, Berlin, Theater am Schiffbauerdamm, Erich Engel, dir., Theo Mackeben, cond.

Guide to orchestration, territory abbreviations, and publishers' symbols.

Recordings