Ep. 137 The Threepenny Opera by Weill and Brecht

About this episode

This episode discusses The Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, featuring insights from guest Maria Coulter, who performed in the opera.

Mac the Knife, terror of the London criminal underworld, is a character paradoxically best known to many as the subject of the upbeat, bubbly eponymous 1955, 1959, and 1960 hit single. However, his fictional roots go much deeper, to a nearly 300-year old opera called The Beggar’s Opera. From here, Mac’s trail led to 1928’s The Threepenny Opera, by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, that is the subject of today’s episode. Join Pat and guest Maria Coulter for a conversation about this opera, which is as atypical as it was popular. A classically trained soprano, Maria is able to provide special insights, having performed the role of Lucy Brown in 2022.

People in this episode

Host: Pat

Guest: Maria Coulter

Topics covered

• opera
• Brecht
• Weill
• musical history
• character analysis
• performance insights

Keywords

• Threepenny Opera
• Brecht
• Weill
• Mac the Knife
• Lucy Brown
• opera history
• musical theatre

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill

Books & works: The Threepenny Opera, The Beggar’s Opera

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