Kurt Weill's Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny

Grandeur et décadence de la ville de Mahagonny (Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny) is the last artistic collaboration between author Bertolt Brecht and composer Kurt Weill. Composed in 1930, this satirical opera is often seen as a critique of American capitalism or the excesses of the Weimar Republic. It was banned by the Nazi regime and was only resurrected in the 1950s.

In around twenty scenes, the two authors tell the story of Mahagonny—an imaginary, forgotten city in the middle of the desert. The place is governed by three criminals and food, sex, gambling, and violence are rampant. In this striking production at the Teatro Real in Madrid by Alex Ollé and Carlius Padrissa of the subversive Catalan collective La Fura dels Baus, Brecht’s acerbic text—enhanced by Weil’s lyricism—is masterfully brought to life by exceptional performers, including Measha Brueggergosman, Michael König, Jane Henschel, and Willard White. Music director and conductor Pablo Heras-Casado leads the resident ensemble, the Symphony Orchestra of Madrid, in a remarkable performance brimming with intensity.

Photo © Javier del Real

This is just one of hundreds of stunning operas available on medici.tv, the web's leading classical music streaming platform!