{"product_id":"kurt-weill","title":"Kurt Weill","description":"Kurt Weill—the famed composer of \u003ci\u003eThe Threepenny Opera\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eRise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eKnickerbocker Holiday\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eOne Touch of Venus\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eLost in the Stars\u003c\/i\u003e, and many other musical works—led a life as rich and complex as the music for which he is so justly acclaimed. This engaging and lavishly illustrated book draws on a wealth of previously unexplored written and pictorial material to present a biography of Weill that is the most up-to-date and balanced ever written.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJürgen Schebera explores the many phases of Weill's life, from his childhood as the son of a cantor in the Jewish section of Dessau, Germany, to his renunciation of Germany in 1933, his emigration to America in 1935, and his premature death there in 1950. Schebera describes Weill's rise to prominence during the Weimar Republic, when he created brilliant orchestral and chamber music and became a leading operatic innovator; his marriage, divorce, and remarriage to the famed actress Lotte Lenya; his escape from Nazi Germany, exile in France, and move to America; his collaboration with such famed writers and lyricists as Georg Kaiser, Bertolt Brecht, Maxwell Anderson, Moss Hart, Ira Gershwin, S.J. Perelman, and Ogden Nash; and his efforts in the United States to aid the mobilization for war. He presents fascinating information about Weill's musical creations: an anti-war musical (\u003ci\u003eJohnny Johnson\u003c\/i\u003e); a biblical drama (\u003ci\u003eThe Eternal Road\u003c\/i\u003e); his first American song \"hit,\" \"September Song;\" a \u003ci\u003eKiddush\u003c\/i\u003e for cantor, chorus, and organ; a new genre of Broadway opera (\u003ci\u003eStreet Scene\u003c\/i\u003e); a musical tragedy (\u003ci\u003eLost in the Stars\u003c\/i\u003e); and many other musical ventures in New York and Hollywood. Schebera contends that it is pointless to argue the relative merits of Weill's music from his European and American periods, as many critics have done, for as Weill himself said, \"I have never acknowledged the difference between 'serious' music and 'light' music. There is only good music and bad music.\" And, in fact, the current international renaissance of Kurt Weill's works attests to the beauty, originality, and variety of the music he composed throughout his career.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFirst published in Germany to enthusiastic reviews, this English edition adds new information and illustrations to the earlier work.","brand":"Yale University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Product","offer_id":54218986422616,"sku":"9780300072846","price":31.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/1295\/4195\/files\/9780300072846__676f0330bcb44.jpg?v=1741157788","url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/kurt-weill","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}