Director Barrie Kosky lets the music shine in the opera classic ‘Die Dreigroschenoper’

A new, Berlin version of The Threepenny Opera by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht in the Netherlands: is that special?

Absolute. This is in fact a production of the Berliner Ensemble, where That Threepenny Opera had its world premiere in 1928 and became an unprecedented success. The opera has always remained in the repertoire, and every few years a new director is requested. The last was Robert Wilson: his staging premiered in 2007 and has lasted until 2020. In 2009 this idiosyncratic production was shown at the Muziektheater in Amsterdam. The version that is now coming to the Netherlands is directed by Barrie Kosky.

Barrie Kosky, where do we know that from again?

Kosky is currently ‘hot’ in the opera world. He recently directed the opera at the Dutch National Opera & Ballet in Amsterdam Tuscany, a production that was enthusiastically received by the press and the public. The originally Australian theater maker has been the intendant of the Komische Oper in Berlin for ten years now, but will leave after this season to further conquer the world. In the Netherlands he will be directing three operas by Puccini in the coming years, na Tuscany will follow at the end of this year Turandot and after that Il trittico.

Where goes The Dreisgroschenoper also about?

The story is set in Soho, London, because Brecht based himself on The Beggar’s Opera by John Gray from 1728. In short it is about the ups and downs of a beggar gang at the bottom of society. Crooks, whores and freeloaders populate the play and between them there are various love affairs. Main characters are the ruthless criminal Mackie Messer (aka Mac the Knife), Peachum, king of beggars, his daughter Polly (who falls for Mackie Messer) and the corrupt police commissioner Jack Brown. Brecht’s text is intended as a satire on capitalist society, from the depths of society. ‘First the food, then the moral’ is a famous sentence from the play. Incidentally, The Threepenny Opera actually not an opera, but a play with 22 songs. But it is precisely because of Kurt Weill’s unforgettable music that the work has become classical.

What is so special about Kosky’s vision of this classical music theater from 1928 in 2022?

Social criticism is less important with Kosky. His directing excels in musicality; to him Brecht’s text is no more than a vehicle for making Weill’s music glorify. Moreover, in a timeless design full of scaffolding, Kosky focuses more on the love stories than on the satire, which you might now call a bit dated. That Threepenny Opera has produced a number of classic songs, including Die Moritat von Mackie Messer †Mack the Knife† cannon song and Seerauberjenny †Pirate Jenny† Those songs have been sung by many famous artists over the past century. Of course by German chanteuses like Lotte Lenya, Gisela May and Hildegard Knef, but also by Frank Sinatra, Nina Simone and Sting. In our country, Corry Bokken, Adèle Bloemendaal and Jenny Arean, among others, sang this repertoire.

What were the memorable Dutch performances of The Threepenny Opera†

The very first was already in 1929, a year after the world premiere, by the East Netherlands Theater Company. More recently, productions by the Noord Nederlands Toneel (Groningen) and the Nationale Toneel (The Hague) are particularly noteworthy. In 2000, Matthijs Rümke directed a free adaptation in Groningen with NUHR comedians Viggo Waas and Peter Heerschop and actors such as Titus Tiel Groenestege and Margot Rôs. Striking: the then very young Carice van Houten played the girl Polly. “With a minimum of resources, she attracts all the attention, her appearance has an almost magical shine – a rare perfect performance,” wrote de Volkskrant at the time. Also special was the farewell performance of Franz Marijnen in The Hague in 2011. He has directed Mark Rietman, Peter Tuinman, Betty Schuurman and Anniek Pheifer, among others.

What else should we see from Brecht?

The piece that should be played in 2022: Mother Courage and her children. About right and wrong, making choices, human greed, sacrifice and collaboration. Highly current.