Fura dels Bauls in an Opera by Bertolt Brecht are breaking new ground in art

Sep 24, 2010

A libretto by Bertolt Brecht and music by Kurt Weill, ‘Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny’ (its title in English, which is the language it will be presented in) is one of the most interesting pieces of post Wagnerian operas made in the 20th century. Alex Ollé and Carles Padrissa -from the ‘Fura dels Baus’- are in charge of this piece.

‘Mahagonny’ was premiered in its complete form in 1930. Three years earlier it had been performed in an abridged format, although this early production was considered scandalous. Otto Klemperer, an orchestra conductor who could hardly be described as conservative, still tried to get Mahagonny banned because of its immorality. The texts were eventually toned down, but the work nevertheless did not last long on the stage.

This was partly due to the fact that its authors, composer Kurt Weill and libretto writer Bertolt Brecht, were forcefully separated through their respective exiles.

Their work was staged again in the 1980s and 1990s, though from very different perspectives before and after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Mahagonny is a depraved city ruled by unchecked appetites and desires; it is a place that was founded by murderers and corrupt men, where justice can be bought and life is one continuous orgy.

The subject matter was clearly open to criticism both from the communist and capitalist viewpoints, and that is exactly what happened until recently.

The Catalan theater company La Fura dels Baus will have no such problems when it creates a stage setting for an opera with excellent music that will be conducted by the young Pablo Heras-Casado, who is mentored by Mortier.

The veterans Willard White and Christopher Ventris will lead the cast of singers, which includes the young and extraordinarily talented Measha Brueggergosman, who could be considered the new Jessye Norman.