Concert Series at Manor Houses and Estates in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
"When I long for you, what I think of most is the sound of your voice, which I love like a force of nature, like an element. In that sound, you are (for me) wholly present; everything else is only a part of you, and when I wrap myself in your voice, you are completely with me.” Kurt Weill
The unlikely pair met in Vienna in 1924: Lotte Lenya, an actress from a poor background, and Kurt Weill, an up-and-coming composer with German-Jewish roots.
Fascinated by her voice, Weill wrote the music for the roles that made Lotte famous. *The Threepenny Opera*, Weill’s best-known work—which skillfully blends the genres of jazz, operetta, and carnival music—was a huge hit with audiences, despite difficulties during its creation. In the opera, Lotte plays the role of Jenny the barmaid.
“You are about to hear an opera. Because this opera was conceived to be as lavish as only beggars could dream of, and because it was meant to be so cheap that beggars could afford it, it is called *The Threepenny Opera*.” Bertolt Brecht
Professionally, the two enjoy success from that point on, while their private lives seem to fall apart. Lenya pursues a number of affairs,
Kurt is in danger because of his Jewish heritage and the Nazi regime. In 1933, the Reichstag burns; Weill is warned and flees the country in a cloak-and-dagger operation. A divorce saves their joint assets. Traveling via Paris to America while staying in constant contact, the two meet again overseas and remarry.
Weill dies in 1950. Overcome with grief, Lenya falls into a black hole.
An exchange of letters bears witness to love and missteps, to professional successes and political dangers, to a deep friendship caught between hope and despair.
“What we wanted to create was the archetype of opera. With every musical stage work, the question arises anew: What is the music like, and above all, how is singing in the theater even possible?” Kurt Weill
The VIDA Ensemble invites you on a deep musical dive. Carrying the spirits of two artists with them, they explore—together with the audience—an era that was challenging for both art and life, thereby offering an even more profound glimpse into the present. They present musical works by Kurt Weill—particularly from *The Threepenny Opera*—in a new arrangement by composer Peter Leipold for a ensemble consisting of violin, saxophone, cello, piano, and vocals. Jana Kühn, an actress, reads from the aforementioned correspondence and, at times tenderly, at times boldly, embodies the songs and roles of Lotte Lenya.
A piece of contemporary history within ancient walls, offering a hopeful glimpse into the future.
Ensemble VIDA
Peter Leipold – Piano
Claudia Meures – saxophone
Marcus Sundermeyer – cello
Maria Meures-Leipold – Violin
Jana Kühn – Acting/Vocals
Tressow Castle, 7:00 p.m.
23966 Tressow (Bobitz)
Admission: €15 / reduced €10 / children free
https://www.klingendes-gut.com/
