VAI's The Collector's The Threepenny Opera is a reissue of a Mastersound disc that came out a long time before this VAI issue appeared. It features the 1930 "original cast" recording of "Die Dreigroschenoper" with the Lewis Ruth Band which, although temporarily eclipsed by the rise and fall of... [+] Expand

VAI's The Collector's The Threepenny Opera is a reissue of a Mastersound disc that came out a long time before this VAI issue appeared. It features the 1930 "original cast" recording of "Die Dreigroschenoper" with the Lewis Ruth Band which, although temporarily eclipsed by the rise and fall of Nazi Germany, has been in print in some form or another since it was reissued on LP by Telefunken in the early '50s. Indeed, it appears that the Telefunken LP is the source for much of this material, as telltale reverberation used on that reissue is clearly present here. In the CD era, the Lewis Ruth Band performance has appeared on discs issued by Symposium, Capriccio, Pearl, and Telefunken's successor, Teldec, in the giant 11-CD box of Lotte Lenya that Bear Family put out, and yet more. Of the other performances included to fill out the disc, namely the 1931 "Mahagonny" "original cast" recording, Otto Klemperer's "Kleine Dreigroschenmusik" made the same year, Bertolt Brecht's two records of (ahem!) singing, and Lenya's 1929 "Bilbao Song," all have appeared elsewhere except for one track, French cabaret singer Damia's 1931 record of "Moritat." This is a notable exception, as Damia is a terrific singer, and it is instructive as to how, through minor changes, Kurt Weill's "modernistic" music could be refashioned into a form capable of pleasing a more mainstream audience. However, that makes for only one unique track out of 26. Perhaps someday listeners can hear a Damia collection that will include this along with some of her other recordings. Certainly, the Lenya Bear Family box is excessive even for many of her most ardent fans. The Capriccio discs have the value of being more sonically honest -- if noisier -- than these. The added reverb on VAI's The Collector's The Threepenny Opera might be too much for the average "collector." Nonetheless, if one has never owned or heard these performances, wants to, and cannot stand 78 noise, then VAI's The Collector's The Threepenny Opera may prove an attractive option. ~ Uncle Dave Lewis, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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