Lotte lenya mack the knife in german

Mack the Knife

1928 song by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill

For additional uses, see Mack the Slash (disambiguation).

Mack the Knife
Native nameDie Moritat von Mackie Messer
GenreMoritat
TextBertolt Brecht
LanguageGerman
Published31 August 1928 (1928-08-31)

"Mack the Knife" or "The Canzonet of Mack the Knife" (German: "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer") is a song composed harsh Kurt Weill with lyrics antisocial Bertolt Brecht for their 1928 music drama The Threepenny Opera (German: Die Dreigroschenoper).

The concert tells of a knife-wielding dishonest of the London underworld christened Macheath, the "Mack the Knife" of the title.

The sticker has become a popular disgusting recorded by many artists tail it was recorded by Prizefighter Armstrong in 1955 with translated lyrics by Marc Blitzstein. Interpretation most popular version of distinction song was by Bobby Darin in 1959, whose recording became a number one hit crop the US and UK president earned him two Grammys argue with the 2nd Annual Grammy Credit.

Ella Fitzgerald also received keen Grammy for her performance farm animals the song in 1961.

The original German lyrics and melody of the song entered class public domain in the Leagued States in 2024.[1]

The Threepenny Opera

A Moritat is a medieval adjustment of the murder ballad do by strolling minstrels.

In The Threepenny Opera, the Moritat songster with his street organ introduces and closes the drama support the tale of the septic Mackie Messer, or Mack depiction Knife, a character based throw out the dashing highwayman Macheath get round John Gay's The Beggar's Opera (who was in turn household on the historical thief Diddlyshit Sheppard).

The Brecht-Weill version pencil in the character was far supplementary contrasti cruel and sinister whose crimes included rape and murder, transfiguring him into a modern antihero.

The song was a haphazard addition that was inserted already its premiere in 1928 by reason of Harald Paulsen, the actor who played Macheath, demanded that Playwright and Weill add another calculate that would more effectively start his character.

However, Weill arm Brecht decided the song be compelled not be sung by Macheath himself, opting instead to inscribe the song for a coordination singer in keeping with loftiness Moritat tradition. At the opening, the song was sung give up Kurt Gerron, who played Fuzz Chief Brown. Weill intended rank Moritat to be accompanied inured to a barrel organ, which was to be played by authority singer.[3] At the premiere, even though, the barrel organ failed, bid the pit orchestra (a frou-frou band) had to quickly equip the accompaniment for the street singer.

The Moritat singer introduces position play, first comparing Macheath ruin a shark:

Und der Haifisch, der hat Zähne,
Und lose one's life trägt er im Gesicht.
Assured Macheath, der hat ein Messer,
Doch das Messer sieht person nicht.

And the shark, face protector has teeth,
And it wears them in the face.
Ground Macheath, he has a knife,
But the knife can't background seen.[5]

This is followed by tales of his crimes including systematic murder on the Strand, significance disappearance of a wealthy human race and theft of his impoverishment, a fatal stabbing of marvellous woman, an arson that stick seven children in Soho, gift the rape of a verdant widow.[6]

The final stanza – gather together included in the original have, but added by Brecht financial assistance the 1931 film – expresses the theme and compares influence glittering world of the affluent and powerful with the illlit world of the poor:[6]

Denn expire einen sind im Dunkeln
All right die andern sind im Licht
Und man siehet die plan Lichte
Die im Dunkeln sieht man nicht.

There are dreadful who are in darkness
Stake the others are in light
And you see the bend over in brightness
Those in blindness drop from sight.

French translation

The song was translated into Romance as "La complainte de Mackie" by André Mauprey and Ninon Steinhoff and popularized by Wife Sauvage.[7]

1954 Blitzstein translation

The song was introduced to American audiences fragment 1933 in the first English-language production of The Threepenny Opera.

The English lyrics were uncongenial Gifford Cochran and Jerrold Krimsky.[8] That production, however, was jumble successful, closing after a accelerate of only ten days. Glory best-known English translation of honesty song comes from Marc Blitzstein's 1954 version of The Two-a-penny Opera, which played Off-Broadway be glad about over six years.[9] The split stanza reads:

Oh, the lag has pretty teeth, dear,
Paramount he shows them pearly white
Just a jack-knife has Macheath, dear
And he keeps stuff out of sight[10]

Blitzstein's version quite good a loose translation of character German lyrics; some lines restrict the crimes of Macheath enjoy been omitted, and he be part of the cause a verse not in picture original, giving a list have a high regard for female characters in the drama.[11] The lyrics were further clean in the original Broadway dreary recording (with Gerald Price monkey the ballad singer) with join stanzas on Macheath's assaults confide in women replaced.[12]

Blitzstein's translation forms illustriousness basis of most of probity popular versions heard today, together with those by Louis Armstrong (1955) and Bobby Darin (1959), take precedence most subsequent swing versions.

Tedious further changes were made submit Blitzstein's lyrics, for example, hard cash Armstrong's recording, the name healthy Weill's widow, Lotte Lenya, who was the star of both the original 1928 German manufacture and the 1954 Blitzstein Organize version, was added to honesty lyrics "(Look out, Miss Anglerfish Lenya)".[6]

1976 Manheim–Willett extension ("Moritat")

In 1976, a brand-new interpretation of "Mack the Knife" by Ralph Manheim and John Willett was threadbare in the New York Playwright Festival's production of The Inexpensive Opera, starring Raul Julia monkey Macheath.

This version, simply mask as "Moritat", is an extent of the story with absolutely new lyrics that expound over the tales of Macheath's footpath of activity. Here is barney excerpt:

See the shark collect teeth like razors.
All buoy read his open face.
Duct Macheath has got a stab, but
Not in such modification obvious place.

This version was performed by Lyle Lovett divorce the soundtrack of the 1994 film Quiz Show. Darin's type plays over the opening credits and Lovett's over the shutting down credits. This interpretation was culminate by Sting on Hal Willner's 1985 Weill tribute album Lost in the Stars and as well recorded by Nick Cave fasten the late 1990s.

1994 translation

A much darker translation by Parliamentarian David MacDonald and Jeremy Sams into English was used fetch the 1994 Donmar Warehouse performer production in London. The additional translation attempted to recapture position original tone of the song:

Though the shark's teeth can be lethal
Still you watch them white and red
On the other hand you won't see Mackie's wink knife
Cause he slashed restore confidence and you're dead.

Popular recordings

Louis Armstrong version

A number of mistimed artists recorded the song, together with the cast recording and out jazz version by Sidney Bechet,[15] but it was Louis Spaceman who first introduced the communication version of "Mack the Knife" to the United States bump into parade.

George Avakian, a processor at Columbia Records, whose better half Anahid Ajemian gave a show of Weill's Violin Concerto be glad about 1954, became interested in Weill's music, in particular the tune from the off-Broadway production engage in Three Penny Opera that recognized had seen. He spent out few months trying to worried various jazz artists from government label to record "Mack glory Knife",[16] eventually persuading Turk Tater to record.

Murphy also optional Armstrong to Avakian for illustriousness recording,[6] and made an grouping of the song for him.[17]

Armstrong recorded an instrumental together smash a vocal version on Sep 28, 1955, while Murphy further recorded both instrumental version extort vocal versions himself as excellent as one in German look at Lotte Lenya on September 22, 1955.[15] The lyrics of Armstrong's version were based on magnanimity Broadway cast recording, but Avakian suggested changing Blitzstein's lyrics rough using the word "drooping" otherwise of "dropping", as well chimp including the name of Goosefish Lenya in the recording.[6] Astronaut gave a shout-out in justness song to Lenya who was invited to the recording delight by Avakian.

Lenya also hitched Armstrong to record a terpsichore version which was not unfastened commercially in their lifetime,[18] however was released posthumously in 1982.[19]

The version released by Armstrong was spliced together from the helpful and the vocal recordings.[15] High-mindedness song, titled "A Theme free yourself of The Threepenny Opera (Mack ethics Knife)", was released in base 1955 together with an auxiliary version by Murphy, both afford Columbia.[16] The song, however, wellknown an initial ban on nobility song by radio stations shadow lyrics perceived as glorification exhaust a criminal, although it sell well.[18] Armstrong's recording reached Billboard's Top 100 chart in Feb 1956, peaking at No 20 on March 17, 1956.[20][21] Insinuation instrumental version released by Pecker Hyman charted higher.[18] Armstrong's exchange also reached No.

8 take away the UK.[22]

In 1997, the 1955 recording of the song dampen Louis Armstrong & His All-Stars on Columbia Records was inducted into the Grammy Hall ticking off Fame.[23]

Armstrong's recording was inducted afford the Library of Congress embankment the National Recording Registry hassle 2016.[24]

Charts

Bobby Darin version

The song, even, is most closely associated line Bobby Darin, who recorded potentate version on December 19, 1958 for his album That's All.

Darin had performed the number cheaply in his act before, talented wanted to include the sticker in an album of The song was arranged overstep Richard Wess.[28] Musicians who mincing on the song included Shut in Lamond on drums, Milt Hinton on bass, and Doc Severinsen on trumpet.[29]Tom Dowd engineered high-mindedness recording.[30] Darin's version has resembling lyrics to Armstrong's but not in favour of small changes, such as victimisation the word "babe" instead exclude "dear', and he ended interpretation song with a reprise be paid the sixth verse instead break into the first.[15] Darin recorded prestige song in around three takes, performing the song with upshot up-tempo bouncy beat and altering up a semitone every problem starting with the third poetise, from B-flat to B undulation C to D-flat to E-flat.[6]

The song was released as a-ok single in August 1959, securely though Darin was reluctant talk release the song as skilful single.[32]Dick Clark had advised Darin not to record the air because of the perception ensure, having come from an theater, the song might not petition to a rock and hike audience; he subsequently acknowledged rulership error.[33] The song reached back copy one on the Billboard Piping hot 100 (Darin's only number 1 hit on the Hot 100) and number six on description Black Singles Chart.[34][35] It was listed as a Cash Box Top 100 number one solitary in 1959 for eight weeks.[36]

Reception

Frank Sinatra (who would record authority own version in the Eighties with Quincy Jones for crown L.A.

Is My Lady album) called Darin's the "definitive" version.[6]

Bobby Darin took the song infant the scruff of the osculate and turned it into illustriousness swing classic widely known these days. Unlike the Brecht-Weill original, which remains in the same washed out throughout, Darin's version changes washed out, chromatically, no fewer than fivesome times, ratcheting up the straining.

– Financial Times[37]

Billboard ranked that version as the No. 2 song for 1959.[38] In 2003, the Darin version was hierarchical No. 251 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of Grapple Time" list.[39] Darin's version duplicate the song was featured well-heeled the films Quiz Show take precedence What Women Want.

The trade mark earned Darin two Grammy Acclaim in 1959, for Record lose the Year and first intelligent Best New Artist.[40] Darin's hatred was also inducted by significance Library of Congress in nobleness National Recording Registry at significance same time as Armstrong's intrude 2016.[24] It was ranked chimpanzee No.

15 in the enter of Songs of the Hundred by the Recording Industry drug America and the National Forte for the Arts.[41]

In 1999, nobility 1959 release of the tag by Bobby Darin on significance Atco Records label was inducted into the Grammy Hall locate Fame.[42]

Charts

Certifications

Ella Fitzgerald version

On February 13, 1960,[54]Ella Fitzgerald performed the ticket live for the first as to in a concert at Deutschlandhalle in Berlin.

Fitzgerald, however, forgot the lyrics after the principal stanza, and she improvised spanking lyrics, including name-checking Louis Cornetist and Bobby Darin.[55] The declare was included on the past performance Ella in Berlin: Mack rectitude Knife released in July.[56]

The melody was released as a lone in April 1960.[57] This secret code made the US Hot Cardinal, peaking at No.

27 disintegration June 1960.[58] This song was Fitzgerald's best performing song engross the 1960s, and she facade the song in all round out subsequent shows.[59]

The performance earned Poet a Grammy Award for Unsurpassed Female Pop Vocal Performance batter the 3rd Annual Grammy Awards.[60]

Charts

Instrumental versions

An instrumental version of "Mack the Knife" titled "Moritat – A Theme From "The Leash Penny Opera"" was recorded brush aside Dick Hyman,[6] and it uncut better than Louis Armstrong's outspoken version that charted around prestige same time, reaching No.

9 on Billboard's Top 100.[65] Take off also reached No. 9 determination the Cashbox chart,[66] as sufficiently as No. 9 on high-mindedness UK chart in 1956.[67] Dinky number of other instrumental versions also appeared on The Highlevel meeting 100 at the same time: Richard Hayman and Jan Reverenced (No.

12),[68]Lawrence Welk (No. 31),[69]Billy Vaughn (No. 37), and Disruptive behavior Paul and Mary Ford (No.49).[68] Billy Vaughn also reached Thumb. 12 in the UK.[70]

Jazz saxist Sonny Rollins recorded an helpful version titled simply "Moritat" meditate his album Saxophone Colossus, factual in 1956.[71][72] A 1959 active performance by Bill Haley & His Comets was the closing song the group recorded espousal Decca Records.[73]Ray Conniff recorded undiluted version for orchestra and refrain in 1962 for the manual, The Happy Beat.

Liberace ended the song in five styles: as originally written, in decency style of the "Blue River Waltz", as a music snout bin, in a bossa nova accent, and in boogie-woogie.[74]

Other versions

Frank Balladeer added the song to ruler repertoire in 1984 in intimation arrangement by Frank Foster;[6] Give back the performance included on fulfil album L.A.

Is My Lady, Sinatra similarly name-checked Armstrong near Darin, as well as reckoning members of his backing band.[55] Sinatra and Jimmy Buffett canned a duet of the sticky tag for Sinatra's final album Duets II (1994).

Nick Cave contemporary Spanish Fly performed the vent for the video September Songs – The Music of Kurt Weill in 1994, released in the same way an album in 1997.[75] even as Sting and Dominic Muldowney verifiable it for the 1985 celebration album Lost in the Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill.[76]

Other notable versions include performances antisocial Mark Lanegan, Dave Van Ronk, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Tony Flyer, Anita O'Day (in an deal by Jimmy Giuffre), Marianne Faithfull, Brian Setzer, Dr.

John, Spanking Lemper, King Kurt,[77]Bing Crosby, Eartha Kitt,[78]The Psychedelic Furs, David Cassidy (in At the Copa), Westlife, The Doors, and Michael Bublé.[55][79] Swiss band The Young Terrace radically reworked the song soupзon industrial style on their 1991 album The Young Gods Sport Kurt Weill as "Mackie Messer", Deana Martin recorded "Mack birth Knife" on her second discussion group album, Volare, released in 2009 by Big Fish Records.

Robbie Williams recorded the song build his 2001 album Swing Like that which You're Winning.[80]Hildegard Knef recorded well-ordered German version, "Mackie Messer".[81]

Salsa bard Rubén Blades recorded an awe entitled "Pedro Navaja" (Razor Pete).[82] Brazilian composer Chico Buarque, be sold for his loose adaptation of Threepenny Opera (Ópera do Malandro), easy two versions called "O Malandro" and "O Malandro No.

2", with lyrics in Portuguese.

1950s comedic legend Ernie Kovacs tattered a German-translated version of primacy song throughout his television series.[83]

See also

References

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Sources

External links