Bertold Brecht

[ashling]

[Gregorian]

1. That's great. And it's age old.

It's hard to wake people who prefer sleep. I try. I used to be asleep.

[Puregonzo1188]

2. Not only was he won of the greatest playwrights of the 20th century, but also one of the most

profound social commentators of it as well. 3Penny Opera, Days of the Commune, Mother Courage, Galileo, Caucasian Chalk Circle all have some really great insights that are sadly still relevant.

One of my favorites.

[frazzled]

3. Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny

My favorite.

A peek:

Also:

What is Mahagonny?

What happens there? A city gets founded as a business enterprise. At first, it’s promoted as touristic resort with great outdoors, abundance of consumer goods (booze, good hookers, poker tables, horse-meat) and without all the other stuff that makes big cities so awful (arts, diversity). Then after almost getting hit by a hurricane, the city turns from a medium-size enterprise to a sort of a money-worshipping orgiastic collective run like a Lehman Brothers derivatives department circa 2007-8. The new motto of the city is Just do it! (I am not making this up. Check the libretto. Yes, Brecht knew about Nike and branding before these were even flicker in an executive’s eyes.)
After one of the characters finds himself unable to pay his tab, we find out that not having money is the only crime punishable by death in the perfect City of Mahagonny. He goes through the trial where the bar owner is also the judge, incidentally. His pleas for a loan remain politely refused by his best friends — Billy: Jimmy, you know how much I care, but with cash, it’s quite another matter. Jenny, in the most beautiful and momentous melodic line: In this world you must make your own bed /And no one will show you the trick / So go lie down and get kicked / For me, I’d rather stand and kick. After the execution, a god comes in and says he’s had enough and time for everybody to go to Hell, to which the city of Mahagonny reply, No, we are already there, we prefer this hell to yours.

http://definitelytheopera.wordpress.com/2010/09/06/in-this-world-you-must-make-your-own-bed/

And for a special Thanksgiving treat, Dave von Ronk singing Brecht's "We All Make the Bed that We Lie In"

[defacto7]

4. I reminisce...

I saw this for the first time at the Stuttgart Opera house about 20 years ago. Brings back some memories of educational theater experiences. Thanks....

[defacto7]

5. Bertold Brecht... great philosopher

He was a sort of seer. Just a few steps ahead of his time but firmly standing in his present. That's what makes his work timeless and applicable to our present.

[BlueCaliDem]

6. He's described the current Republican voter to a "t".

And I believe it's "Bertolt" with a "t".