Theater Music of Brecht & Weill: Lotte Lenya & Gisela May

Lotte Lenya, Kurt Weill's widow, proves herself the supreme interpreter of her husband's work, here in 1958 performing five of his songs from "The Threepenny Opera," "Happy End," "Mahagonny," and the "Berlin Requiem." Known as the "First Lady of Political Song," Gisela May sings a selection of Brecht songs with music by Weill, Heymann, and Dessau, in a 1972 performance. Martha Schlamme is also on hand to essay two Weill numbers (accompanied in one instance by Will Holt). 80 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono; bonus footage.