The original Mac The Knife ...written by Kurt Veill and Bertolt Brecht for their 1928 music drama set in prewar Berlin, The Threepenny Opera ...sung by the wife of Weill, Lotte Lenya. In the later upbeat version in 1960 by Bobby Darin, he inserts Lotte Lenya’s name into the lyrics in recognition that the song was written for her.
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Hmmm, according to this contributor to YouTube it was first dung by the lyricist:
Song
Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera): Die Moritat von Mackie Messer (The Ballad Of Mack The Knife)
Artist
Bertolt Brecht
Album
WEILL: Mack The Knife - Songs of Kurt Weill (1929-1956)
Writers
John Gay, Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht
Personally I prefer Ute Lemper's acting & singing -
FrayedBear
Level 9
Mar 6, 2021
1
It may have been sung by the lyricist first (Bertolt Brecht), but it was intended that Lotte Lenya would sing it in the stage production of The Threepenny Opera because it was deemed more suited to be sung by a woman, and indeed she was the original in that role. Ute Lemper wasn’t even born until 1963, by that time Lotte Lenya was 65 years old, so she is irrelevant to my posting about the origin of Mac The Knife. Btw I can’t access the Lemper video in any case.
@Marionville yeah, Ute's an old looking woman now.
As stated, of the two, she is my preferred performer.
Thanks for posting this. Not my first time hearing it. Lotte Lenya was a well known name in my youth.
rogerbenham
Level 8
Mar 6, 2021
1