Music

OPERA AT THE THESSALONIKI CONCERT HALL

The Organisation of the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, presents on 25 and 26 September, with Greek surtitles, Kurt Weill’s operas Mahagonny Songspiel and Der Jasager. The production of the operas is partially funded by the KURT WEILL FOUNDATION FOR MUSIC, Inc., NEW YORK, N.Y. and is realized in collaboration with the Greek National Opera and with the support of the State Theatre of Northern Greece.

The Weill-Brecht cooperation has not ended with the legendary Threepenny Opera (1928) but continued to be fruitful. The two works which are presented at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall are also very important: Mahagonny Songspiel (1927) also known as Little Mahagonny is a work which violently criticizes capitalism and is the starting point of the two creators cooperation, whereas Der Jasager (1930) The Yes sayer, is a special project by which Brecht has experimented before his self-exile forced on to him by the rise of Nazism.

Director for the two works is Alexandros Efklidis, set and costume designs made by Giannis Katranitsas and music preparation by Giannis Papapetrou. The participating Chamber Orchestra “Contra Tempo” is conducted by Vladimiros Simeonidis. At the opera Mahagonny Songspiel the following artists participate: Aggeliki Kathariou (Jessie), Anna Stilianaki (Bessie), Dimitris Nalbandis (Charlie), Christos Kehris (Billy), Dionisis Tsantinis (Bobby), Konstantinos Katsaras (Jimmy) and the opera Der Jasager: Aggeliki Kathariou (mother), Dionisis Tsantinis (teacher), Dimitris Nalbandis, Christos Kehris and Konstantinos Katsaras (3 students), the children chorus of the Holy Church of Saints Kirillos and Methodios of Thessaloniki conducted by Maria Emma Meligopoulou.

The Artbassador provided the orchestra and chorus with the music material for the two works on behalf of the music publisher UNIVERSAL EDITION AG/Austria

More information on the performances here