Three Penny Opera Question

[lovinlovett]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 10:23pm

Ever since I saw Alan Cummings and Cyndi Lauper sing the tango number from Three Penny Opera on the Tonys I've been just fascinated with it. I've watched it many times and finally decided to hunt down a cast recording. I ordered the Donmar CD only to find that the lyrics are completely different. I've found several other videos online of various theater groups performing the same song...but each version has different lyrics! I realize that it was originally in German but why are there so many different translations? I really loved the lyrics from the Cummings/Lauper version. Are there any recordings of this?

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 10:31pm

There are no recordings of the Wallace Shawn adaptation. Personally, I thought his translation was pitiful.

Go with the original off-Broadway cast with Bea Arthur and Lotte Lenya. It's the ultimate.

I also recommend checking out the film out on DVD from Criterion - it's in German and it's fascinating.

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 11:04pm

The Marc Blitzstein 1950's version of the show is THE version to go off of. I happened to stumble upon the cast album 3 or 4 years ago, and have loved it ever since. The tango ballad is a beautiful song, with ANY translation, but *this version* in particular is perfection. Those lyrics go a little something like this...

MACHEATH:
There was a time
and now, it's all gone by
When we two lived together,
she and I.
The way we were
was just the way to be
I cared for her
and she took care of me
And that arrangement
seemed to work perfectly
The milkman rang the bell
I got out of bed
I opened up her purse
Gave him what he said
I had a glass of milk
back in bed I'd climb
You understand
she was out working all this time
And so we lived
me and my little mouse
In that snug two-by-four
where we played house.

...I'm suddenly drawing a blank on Jenny's verse.

I just remember the last part of the song, where both were singing, and it was like:

"We closed the door, and each began to roam.
Gooooooodbyyyye, sweet 2 - by - 4
that we caaalllled hooooome!"

and they had the 'da-da-duh-duh--da-duh-da-da-da-BUM!' from the orchestra and that was the song. My favorite song in the show - aside from the ballad that Macheath sings in jail. "O, hear me callin' to ya from the grave! Macheath who's fallen here, but not on grass..." Brilliant!

[keen on kean]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 11:19pm

I am also a fan of Blitzstein's translations. They are tame compared to the recent revival, but more subtle than some critics believe. I love the Army song, too.

[MrSweetNAwful]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 11:54pm

I think it's actually:

it's true we made love only in the DAY


I don't remember the Roundabout revival so well but I remember enjoying it very much, from what I remember the translation was pretty okay, it was right up my alley and it's a shame it wasn't recorded because that cast was amazing: Cumming, Lauper, Dale, Gasteyer and McKay (as well as Brain Rooney and Brooke Moriber)? It's amazing that they didn't even think about trying a recording.

That being said I own the Donmar, I'm sorry but I need my threepenny mean, blunt and dirty, that's how it's supposed to be. I've never listened to the Blitzstein recording but those lyrics above tell me all I need to know.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/15/08 at 12:05am

Ah. Duh. That makes more sense.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 3/15/08 at 12:06am

Blitzstein doesn't include Jenny's pregnancy in the Tango which is my only quibble with it. Apart from that, I looooooooove his translation of the Tango Ballad and I adore Lenya singing it.
The Public version (don't know the translator) is also pretty great, and it features Raul Julia and Ellen Greene in a duet, doesn't get any better than that.

[Perfectly Marvelous]

Posted: 3/15/08 at 9:32am

Ralph Manheim and John Willett did the English translation for the '76 production, if memory serves me correctly.

Updated On: 3/15/08 at 09:32 AM