Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny

Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny is a satirical parable by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht about capitalism running rampant. There are no limits on what’s allowed in Mahagonny, as long as you can pay. Weill’s fusion of classical, jazz and popular tunes makes for a roller coaster musical production. 

Do as you please

After the success of their shorter Mahagonny Songspiel (1927), Weill and Brecht fleshed out the story to a full-length opera. But where the Mahagonny of the Songspiel still had echoes of paradise, the city’s sole purpose in Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny is to separate people from their money. Here, everyone is free to do as they please – binge, booze, make love or war; the only sin is to have no money. In the end, Mahagonny goes up in flames.

Historical background

Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny was first staged towards the end of the progressive Weimar Republic. Various scandals surrounded its première and subsequent performances, most of them incited by far-right saboteurs.

Creatives

Directed by Ivo van Hove, this production incorporates video projections by Tal Yarden, with stage and lighting design by Van Hove's regular scenographer Jan Versweyveld. Returning to DNO for this production are Doris Soffel (as Leokadja Begbick), Alan Oke (Fatty), Sir Willard White (Dreieinigkeitsmoses), Nikolai Schukoff (Jim Mahoney) and Thomas Oliemans (Bill).

Markus Stenz

Chief conductor of the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra since the 2012-2013 season, he conducted Kurtág’s Fin de partie at the Opera Forward Festival 2019. In this production, he leads the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra.

Ivo van Hove

Ivo van Hove is the director of Internationaal Theater Amsterdam (formerly Toneelgroep Amsterdam), while he has won worldwide acclaim with his productions in London and New York. Among the operas that he has directed are Lulu and Der Ring des Nibelungen (Opera Vlaanderen), The Makropulos Affair, Iolanta, Der Schatzgräber and Salome (DNO), as well as the world première of Brokeback Mountain (Teatro Real in Madrid).