ENO's Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny

The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny is an outlier in the operatic hall of fame. . It is still staged nearly a century since it was first performed, but not only for Kurt Weill’s thrilling music and Berthold Brecht’s memorable words, but because of their and the opera’s history during the rise of Nazism under Adolf Hitler. The first performance in 1930 was seen as political protest and interrupted by the Brownshirts, Hitler’s violent paramilitary group. Although in December 1931, 50 performances were staged in Berlin, both Weill and Brecht finally fled into exile in 1933. The opera did not then reappear until well after WW11, the UK premier at the ENO in 1963.

Watching it now in this new production by the ENO, in our own very different world, how does this unusual opera (which actually began life as a songspiel) stand up? First of all, the singing is extremely good. Simon O’Neill, a renown tenor for Wagner and other difficult composers, plays Jimmy Macintyre who is central to the plot, sings and acts with great panache. Although, there are not supposed to be heroes who might elicit unwarranted sympathy from the audience, Jimmy’s singing and sadness makes it hard to avoid falling into the trap. Heroes and heroines are forbidden because this is an ironic look at the worst of human nature gathered together, in a newly created city in the desert. Most will have had an enjoyable evening's entertainment, even if that is not exactly what Brecht and Weill planned.

Jimmy comes with three fellow lumberjacks who want freedom and the pleasure of the forbidden, food, sex and money to buy them with. These turn out to be dangerous choices, but the killer for Jimmy is when the money runs out. The city is being established by Leokadja Begbick, a very tough lady sung by Rosie Aldridge. She is joined by Jenny Smith sung by Danielle de Niesei who fills the stage with her glorious soprano and larger than life personality. She comes with her pack of ‘girls’ all prostitutes, including a couple of males. As numbers grow, suited bourgeoisie form a chorus of determined pleasure seekers. So far, so good – or, to be more accurate, bad.

The opera does not rely on plot which is in short supply, but on character and the moral lessons that come from seeing nothing but the worst side of human nature. The music makes sure this is no drear finger-wagging exercise, breaking many of the usual rules, for example using instruments such as banjo, harmonium, saxaphones, piano, bass guitar, and Hawain guitar. It also includes a song that became as well known any pop song, Moon over Alabama, recorded by David Bowie among others. But it is an untypical lapse into sentimentality, immediately cauterized by the selfishness and greed of the singer. Even the brief appearance of ‘God’ brings no sense of a better world.

This is the first engagement for conductor, Andre de Ritter, also ENO’s Music Designate. He describes City of Mahagonny .as ‘unque, highly entertaining and poignant.’ It seems to me that all those adjectives fit this production very well. The set and costumes by Milla Clarke ad direction by Jamie Manton give movement and background to the wide variety of solos and chorus works which stream out without pausing. However, there is something missing. Perhaps the clue is that this production sometimes seems nearer musical than opera. What it does not seem is shocking or ground-breaking.

Of course it is perfectly possible that in our times when anything goes and we pride ourselves on being ushockable, it would take more than handful of girls in heavy make-up, wigs and colourful gear or men in their underpants, or both sexes eating and drinking to excess to make us gasp. On the other hand, perhaps it is the new look Mahagonny which aims to please the audience, not upset them. Or perhaps it is the lack of Blackshirts beating at the ENO’s door. If it is a moral or indeed political lesson, it is not one that most people will take away with them.

De Ritter says, ‘The abuse of power does seem to be such a theme at the moment, so yes, this does feel like a mirror.’ Maybe he’s right. Maybe we’ll soon be saying, like Jimmy in biblical mode before his execution, ‘The pleasure I paid for was no pleasure. The freedom I bought was no freedom. I ate and was never full. I drank and was still thirsty.’ Meanwhile the singing is stellar, the music enough different to be exciting and the production lavish. Many, if not all, will have had an enjoyable evening’s entertainment.

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Photo credit: Tristram Kenton