Limelight — May 2017

inGermany,andhiswifewasofcourse
areallyfantasticperformer.Actually,he
becameaverybigplayeringettingthe
Americansinvolvedinthewar,andhedid
alotofwritingofmusicandshowsaround
that.Hewasobviouslyveryinfluencedby
the musical theatre around at that time. He
wroteloadsofthem,mostofwhichhave
disappearedoffthefaceoftheearth.

Korngold was another one who had an
enormous capacity to traverse genres.
Whatareyoudoingbyhim?
I’m doingGlückwunschfrom theFünf
Lieder.Thatmeans“Iwishyouhappiness”,
basically,andit’sjustthemostgorgeous
tune,easilyaccessible.It’sheaven,even
though I’m doing it with four saxophones
[laughs]. I’ve tried to be very interesting
in my choices, so you’ve got these political
songs, but then you’ve got something purely
melodious, like Weill’sSeptember Song.

Iseeyouaresingingthreesongsby
Robert Stolz. He’s an interesting figure.
He stayed active in Germany, and for a
long time he was smuggling Jews across
theborderinthebootofhiscar...
Apparenly, after Richard Strauss, he’s the
onlyotherpersonthat’sgotastatuein
theparkinVienna.WhenIfirstmoved
toLondon,IdidseveralPurcellRoom
recitals,andIdidagroupofStolzsongs
becauseCherylisthepatronoftheStolz
society. There’s one calledIch hab’ mich
tausendmal verliebt, immer in eine,which
means,“I’velovedathousandtimes,but
only in you.“ I’m sure people will know
the tune – it’s a really great melody.

So when does the cabaret begin, and

wherewillyoubedoingit?

BeforewegotoAdelaide,we’redoingit

attheIndependentTheatreinSydneyat

theendofMay.Iwanttohaveasortof

screenattheback,andI’mgettingallthese

fantasticimages.Therewillbesomeofthe

Nazistuff,butthere’llalsobepicturesof

thecomposers,sowhilstwe’redoingit,

you’llgetarealtasteofBerlininthe30s.

You shou ld see what wa s goi ng on a nd

feel who the people were. There is a

fantastic poster of a black man playing

the saxophone, which was shocking at the

time–definitelyalles verboten,astheysay.

Weallwearclothesfromthetime–great

bigwidepantsandthintiesandcaps–and

I’vegotacoupleofthemusicianstodressas

workerssothattheyrepresenttheguyon

thestreet.Oh,andI’mplayingKurtWeill –

but I’m not shaving my head [laughs].

Composers in Exileis at Sydney’s

Independent Theatre on May 28 and at

AdelaideCabaretFestivalJune15–16.The

CD is released on ABC Classics on May 19

http://www.limelightmagazine.com.au MAY 2017LIMELIGHT 59

INTERVIEW O

BRECHT AND WEILL

WANTED TO PUT THEIR

FINGERSUPTOTHE

BOURGEOIS AND BE

THE VOICE OF THE

LITTLE PEOPLE. THEY

WANTED TO D EFUSE THE

POLITICAL SITUATION,

BUTALLTHEYDIDWAS

IGNITE IT EVEN MORE