Video Recordings
Commercial and non-commercial recordings of Lenya performances, stagings of Weill’s works, live performances, broadcasts, documentary and feature films, interviews, television programs, music videos, newsreels, etc. Only a few instances of Weill appearing on film or television have been discovered; Lenya’s record is much richer.
Highlights
Few productions of Weill stage works are available on home video, but the Research Center has a significant collection of archival recordings on DVD and VHS. Generally speaking, because of agreements with the owners of the recordings, non-commercial videos may be viewed only on the Foundation’s premises; sometimes other accommodations are possible. A few examples of archival recordings of stage works or adaptations: Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny (Stuttgart, 1992), Die Bürgschaft (Spoleto USA, 1999), Down in the Valley (NBC Television, 1950 and BBC, 1961), Die Dreigroschenoper/Threepenny Opera (Frankfurt, 1994; Berliner Ensemble, 2007; National Theatre, 2016), The Firebrand of Florence (Dresden, 2013), Happy End (Washington, D.C., 1985), Lady in the Dark (Tokyo, 1996 and New York, 2019), Lost in the Stars (Glimmerglass, 2012), Love Life (U. of Michigan, 1987), Die sieben Todsünden (Pina Bausch, 1985 and Paris, 2001), Der Silbersee (Wexford, 2007), Street Scene (New York City Opera, 1979), Der Weg der Verheissung (Chemnitz, 1999), Zaubernacht (London, 2011). Several other kinds of video recordings form part of the collection as well, such as performances and interviews with Lenya, adaptations of Weill’s works for television and film, films that include Weill’s music, films and stage works about Weill and Lenya, and television news and other programs that pertain to Weill’s works. Media in certain formats, such as Betamax and U-Matic cassettes and 35 mm. films, were moved to the Yale University Music Library in 2011 for preservation. Most acquisitions since 2015 or so have come in the form of video files, which may be stored on separate media (discs, USB drives) or on the Foundation’s computer system. Playback equipment is available on-site for VHS cassettes, DVD’s, and Blu-ray discs.