In Print

Lenya, Bear Family Records BCD 16019 KL, released fall 1998. A complete retrospective of Lenya’s musical and spoken-word recordings for Ultraphon, Electrola, Philips, Columbia, MGM, Caedmon, etc., along with numerous previously unreleased recordings. An 11-CD set.

Kurt Weill’s The seven deadly sins and Berlin theatre songs, Sony Masterworks Heritage 63222, released 1997. Contains Lenya’s first two recordings for Philips/Columbia in the 1950’s, Lotte Lenya singt Kurt Weill (1955) and Die sieben Todsünden (1956). Die sieben Todsünden also reissued 2007 on Line Music (Cantus Classics) 5.00991; reissued 2009 on Membran Music 232580.

Lotte Lenya sings Kurt Weill American Theatre Songs, Sony Masterworks Heritage MHK 60647, released 1999. Contains Lenya’s 1957 Columbia recording (plus a previously unreleased bonus track), along with Lenya’s songs from The Threepenny Opera, Brecht on Brecht, and Cabaret. Also included: Lenya’s recordings of “Mack the Knife” backed by Turk Murphy and Louis Armstrong.

O Moon of Alabama: historische Originalaufnahmen, 1928-1944, Capriccio 10 347, released 1990.

Contains the following historical recordings:

• “Surabaya-Johnny” and “Bilbao-Song,” Theo Mackeben, conductor. Orchestrola 2311, recorded 1930;
• “Alabama-Song” and “Denn wie man sich bettet,” Homocord H3671, recorded 24 February 1930;
• “Querschnitt aus der Oper Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny,” Electrola E.H. 736, recorded 1932 (medley of numbers from the opera);
• “Six songs by Kurt Weill,” Bost BA8, recorded 1943, released 1943. (Contents: Lost in the Stars — Lover Man [later titled Trouble Man] — J’attends un navire — Complainte de la Seine — Soerabaja Johnny – – Wie man sich bettet);
• “Wie lange noch” and “Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib,” recorded for the Office of War Information (OWI), Spring 1944.

Die Dreigroschenoper: Berlin 1930, Teldec 9031-72025-2, released on CD, 1990. Also available as Teldec 3984 29281 2 (“Le voyage musical” series). Reissued 2001 as Teldec 8573-89379-2 (“Basic Edition” series). Reissued 2002 as Telefunken Legacy 0927 42663 2 with some additional tracks. Contains complete re-release of “Aus der Drei-Groschen-Oper,” with Trenk-Trebitsch, Gerron, Helmke, Ponto, and Theo Mackeben conducting the Lewis Ruth Band. Ultraphon A752-A755, recorded 7 Dec. 1930, released January 1931. (Lenya’s recordings of “Alabama-Song” and “Denn wie man sich bettet,” as listed above, also available on this disc.)

Die Dreigroschenoper: historische Aufnahmen, 1928-1931, Capriccio 10 346, released 1990. Contains “Seeräuberjenny” and “Barbara-Song/Eifersuchtsduett” from “Aus der Drei-Groschen-Oper,” above.

Note: Many CD’s have been released containing Lenya’s early recordings from Die Dreigroschenoper, Happy End, and Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny. See the Kurt Weill Discography.

Kurt Weill from Berlin to Broadway, vol. 1, Pearl CDS 9189, released 1995. Includes “Aus der Drei-Groschen-Oper,” “Querschnitt aus der Oper Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny, “Bilbao-Song,” and the “Six songs of Kurt Weill” listed above.

Kurt Weill from Berlin to Broadway, vol. 2, Pearl CDS 9294, released 1997. Includes “Alabama-Song” (Electrola 301) and “Denn wie man sich bettet” (Homocord 3671).

The Threepenny Opera, Decca Broadway 012 159 463-2, released on CD, 2000. Re-release of original off-Broadway cast recording, MGM E3121, recorded and released 1954 (Blitzstein’s English adaptation); reissued 2007 on Line Music (Cantus Classics) 5.00951.

The Threepenny Opera, West Hill Radio Archives WHRA 6048, 2013 (rec. 1952). First performance of Blitzstein’s English adaptation, in concert. Disc 8 of an 11-CD set titled Leonard Bernstein: Historical Recordings 1941-1961.

Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny, CBS M2K 77341/M2K 37874 (U.S. and Canada). Re-release of Philips L 09 418-20, recorded 3-11 November 1956, released March 1958. Reissued 2003 as Sony Classical SM2K 91184. Reissued 2006 as Membran 223250-311. Reissued 2007 as Line Music (Cantus Classics) 5.00959.

Kurt Weill: Berlin & American Theater Songs, CBS MK 42658, released on CD, 1988.

Contains the following recordings:

• “Lotte Lenya singt Kurt Weill,” Philips B 07 039, recorded 5-7 July 1955 (Selections released on a 45 RPM, Philips 429 207 BE. Released in the U.S. in December 1955 under the title “Berlin Theater Songs.”);
• “September Song and Other American Theatre Songs of Kurt Weill,” Columbia KL 5229, recorded August 1957.

An abridged version known as The Lotte Lenya Album was also issued by Columbia.

Die Dreigroschenoper, CBS MK 42637. Re-release of Philips L 09 421-22, recorded 11-15 January 1958, released May? 1958. (Excerpts released as Philips S 06 715.)

Kurt Weill (also entitled Portrait Weill or Lotte Lenya Weill), CBS MPK 45886, released on CD, 1990 (distributed in Europe).

Contains the following recordings:

• Die sieben Todsunden, Philips B 07 186, recorded August 1956, released March 1957;
• Happy End, Philips B 47 080 L, recorded 9-10 July 1960, released 1960.

A CD with the same contents was released in 2006 under the title Lenya / Weill: The Seven Deadly Sins and Happy End on Sony Classical 82876 78754 2 (Great Performances).

Cabaret, Columbia CK 3040, released on CD, 1987? Re-release of KOL 6640, recorded December 1966, released early 1967. Remastered and reissued June 1998 on Sony Legacy SK 60533, with bonus tracks. A 45 rpm disc containing the songs “Married” and “It Couldn’t Please Me More,” both duets between Lenya and Jack Gilford, was released by Columbia (JZSP 117536-117537) around the time of the original cast recording as a special issue, pressed on yellow vinyl.

Invitation to German Poetry, Dover IP-9892, recorded August 1958, released November? 1959. Reissued on CD 2006, with accompanying book, as Listen and Enjoy German Poetry, Dover 0-486-99672-7.

Out of Print or Unreleased

“Mack the Knife” with Louis Armstrong and his All-Stars, recorded in New York, 28 September 1955. (First issued in 1982 on Book-of-the-Month 21-6547.)

“Theme from The Threepenny Opera” (Mack the Knife) with Turk Murphy. Columbia, released February 1956 in Europe. German version available on Making Choices: Evolutions in Jazz, 1920-1960, Museum Music MM107.

Johnny Johnson, Polydor 831 384-2 Y-1, released on CD, 1987. Re-release of MGM E3447, recorded November 1956, released February 1957.

The Stories of Kafka (read in English), Caedmon TC 1114, recorded 1959, released 1962.

Brecht on Brecht, Columbia, O2S 203, recorded early 1962?, released 1963.

“Young Blood” & “Welcome Home” / by Wood, Cacavas, Metromedia Records, MM-165, recorded 1969, not released.

Der Silbersee, Unique Opera Records, UORC–261-A, recorded 25-26 June 1971. (Label: “Private record / not for sale”)

“Kurt Weill Concert,” Rococo 4008, released 1971 or 2 (pirated recording of the 8 January 1965 Carnegie Hall concert).