The theme for this edition of Stranger Songs is "Songs of Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956)."
Brecht, who died in 1956 at age 58, was a German playwright and poet who believed in the power of the arts to advance progressive causes. One of his most famous quotations is, “Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it.”
Brecht collaborated with a number of composers – including Kurt Weill, Hans Eisler and others – to put his words to music.
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| fragment of The Stranger Song Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen - Columbia/Legacy 
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| Songs from "The Threepenny Opera" (1928). Lyrics by Bertolt Brecht, music by Kurt Weill. |
| Mack the Knife Dave Van Ronk - Let No One Deceive You: Songs of Bertolt Brecht - Flying Fish |
| Pirate Jenny Judy Collins - Forever: An Anthology - Elektra |
| Cannon Song The Fowler Brothers & Stan Ridgway - Lost in the Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill - A&M |
| Barbara Song Beatrice Arthur - The Threepenny Opera – 1954 Off Broadway Cast Recording - Decca |
| What Keeps Mankind Alive? William S. Burroughs - September Songs: The Music of Kurt Weill - Sony Classical |
| Solomon Song Lotte Lenya - The Threepenny Opera – 1954 Off Broadway Cast Recording - Decca |
| Tango Ballad Dave Van Ronk & Frankie Armstrong - Let No One Deceive You: Songs of Bertolt Brecht - Flying Fish |
| Moritat von Mackie Messer (Mack the Knife) Bertolt Brecht - September Songs: The Music of Kurt Weill - Sony Classical |
| fragment of The Stranger Song Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen - Columbia/Legacy
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| Songs from "Happy End" (1929). Lyrics by Bertolt Brecht, music by Kurt Weill. |
| The Bilbao Song Martha Schlamme - A Kurt Weill Cabaret - MGM |
| Sailor's Tango Lotte Lenya - Lotte Lenya Singt Kurt Weill - Philips |
| Mandalay Song Will Holt - A Kurt Weill Cabaret - MGM |
| Surabaya Johnny Bette Midler - Bette Midler - Atlantic |
| Songs from "The Caucasian Chalk Circle" (1944). Lyrics by Bertolt Brecht. The songs from "The Caucasian Chalk Circle" have been set to music by many composers – with many productions of the play commissioning unique settings. These settings were composed by Dave Holt for a production by The Camp Meeker Players in Sonoma County, California in the 1970s and were recorded at a cast reunion seven or eight years ago. Special thanks to Mitch Greenhill for sending these unreleased recordings and securing permission to use them on this program. |
| Song of the Adoption Carol Burleson, Mitch Greenhill & Dave Holt - The Caucasian Chalk Circle - unreleased recording – used with permission |
| Song of the Child Carol Burleson, Mitch Greenhill & Dave Holt - The Caucasian Chalk Circle - unreleased recording – used with permission |
| Song of the Return Carol Burleson, Mitch Greenhill & Dave Holt - The Caucasian Chalk Circle - unreleased recording – used with permission |
| Songs from "The Rise & Fall of the City of Mahagonny" (1927). Lyrics by Bertolt Brecht, music by Kurt Weill. |
| We All Make the Bed That We Lie In Dave Van Ronk - Let No One Deceive You: Songs of Bertolt Brecht - Flying Fish |
| Alabama Song Marianne Faithfull - 20th Century Blues - RCA |
| Oh Heavenly Salvation The Persuasions - September Songs: The Music of Kurt Weill - Sony Classical |
| Songs with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht and music by Hans Eisler. |
| To the Little Radio Pirate Jenny Trio - Cabaret Blues - Pirate Jenny Trio
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| The Love Market Frankie Armstrong - Let No One Deceive You: Songs of Bertolt Brecht - Flying Fish |
| Ballad of the Soldier’s Wife Pirate Jenny Trio - Cabaret Blues - Pirate Jenny Trio
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| The Song of the Little Wind Frankie Armstrong - Let No One Deceive You: Songs of Bertolt Brecht - Flying Fish |
| Song of a German Mother Pirate Jenny Trio - Cabaret Blues - Pirate Jenny Trio
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| The show ends with an instrumental version of the song that began it. |
| Mack the Knife Oscar Peterson & Itzhak Pearlman - Side By Side - Telarc
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Brilliant songs, brilliant playwright, brilliant radio show. I'll be listening to this again, and again.
4:13 PM, May 30th, 2023