Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | English | Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny

A modern Mahagonny rises and falls in Mannheim, brought to life by a great cast of singer-actors and a conductor (Benjamin Reiners) and orchestra who celebrate Weill's catchy score.

The backstory doesn’t bode well: three fugitive criminals decide to found a city that will pander to society’s most vital needs: food, sex, warfare, and alcohol.

Nationaltheater Mannheim's new production of Brecht and Weill's collaboration is a true company achievement and a thrilling evening of music and theatre.

HK Gruber's wit shines through this concert centred on Brecht and Weill's bitingly sarcastic songs from The Threepenny Opera; Håkan Hardenberger thrills with magical playing of trumpet and flugelhorn.

This was raw Mahler at its most all-embracing. The musicians seemed to embrace the entire world. As an audience member made to leave the hall, Axelrod leant over the balustrade to shake his hand.

From its stunningly filmic opening to its faux-Golgotha finale, the Royal Opera House’s new production of Weill’s Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny demands our attention. 

Mahagonny surfaces for just the second time in Ireland, in a collaborative production resonating harshly with the country's recent economic history.