A hard-hitting new production of Kurt Weill’s Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny by the Catalan collective La Fura dels Baus at the Teatro Real de Madrid.
Composed in the 1930s by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht, this is a mordant satire on capitalism and the inexorable industrialisation of a society in which the ultimate crime is not having money. In twenty scenes the authors tell the story of a city lost in the middle of a desert and run by three thugs; in Mahagonny food, sex, gambling and violence rule supreme.
The production by Alex Ollé and Carlus Padrissa, both of La Fura dels Baus, combines enormous inventiveness, joy and energy with awe-inspiring ferocity.
Perfect casting brings together a group of singers – Measha Brueggergosman, Michael König, Jane Henschel and Willard White – who are also marvellous actors.
The Teatro Real Orchestra and Chorus are directed by young Spanish conductor Pablo Heras-Casado, who actually began his career at the Teatro Real. In November 2010, he received the “El Ojo Crítico” prize, awarded annually to Spain’s most outstanding artists in the classical music field.
After 8 years working together, and fruit of a deep reflection about the repertoire for this formation, in 2015 Zavasax feels the need to capture the musical and artistic conception of his career in a record work.
The Eduardo del Pueyo Auditorium in Zaragoza is the environment chosen to carry out the project, Neu Records responsible for directing and advising. This is how “Inventions” was born, the debut CD of Zavasax Saxophone Duo. A fresh repertoire, worked with deep care, with original works and transcriptions.
Bach, Lauba, Ferrer Ferrán or Singelée are a sample of the versatility of the training. After an intense year of craftsmanship, Zavasax presents “Inventions”.