Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

Get tips on theatre and art from other Mumsnetters on our Culture forum.

1 2

Get tips on theatre and art from other Mumsnetters on our Culture forum.

Culture vultures

Blu........... let's talk Brecht!!!!!!!!!!!!

32 replies

MarsLady · 19/05/2007 16:51

Skimmed through the cultural blind spot thread... stopped when my head began to hurt at some of the things that people hated etc.......

Then I saw you mention Brecht! I've just read The Life Of Gallileo and I wanted your thoughts.

So........... what are your thoughts?

I understand Brecht doesn't write to engage us and he likes his old emotional detachment..... but now I want to tap your mine of information.

OP posts:

Thanks

Share

Report

MarsLady · 22/05/2007 16:21

Oh Bluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OP posts:

Thanks

Spidermama · 22/05/2007 16:29

Mars we did Brecht at drama school. I suppose it's quite quaint now with all his commie chorus's and alienation devices etc. Does anyone still do it then?

I love the music and the Brecht/Weill combo. Lotte Lenya on vocals. Very evocative.

Blu won't be on til this evening btw but bumping for you.

Thanks

motherinferior · 22/05/2007 16:31

I like a spot of Brecht/Weill too.

Thanks

Saturn74 · 22/05/2007 16:32

Thanks

motherinferior · 22/05/2007 16:36

Let's go to Benares...

Thanks

katierocket · 22/05/2007 16:45

god I hated Brecht, too worthy for me

Thanks

ShrinkingViolet · 22/05/2007 17:05

We did some Brecht in German A Level - The Good Woman of Szechuan took a bit of time to get my head round, what with all the Chinese stuff on top of the "it's all in foreign" panic. Never read/seen it in English though.

Thanks

Spidermama · 22/05/2007 17:48

I used to love belting out this at drama school ...

You said a lot Johnny
But nothing true Johnny
You lied and cheating Johnny
All down the line.

I hate you still Johnny
As you stand and sneer Johnny
(Spoken) So take that pipe out of your mouth you swine!

Thanks

Spidermama · 22/05/2007 17:51

We were so camp.

Thanks

AitchTwoOh · 22/05/2007 17:54

i saw glenda jackson as mother courage. v boring, she interpreted it as a soppy tragedy so all the fun alienation stuff went to the wall.

Thanks

Spidermama · 22/05/2007 18:00

Aitch I think it's pretty hard to inject fun into Brecht on the whole.

So you saw Glenda as Mother Courage. Doesn't that make you very old indeed?

Thanks

glitterfairy · 22/05/2007 18:08

I played the jewish wife at college. Our head of drama loed brecht. Ask beets she is an expert.

Thanks

AitchTwoOh · 22/05/2007 18:15

i find all the big picture stuff fun with brecht, all the technical business. she just made it boring, i thought and it went on for Hours. blah blah blah profiting from conflict, blah blah blah oops another dead child blah blah blah. nothing to get your teeth into and v yawnsome. and i was a slip of a girl when i saw it.

Thanks

motherinferior · 22/05/2007 18:44

I saw Judi Dench as Mother Courage, back in the dark ages.

I am clearly warped, as I find some of those songs quite marvellous. There is a tavern in the tow-how-how-hown....

Thanks

AitchTwoOh · 22/05/2007 18:48

ooooh i love the songs, they're brilliant. [also warped]

Thanks

MarsLady · 22/05/2007 18:55

Ladies.... I need to talk specifically about The Life of Galileo

So........ what do you think of it? Particularly in terms of new and historical theatre.

OP posts:

Thanks

Blu · 22/05/2007 19:09

Now, thanks to you, Mars, I have to admit that I haven't read Galileo, and my MN Cultural credentials will plummet!

And only this morning I was thinking of starting a thread in which we write the Brecht-Weill Mn Musical....

"Show me the way to the next Fruit-Shoot Row
Oh don't ask why..."

I think I will read it over half term, if that is soon enough for you?

Meanwhile all the other Brecht-Weill fans can get on with the discussion!

Thanks

MarsLady · 25/05/2007 09:25

That would be perfect blu.

How could your credentials plummet??????????? Such a well-read MNer as you!!!!!!!!!!!!

OP posts:

Thanks

MarsLady · 27/05/2007 10:59

Hope you're reading Blu

OP posts:

Thanks

MarsLady · 17/06/2007 23:05

Well???????????????????????? Did you read it?

What do you have to say about Brecht and New Historicist theatre?

Well????????? Well????????????????????????/

OP posts:

Thanks

essbeehindyou · 17/06/2007 23:06

Message withdrawn

Thanks

emkana · 17/06/2007 23:10

I have a degree in German literature, and I'm German myself, so I should be able to talk about this shouldn't I? Sadly my brain has been demolished by all the baby stuff.

When I was at school we looked at Galilei and compared it to Friedrich Duerrenmatt's "The Physicists" - very interesting it was too.

Brecht has done some wonderful poetry btw.

Thanks

emkana · 17/06/2007 23:11

[http://www.poemhunter.com/bertolt-brecht/poems/page-1/]

Thanks

emkana · 17/06/2007 23:13

www.poemhunter.com/bertolt-brecht/poems/page-1/

Goodness me links are so easy now and I still get it wrong!

Thanks

BeatrootandBenedick · 17/06/2007 23:15

are you still on about hte life of G>

i have not read either though I saw it at the National a few years back.

whats your problem???

Thanks

Flip

1 2

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.