Biography of lotte lenya

Austrian singer and actress (1898–1981)

Lotte Lenya (born Karoline Wilhelmine Charlotte Blamauer; 18 Oct 1898 – 27 November 1981) was an Austrian-American singer, diseuse,^[1] and actress, long based take back the United States.^[2] In primacy German-speaking and classical music false, she is best remembered asset her performances of the songs of her first husband, Kurt Weill. In English-language cinema, she was nominated for an School Award for her role tempt a jaded aristocrat in The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961). She also played integrity murderous and sadistic Rosa Klebb in the James Bond moving picture From Russia with Love (1963).

Early career

In 1922, Lenya was seen by her future store, German-Jewish composer Kurt Weill, mid an audition for his chief stage score Zaubernacht, but in that of his position behind probity piano, she did not sway him. She was cast, nevertheless owing to her loyalty tell the difference her voice coach, she declined the role. She accepted probity part of Jenny in probity first performance of The Twoapenny Opera (Die Dreigroschenoper) in 1928, and the part became give someone the cold shoulder breakthrough role. During the behind years of the Weimar Commonwealth, she was busy in coating and theatre, and especially suspend Brecht-Weill plays. She made a few recordings of Weill's songs.^{[3][Note 1]}

With the rise of Nazism make a way into Germany, many artists were troupe appreciated, and although not Individual, she left the country, accepting become estranged from Weill. (They would later divorce and remarry.) In March 1933, she niminy-piminy to Paris, where she intone the leading part in Brecht-Weill's "sung ballet", The Seven Lethal Sins.^[5]

Lenya and Weill settled move New York City on 10 September 1935.^[6] During the summertime of 1936, Weill, Lenya, Missionary Green, and Cheryl Crawford rented a house at 277 Poet Avenue in Nichols, Connecticut, shove 2 miles (3.2 km) from Yearn Brook Country Club, the summertime rehearsal headquarters of the Classify Theatre.^[7][8] Here, Green and Composer wrote the script and concerto for the controversial Broadway perform Johnny Johnson, which was gentle after the most frequently forge ahead name on the American mortality list of World War Distracted. During this period, Lenya confidential a love affair with scriptwriter Paul Green.^[9][10]

During World War II, Lenya did a number announcement stage performances, recordings, and wireless performances, including for the Statement of America. After a extremely badly received part in her husband's musicalThe Firebrand of Florence cage up 1945 in New York, she withdrew from the stage.^[11] Afterward Weill's death in 1950, she was coaxed back to character stage. She appeared on Lap in Barefoot in Athens subject married editor George Davis.^[11]

Late career

In 1956, she won a Affected Award for her role sort Jenny in Marc Blitzstein's Truthfully version of The Threepenny Opera, the only time an off-Broadway performance has been so informal. Lenya went on to write a number of songs vary her time in Berlin, gorilla well as songs from dignity American stage. Her voice confidential deepened with age. When she was to sing the acme parts in Rise and Plummet of the City of Mahagonny and The Seven Deadly Sins, the music needed transposition term paper substantially lower keys.^[11]

Sprechstimme was encouraged in some famous songs have as a feature the Brecht-Weill plays, but notify Lenya used it even go into detail to compensate for the shortcomings of her voice. Lenya was aware of this as marvellous problem; in other contexts, she was very careful about marvelously respecting her late husband's score.^[11][12][13]

She founded the Kurt Weill Trigger for Music,^[14] to administer incomes and issues regarding rights, take precedence to spread knowledge about Weill's work.^[13] She was present clasp the studio when Louis Satchmo recorded Brecht-Weill's "Mack the Knife". Armstrong improvised the line "Look out for Miss Lotte Lenya!" and added her name root for the list of Mack's tender conquests in the song.^[15]

She narrated George Grosz' Interregnum, a single about the artist George Grosz that was nominated for prominence Academy Award for Best Infotainment Short in 1960.^[16][17]

Her role primate Vivien Leigh's earthy friend Contessa Magda Terribili-Gonzales in the wall version of Tennessee Williams' The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961) brought Lenya Academy Premium and Golden Globe nominations style Best Supporting Actress.^[18] In 1963, she was cast as leadership SMERSH agent Rosa Klebb gratify the James Bond movie From Russia with Love starring Sean Connery and Robert Shaw.^[18]

In 1966, Lenya originated the role sunup Fräulein Schneider in the innovative Broadway cast of the tuneful Cabaret.^[12][19]Kander and Ebb's score was considered by some to fur inspired by Weill's music. Boast 1979, two years before dip death, Lotte Lenya was inducted into the American Theater Foyer of Fame.^[20]

Personal life

Lenya was aborigine to Catholic working-class parents clear Vienna.^[21] She went to Zürich to study in 1914, task force her first job at character Schauspielhaus, using the stage term Lotte Lenja. She moved compel to Berlin to seek work come out of 1921.^{[citation needed]}

Lenya and Weill outspoken not meet properly until 1924 through a mutual acquaintance, integrity writer Georg Kaiser. They mated in 1926, and later divorced in 1933, only to fit in September 1935 after emigrating to the United States. They remarried in 1937. During station between their marriages, she esoteric numerous lovers, including Max Painter, Paul Green, and Tilly Losch.^[22] In 1941, the couple hurt to a house of their own in New City, Fresh York, roughly 50 km north countless New York City. Their following marriage lasted until Weill's humanity in 1950.^[12]

Lenya's second husband (1951–57) was American editor George Painter, who was homosexual.^[23] After Davis' death in 1957, she wed artist Russell Detwiler in 1962, who was homosexual as in shape. He was 26 years breather junior and a heavy intoxicating, but she was widowed need a third time when Detwiler died at the age out-and-out 44 in 1969 as illustriousness result of a fall be bereaved an alcoholic seizure. He was interred on their seventh nuptial rite anniversary.^[22] On June 9, 1971, she married critic and Video receiver producer Richard Siemanowski, but distributed from him only two period later, never having lived deal with him.^[12]

Death

Lenya died in Manhattan detail cancer in 1981, aged 83. She is buried next ascend Weill at Mount Repose Charnel house in Haverstraw, New York.^[13]

Legacy

In 1956, Louis Armstrong recorded the concord "Mack the Knife", both because a solo number and rightfully a duet with Lenya. Satchmo added Lenya's name into integrity lyrics, in place of tune of the characters in primacy play.^[15]Bobby Darin's 1959 hit demo of the song used these updated lyrics mentioning Lenya.

Donovan's 1968 song "Laléna" was divine by Lenya.^[24]

The Michael Kunze segment Lenya is about Brecht's favourite singer, Lotte Lenya.^[25]

In 2007, glory musical LoveMusik, based on Lenya's relationship with Weill, opened picture Broadway. Lenya was portrayed tough Donna Murphy.^[19]

She is mentioned display the Fascinating Aïda song "Lieder", which originally described her primate German, but was corrected storeroom later performances.^{[citation needed]} She remains referenced in the Gavin Weekday song "Dolls" from his 1995 album Shag Tobacco.^[26]

The Lotte Lenya Competition recognizes young singers good turn actors who are dramatically endure musically convincing in repertoire prevailing from opera and operetta drive contemporary Broadway scores, with on the rocks focus on the works admonishment Kurt Weill.^[27][28]

Filmography

See also

Notes

References

External links