Kurt Weill's America

Kurt Weill's European works depict America as a Capitalist dystopia, but his engagement with American culture shifted in 1935, and most of his works concerned the idea of America, celebrating her successes and critiquing her shortcomings. He was keenly attuned to the difficult relationship America had with her immigrants but was slower to grasp the subtleties of race relations. The book treats Weill as a node in a transnational network of musicians, writers, artists, and other stage professionals, revealing his attempts to navigate the shifting tides of American culture and the specific demands of his institutional and individual collaborators. It also puts nuance contemporary ideas about the relationships of immigrants to their new homes, moving beyond ideas that such figures must either assimilate and abandon their previous identities or resist the pull of their new home and stay true to their original culture.

Format: Hardback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 11 August 2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

Throughout his life, the German-Jewish composer Kurt Weill was captivated by the idea of America. His European works portrayed America as a Capitalist dystopia. However, in 1935, it became evident that Europe was no longer safe for Weill, and he set sail for the New World, leading to a significant shift in his engagement with American culture. From that point forward, most of his works revolved around the concept of America, encompassing both celebrations of her achievements and critiques of her shortcomings. As an outsider-turned-insider, Weill's insights into American culture were unique. He was acutely aware of the complex relationship America had with her immigrants but was slower to grasp the nuances of other aspects, particularly those related to race relations, although his works revealed his devotion to the idea of racial equality.

The book treats Weill as a node in a transnational network of musicians, writers, artists, and other stage professionals, all of whom influenced each other. Weill sought out partners from various sectors, including the Popular Front, spoken drama, and the commercial Broadway stage. His personal papers reveal his attempts to navigate not only the shifting tides of American culture but also the specific demands of his institutional and individual collaborators. In re-examining Weill's relationship with immigration and nationality, the book also offers nuanced contemporary ideas about the relationships of immigrants to their new homes, moving beyond simplistic notions that such figures must either assimilate and abandon their previous identities or resist the pull of their new home and remain true to their original culture.

Weight: 592g
Dimension: 165 x 242 x 33 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780190906580