The Days Grow Short: The Life and Music of Kurt Weill [Paperback]

Ronald Sanders (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1991

This book offers coverage of Weill's life that is informed by a knowledge of the shifting cultural and political climates in which he worked.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Born in 1900 into a German Jewish family, Kurt Weill gained fame as composer of The Threepenny Opera and other politically charged works written by Bertolt Brecht. He reinvented himself in America; by his death in 1950 he had written several popular Broadway shows ("Lady in the Dark") and one indisputably classic tune, "September Song." This solid biography capably covers Weill's life (including a tactful account of his unconventional marriage to Lotte Lenya), but concentrates on the music, refuting charges that Weill's American work betrayed his talent in search of commercial success.

Product Details

• Paperback: 469 pages
• Publisher: Silman-James Pr (September 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1879505061
• ISBN-13: 978-1879505063
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #922,005 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An old cliché: a must for all music lovers, November 13, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Days Grow Short: The Life and Music of Kurt Weill (Paperback)

Biographies (especially those of people from the entertainment industry) have become a fad since the early 80's, and most of them, however entertaining, don't add much to our knowledge of their subject and time. One admirable exception is this account about Kurt Weill and his lifetime by Ronald Sanders. Since the very beginning, Mr. Sanders manages to give us a vivid portrait of how was Germany since the years before Weill was born, how was life like in those days for Jewish people there, and the great composer's musical roots: his father was a Cantor, and many of his ancestors were professional or amateur musicians. To say only that Mr. Sanders' account is full of painstainkingly researched details would be unjust, for he goes far beyond that. He uses all these details to make us understand and feel in depth the makings of a remarkable career that unfortunately didn't last so long (Weill died prematurely, at 50). Mr. Sanders not only treats us to an unforgettable tour of 20th Century's troubled first half but also gives us a thorough knowledge of how music evolved from the days of Ferrucio Busoni and Gustav Mahler to Kurt Weill's works in the U.S., with lots of information about other great artists like Arnold Schoenberg, Bertolt Brecht, Lotte Lenya, how Weill created such masterpieces as "Dreigroschenoper", "Knickerbocker Holiday", "Lady in the Dark", and so on. You can say that this is a cliché, but, if you are, like me, interested in anything related to the best music that was produced in the 20th Century, don't miss "The Days Grow Short". And if you are already a fan of Kurt Weill's, this book will make you even more appreciative of him and his music. I recommend that you read this biography with your CD player on. You'll enjoy it even more when Mr. Sanders speaks of Weill's perennial creations, like "Mack the Knife", "September Song", "Speak Low", "Lost in the Stars", "My Ship"...

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Way beyond the Three Penny Opera, August 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Days Grow Short: The Life and Music of Kurt Weill (Paperback)

I just finished this book and was mightily impressed. My esteemed predecessor in these reviews has summarized the book very well, leaving me the opportunity to comment on a single important aspect of the book. When you mention Weill's name, people think of only one thing (if they know him at all). The Three Penny Opera. This book emphatically puts his '20 something work with Brecht in perspective, showing that he continued to grow and develop throughout his career. The narrative is keen and passionate. The details of the creative periods and production periods of various works are gripping. My net response is: there is a lot more to this man's creative output than just The Three Penny Opera and Mahagony (son of 3-penny?). He deserves to be heard; will he?

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Definitive Biography of a Musical Genius, June 30, 2003

By 

Michael P. Nolan (Sarasota, Fl) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Days Grow Short: Life and Music of Kurt Weill (Paperback)

Very often, scholarship on Kurt Weill tends to favor his German works such as "The Threepenny Opera" or "Mahagonny," however Sanders account spans the entire length of Weill's career. From his beginnings in Berlin with Busoni, to his German hits with Brecht, to his flight to America and "Johnny Johnson," to his Broadway successes with "Knickerbocker Holiday," "Lady in the Dark," and "One Touch of Venus." Sanders presents each era of Weill's life with the same objectivity. He calls for an approach to Weill that encompasses Weill's entire career.

If you are thinking of doing any research on Kurt Weill, THIS is the place to start.