In 1933 Kurt Weill and his wife Lotte Lenya - actress and favourite interpreter of his songs - had to leave Germany, emigrating first to Paris and then, in 1935, to the USA. In Paris Weill wrote songs to accompany a ballet, and for Broadway too he composed several works that occupied an important place in the development of American opera. Although Weill readily adapted the American musical's artistic resources, he retained his tone of social criticism right up to the end, and in America this came to expression above all in the drama Street Scene. Kurt Weill described this piece, written in 1946, as his most important work of music theatre. The successful 1989 staging at the English National Opera in London led to a whole series of accomplished performances in other countries. This production's success was underpinned by Francesca Zambello's sensitive direction and Adrianne Lobal's stage design.

An American Opera in two acts / based on the play by Elmar Rice
Libretto: Elmar Rice
Lyrics: Langston Hughes
Orchestra of the Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, Conductor: James Holmes
Stage Director: Francesca Zambello
Cast: Ashley Putnam, Marc Embree, Teri Hansen, Kip Wilborn