Suggested Weill Repertoire

The selections listed here represent the wide stylistic range of Weill's output. We encourage contestants to explore works with which they are not already familiar.

Many of Weill's most famous songs are not included in the list below, as they are either not age-appropriate for Lenya applicants or do not allow a compelling dramatic presentation outside the context of the show. For different reasons, "Mack the Knife," "September Song," "My Ship," "Lost in the Stars," "Tschaikowsky," "The Saga of Jenny," and "Speak Low" have seldom scored well in the Competition.

Throughout the history of the competition, a number of selections have been performed with such frequency each year that it's difficult for the judges to hear them afresh, particularly when there is so much wonderful material to choose from that isn't over-exposed. In the Weill category, four such perennials are "What Good Would the Moon Be?," "It Never Was You," "I'm a Stranger Here Myself," and "Lonely House." Before you settle on any of these, consider less frequently performed alternatives.

Both of the above admonitions also apply to non-Weill repertory. For example, "The Beauty Is" and "The Light in the Piazza" are marvelous numbers within the show, but give a singer very little to act convincingly out of context. Similarly, "Stars and the Moon" may be both too "old" for most contestants and now over-exposed within the Competition. Of course, there is always the possibility that an exceptional performance can prove the exception to the rule.

(Note: Page numbers indicated below refer to the published vocal score for the complete work.)

 

Click on the song titles for short audio clips (where available); click on work titles (where applicable) for help with the dramatic context of each song.

Women's Voices
Song Title	Work Title
Sie soll sein wie ein Netz (No. 1, pp. 8-14)	Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny
Ach, bedenken Sie (No. 5, pp. 48-53; or alternative version found in the appendix, pp. 327-330)	Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny
Alabama Song (No. 2, sing uppermost line of 6 Mädchen part where Jenny has no part)	Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny
Denn wie man sich bettet, so liegt man (No. 16, pp. 226-230)	Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny
Es zog zu Salomon (No. 21, Juanita's Lied)	Der Kuhhandel
Rom hieß eine Stadt/Ballade von Cäsars Tod (No. 9)	Der Silbersee
Ich bin eine arme Verwandte/Fennimore's Lied (No. 8)	Der Silbersee
Es wächst uns in den Mund der Wein/Schlaraffenland-Song (No. 15a, 1st stanza only)	Der Silbersee
Mir liegt die Angst so schwer in meinen Gliedern (No. 2, pp. 13-14)	Die Bürgschaft
Oh meine Tochter	Die Bürgschaft
Arie der Lucy	Die Dreigroschenoper
Barbarasong	Die Dreigroschenoper
Seeräuberjenny	Die Dreigroschenoper
Zweites Dreigroschenfinale (2nd stanza only)	Die Dreigroschenoper
Neid	Die sieben Todsünden
Brack Weaver, My True Love	Down in the Valley
Lonesome Dove	Down in the Valley
Der kleine Leutnant des lieben Gottes	Happy End
Die Ballade von der Höllen-Lili	Happy End
Matrosen Tango (Was die Herren Matrosen sagen)	Happy End
Surabaya Johnny	Happy End
This Time Next Year	Huckleberry Finn
Farewell, Goodbye	Johnny Johnson (cut)
Mon Ami, My Friend	Johnny Johnson
Oh, Heart of Love	Johnny Johnson
How Far Will You Go with Me?	Knickerbocker Holiday (cut)
It Never Was You	Knickerbocker Holiday
Will You Remember Me? (end at chorus' entrance)	Knickerbocker Holiday
Bats About You (2nd stanza only)	Lady in the Dark
One Life to Live	Lady in the Dark
Stay Well	Lost in the Stars
Trouble Man	Lost in the Stars
Who'll Buy?	Lost in the Stars
Green-Up Time	Love Life
Here I'll Stay	Love Life
Is it Him or Is It Me?	Love Life
Mr. Right	Love Life
There's Nothing Left for Daddy (but the Rhumba)	Love Life (cut)
J'attends un navire	Marie Galante
Le roi d'Aquitaine	Marie Galante
Le train du ciel	Marie Galante
Le grand Lustucru	Marie Galante
Foolish Heart	One Touch of Venus
I'm a Stranger Here Myself	One Touch of Venus
Love in a Mist	One Touch of Venus (cut)
That's Him	One Touch of Venus
Very, Very, Very	One Touch of Venus
Arme Werber!	Royal Palace
A Boy Like You	Street Scene
Somehow I Never Could Believe	Street Scene
Streetlight is My Moonlight (2nd stanza only)	Street Scene
What Good Would the Moon Be?	Street Scene
You're Far Too Near Me	The Firebrand of Florence
Sing Me Not a Ballad	The Firebrand of Florence
Love Is My Enemy	The Firebrand of Florence
The Little Naked Boy	The Firebrand of Florence
The Picture on the Wall	n/a
Your Technique	n/a
Complainte de la Seine	n/a
Der Abschiedsbrief	n/a
Es regnet	n/a
Je ne t'aime pas	n/a
Nannas Lied	n/a
Wie lange noch?	n/a
Youkali	n/a

 

Men's Voices
Song Title	Work Title
Nur die nacht (No. 17)	Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny
Tief in Alaskas schneeweissen Wäldern (No. 9, pp. 89-97, omit chorus)	Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny
Ich habe eine Kuh gehabt (No. 30, Juan's Lied)	Der Kuhhandel
Schockschwerenot! (No. 7, Auftrittslied)	Der Kuhhandel
Schön war die erste Flasche (No. 28, Fandango)	Der Kuhhandel
Seit ich in diese Stadt (No. 13)	Der Kuhhandel
Ich wäre nicht der Künstler (pp. 29-34)	Der Protagonist
Jetzt schiesst schon neues Feuer in mich (pp. 35-38)	Der Protagonist
Der Bäcker backt ums Morgenrot (No. 3, sing all parts)	Der Silbersee
Erst trifft dich die Kugel/Rache-Arie (No. 11)	Der Silbersee
Was zahlen Sie für einen Rat?/Lotterieagents Tango (No. 6)	Der Silbersee
Wie Odysseus an den Mast des Schiffes (No. 14)	Der Silbersee
Es wächst uns in den Mund der Wein/Schlaraffenland-Song (No. 15a, 2nd stanza only)	Der Silbersee
Frage sie aus (No. 13, pp. 206-212, Kommisar's aria)	Die Bürgschaft
Nichts geben und Alles behalten (No. 6, pp. 68-72)	Die Bürgschaft
Sie soll nichts wissen (No. 8, end at Anna's entrance, or with cut)	Die Bürgschaft
Ballade vom angenehmen Leben	Die Dreigroschenoper
Grabschrift	Die Dreigroschenoper
Zweites Dreigroschenfinale (1st stanza only)	Die Dreigroschenoper
Where Is the One Who Will Mourn Me When I'm Gone?	Down in the Valley
Bilbao-Song	Happy End
Lied von der harten Nuss	Happy End
Mandalay-Song	Happy End
Apple Jack	Huckleberry Finn
Come in, Mornin'	Huckleberry Finn
River Chanty	Huckleberry Finn
Johnny's Song (original lyric only, not popular song lyrics)	Johnny Johnson
Oh, the Rio Grande	Johnny Johnson
It Never Was You	Knickerbocker Holiday
There's Nowhere to Go but Up	Knickerbocker Holiday
Bats About You (1st stanza only)	Lady in the Dark (cut)
It's Never Too Late to Mendelssohn	Lady in the Dark (cut)
This Is New	Lady in the Dark
Unforgettable	Lady in the Dark (cut)
Mein Name ist Charles Lindbergh (No. 2)	Der Lindberghflug/Der Ozeanflug
Hills of Ixopo	Lost in the Stars
The Little Gray House	Lost in the Stars
Lost in the Stars	Lost in the Stars
O Tixo, Tixo, Help Me	Lost in the Stars
Thousands of Miles	Lost in the Stars
Here I'll Stay	Love Life
How I Love My Work	Love Life (cut)
Love Song	Love Life
This Is the Life	Love Life
Les filles de Bordeaux	Marie Galante
Le train du ciel	Marie Galante
How Much I Love You	One Touch of Venus
Westwind	One Touch of Venus
Wooden Wedding	One Touch of Venus
Who Am I?	One Touch of Venus (cut)
Great Big Sky	Street Scene (cut)
I Got a Marble and a Star	Street Scene
Let Things Be Like They Always Was	Street Scene
Lonely House	Street Scene
Streetlight Is My Moonlight (1st stanza only)	Street Scene (cut)
When a Woman Has a Baby	Street Scene
Wouldn't You Like to Be on Broadway?	Street Scene
A Rhyme for Angela	The Firebrand of Florence
Life, Love, and Laughter	The Firebrand of Florence
Love Is My Enemy	The Firebrand of Florence
The Picture on the Wall	n/a
Your Technique	n/a
Es regnet	n/a
Je ne t'aime pas	n/a
Wie lange noch?	n/a
Youkali	n/a