Heres Mack the Knife and his world of murderers, thieves, harlots, and beggars. Youll recognize the opening song, but not necessarily the lyrics. Brecht, it has been said, was adept at mimicking the work of other artists: in this case, John Gays The Beggars Opera (ca. 1727). Some 200 years later, The Threepenny Opera became popular in England in the late 1920s. In the US, it was regurgitated in the 1960s. If you are to read this, you should first read The Beggars Opera.

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