Threepenny Opera.

This article reviews a July 2023 French-language recording of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht's *The Threepenny Opera* from the Comédie-Française production at the Aix-en-Provence festival. The opera, originally completed in 1928 and based on John Gay's 1728 *Beggars' Opera*, features the criminal Macheath and his exploits among low-life characters, reflecting Weimar-era themes. This French version, translated by Thomas Ostermeier, includes updated orchestrations and is noted for its dynamic acting and expressive singing, particularly by Elsa Lepoivre (Jenny), Marie Oppert (Polly Peachum), and Birane Ba (Macheath), accompanied by the small orchestra Le Balcon. While the recording offers excellent sound and a modernistic staging, it lacks English translations, which may challenge non-French speakers. The review suggests that newcomers might first explore German or English versions, which are more widely available and better aligned with the creators’ original intentions.