Kurt Weill

Although German composer Kurt Weill's work is perhaps best categorised as classical, his work in the theatre--particularly his collaboration with Bertolt Brecht on THE THREE PENNY OPERA--had a tremendous influence on an eclectic host of rock and pop artists, including the Doors, Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Marianne Faithful, and the Magnetic Fields. Weill's music, informed by jazz, Stravinksy, and progressive tonal theories of the era, was quite popular during the 1920s and '30s, and perfectly captures the zeitgeist of Weimar-era Germany. Weill fled to Paris in 1933 as the Nazi party's power increased, and eventually moved to New York City, living in the area until his death in 1950.