Kurt Weill's immigrant odyssey

Kurt Weill started young. At the age of 12 he was already composing. By his early twenties, his first symphony took shape. In Germany’s Weimar Republic, his musical career flourished.

But then came the Nazis and also a swift decision by this Jewish composer to move from Berlin to Broadway. His songs are still performed there today.

Weill lived for just 50 years and rose to become one of the country’s leading composers for the stage. He left a lasting mark on the “American” musical. Chances are you already know some of his work. It’s been covered by the likes of Bobby Darrin, Nina Simone, David Bowie, and PJ Harvey.

For Labor Day, this “More Than Music” documentary looks at the life and times of this renowned German-American composer. Our guide, Joseph Horowitz, looks at some of the baggage that still surrounds a musician who was considered an “exemplary immigrant” who “became an American.”