As in "The Red Line," the composer incorporates a cynical, Brechtian pop-music ballad; a fair amount of spoken, or nearspoken, dialogue; and poignant moments of lyricism amid the general moral and musical chaos.
German audiences are no strangers to expressionist art or the language of Brechtian theatre, and have none of the performance tradition or wealth of associations which their British counterparts bring to Grimes.
In true Brechtian style, a white curtain swirls across the stage between scenes, and song titles are projected onto screens on either side of the stage.
Brechtian irony is never absent.
Perhaps only the West Germans have the resources to do Brecht in full style. The Brechtian approach relies heavily on stunning stage effects.
The Vienna Burgtheater's New Year show is The Caucasian Chalk Circle, directed by veteran Brechtian Ruth Berghaus, with her hallmark of mechanised choreography and menacing cityscapes, to Paul Dessau's original music.