MDDM Chs 46-7 "The Beggar's Opera"

[jbor]

I don't think there's any hard evidence that Pynchon read Aristophanes'
_Lysistratra_, but I agree with Terrance that there are resonances with the
plot of John Gay's _The Beggar's Opera_ in the narrative of _M&D_.

I think one reason why Pynchon incorporates an overt reference to _The
Beggar's Opera_ in his text is to acknowledge an affinity in the style or
medium of _M&D_ (pastiche/parody), and his other works too I guess, with
that of Gay's ballad opera, and of the genre of satirical musical comedy it
heralded.

http://www.wwnorton.com/enjoy/classical/composers/jgay.htm

Cf. also Brecht's _Threepenny Opera_:

http://www.methuen.co.uk/threepennyopera.html

> 455.30 "closer to Macheath" from Gay's _The Beggar's Opera_ (458.24)
> 
> http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~rbear/beggar.html

best