B&B_Info

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

  • 8/2/2019 B&B_Info

    1/2

    Bastien und Bastienne

    Bastien und Bastienne (Bastien and Bastienne), K. 50 (revised in 1964 to K. 46b) isa one-actsingspiel, a comic opera, byWolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

    Bastien und Bastienne was one of Mozart's earliest operas, written in 1768 when hewas only twelve years old. It was allegedly commissioned by Viennese physician and'magnetist' Dr. Franz Mesmer (who himself would later be parodied in Cos fan tutte)as a satire of the 'pastoral' genre then prevalent, and specifically as a parody of theoperaLe devin du village by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The German libretto is byFriedrich Wilhelm Weiskern, Johann Heinrich Mller and Johann Andreas Schachtner,based on "Les Amours de Bastien et Bastienne" by Justine FavartandHarny deGuerville (fr). After its supposed premiere in Mesmer's garden theater (that is onlycorroborated by an unverified accountofNissen), it was not revived again until 1890.It is not clear whether this piece was performed in Mozart's lifetime. The first knownperformance was on 2 October 1890 at Architektenhaus in Berlin.[1]

    Mozart's overture uses the same opening theme as Beethoven'sSymphony No. 3,the Eroica. It is doubtful that Beethoven was familiar with this unpublished piece. A

    likely explanation is that both composers took the theme from another unknownsource.

    Although he was very young, Mozart already had excellent vocal writing skills and aknack for parody and whimsy which would reach full flower in his later works. Bastienund Bastienne is possibly the easiest to perform of Mozart's juvenile works.

    Roles

    Synopsis

    Place: A pastoral villageTime: Indeterminate

    Bastienne, a shepherdess, fears that her "dearest friend", Bastien, has forsaken herfor another pretty face, and decides to go into the pasture to be comforted by herflock of lambs.

    Before she can leave, however, she runs into Colas, the village soothsayer. Bastiennerequests the help of his magical powers to helpwin back her Bastien. Colas (being asoothsayer) knows all about the problem, and comforts her with the knowledge thatBastien has not abandoned her, rather, he's merely been distracted lately by 'thelady of the manor'. His advice is to act coldly towards Bastien, which will make himcome running back.

    Bastien is heard approaching, so Bastienne hides herself. Bastien swaggers in,proclaiming how much he loves Bastienne. Colas informs him that Bastienne has anew lover. Bastien is shocked and asks the magician for help.

    Colas opens his book of spells and recites a nonsense aria filled with random syllablesand Latin quotations. Colas declares the spell a success and that Bastienne is in love

    RoleVoicetype

    Bastienne, ashepherdess

    soprano

    Bastien, her lover tenor

    Colas, a quack magician

    bass

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6chel_cataloguehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singspielhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singspielhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Amadeus_Mozarthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Amadeus_Mozarthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastien_und_Bastiennehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Mesmerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cos%C3%AC_fan_tuttehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_devin_du_villagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_devin_du_villagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Rousseauhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Rousseauhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Rousseauhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Librettohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justine_Favarthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Harny_de_Guerville&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Harny_de_Guerville&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Harny_de_Guerville&action=edit&redlink=1http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harny_de_Guervillehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastien_und_Bastiennehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastien_und_Bastiennehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Nikolaus_von_Nissenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastien_und_Bastiennehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastien_und_Bastienne#cite_note-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastien_und_Bastienne#cite_note-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastien_und_Bastiennehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._3_(Beethoven)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._3_(Beethoven)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._3_(Beethoven)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastien_und_Bastiennehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastien_und_Bastiennehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_typehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_typehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopranohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_(voice_type)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6chel_cataloguehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singspielhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Amadeus_Mozarthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastien_und_Bastiennehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Mesmerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cos%C3%AC_fan_tuttehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_devin_du_villagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Rousseauhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Librettohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justine_Favarthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Harny_de_Guerville&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Harny_de_Guerville&action=edit&redlink=1http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harny_de_Guervillehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastien_und_Bastiennehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Nikolaus_von_Nissenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastien_und_Bastiennehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastien_und_Bastienne#cite_note-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastien_und_Bastiennehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._3_(Beethoven)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_typehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_typehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopranohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_(voice_type)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastien_und_Bastienne
  • 8/2/2019 B&B_Info

    2/2

    with Bastien once more. Bastienne, however, decides to keep up the game a bitlonger and spurns Bastien with great vehemence. Bastien threatens suicide, whichBastienne merely shrugs off.

    Finally, the two decide that they have gone far enough and agree to reconcile. Colasjoins them as they all sing a final trio in praise of the magician.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_(voice_type)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_(voice_type)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_(voice_type)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_(voice_type)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_(voice_type)