Mozart and Bach double bill a hit!
Four performances of Mozart's early opera romance 'Bastien and Bastienna' and our much-loved J S Bach’s ‘Coffee Cantata’ played in June 2021 at Customs House, Sydney.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Mozart and Bach!
Our cheeky double bill offered two maestros for the price of one! It showcased two rarely-performed gems - Mozart's Classical rom-com 'Bastien and Bastienna' and J S Bach’s boisterous 'Coffee Cantata' - at four performances from 18 - 20 June 2021 in the beautiful heritage Barnet Long Room in Customs House, Circular Quay, Sydney.
In our modern take, strong, young women definitely take control of their lives. Music Director Peter Alexander conducted the talented chamber ensemble (keyboard Stevie Walter, flute Isabeau Hanson, violin 1 Rebecca Irwin, violin 2 Jennifer Taylor, viola Greg Ford, and cello Pierre Emery. They accompanied our exceptional soloists - soprano Lesley Braithwaite, tenor Damien Hall, and bass baritone Ed Suttle, all assisted by our mulit-skilled vocal coach, Steve Walter.
What the reviewers said
⇒ "Christine Logan’s direction is deft and wise. She allows her cast to inject melodramatic comedy – a fluttering eyelash, a suggestive wink, raised eyebrows, a little celebratory dance move – as well as ensuring they sustain the depth and variety of the music and the veracity of the characters."
⇒ "You almost felt as if you were in the courts of a European palace, enjoying the new comedy from your favourite composer. Endangered Productions is putting the ideal of socially inclusive and accessible musical theatre into practice."
⇒ "Trouble, family and flirting plus a lot of rejoicing in the coffee flavour frothed over the chuckling crowd ... soaring melodic lines over a dazzling instrumental saucer in a visually stunning and bustling café."
⇒ "Overall, the cast did a spectacular job showcasing the mischievous mayhem by Mozart and Bach, and it was a delight to watch spectacular performers own the stage!"
⇒ "Mozart and Bach had frivolous, comic sides. Double Trouble brings together two short operas to laugh at some of the unchanged tropes of humour and human nature."
An operatic romp with two bucolic lovers that shows the 12-year-old Mozart clearly stretching his musical muscles.
A modern adaption. Bach satirises the temptations of coffee through a power struggle between an irate father and his coffee-addicted daughter.
The entertaining, intimate staging ensured fun for all ages and musical tastes. Our Artistic Director, Christine Logan, and Designer, Sandy Gray devised two fantastical worlds on stage. Bastien and Bastienna was a nod to the '50s and saw a Freudian astrologer help the lovers by hypnotising Bastien. Mozart would not have been surprised, as he composed the work for Dr Mesmer who gives his name to our word "mesmerise". The Coffee Cantata had a punk edge and took place in a bar, complete with the Saturday races and form guide.
Both works were sung in an English translation that respected the original, albeit with some small, Australian, tongue-in-cheek twists. It all added up to an accessible experience for audiences who visibly relaxed in the Covid-safe, cabaret-style, heritage setting.
What the audience said
"Great show. Enjoyed every minute of it. 10 out of 10 for the production on every level. Bravo!"
"We loved the performance last night and talked about it all the way home. Both the singers and the excellent ensemble performed beautifully. We loved hearing the maestros in a local setting, complete with 'no worries', and the Saturday races."
"Excellent music and performances. Loved the '50s setting for Mozart and the modern bar scene for Bach ... a lady, originally from Portugal, said it brought back great memories of small opera performances she used to see in Europe."
"The cast and musicians were excellent 'troublemakers', their performances exuberant and flawless. All this double trouble brewing on stage created a pearl of an event - a patron’s necklace exploded!"
"It's a show like you've never seen. Mozart and Bach performed with terrific singers and actors and a brilliant orchestra ... (and) on opening night ... a superb jazz concert with Theo van Leeuwen accompanying Emma Slaytor on piano. More, please!"
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