Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Mozart22 : Der Schauspieldirektor (The Impresario)/ Bastien und Bastienne (Bastien and Bastienne)

This is a DVD of a live performance of the combined opera from the Salzburg Marionette Theater at the Salzburg Summer Festival 2006. It is a part of the M22 project where the Festival staged all 22 operas written by Wolfgang Mozart to celebrate his 250th birth year and recorded them for posterity.

Bastien und Bastienne was written in 1768 when Mozart was 12 yrs old as a Singspiel (opera with sung arias connected by spoken dialogs). It was set to the translated German text by Friedrich Weiskern, based on Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s operetta ‘Le Devin du village (The Village Soothsayer)’ about the romantically uncommitted shepherd boy Bastien and his distressed faithful girlfriend Bastienne... and how their affair is saved with the help of the magician Colas (there are only 3 characters in the opera). The music is rather simple and the songs short (rarely exceeding 2 minutes a piece).
For music samples from this work, but not from this performance, go to: http://213.188.106.66/serie27.htm.

Der Schauspieldirektor; on the other hand, was written in 1786 for a competition in Vienna. It contains a lot of spoken dialog and only 5 musical numbers, including the wonderful festive overture featuring a more dense and interesting winds orchestration. Two of the 4 arias are among the hardest to sing in the coloratura soprano repertoire, however. The opera was set to the amusing text by Gottlieb Stephanie and revolves around the troubles the Impresario has in casting the 2 competing prima donnas (Mme Herz and Mlle Silberklang) for an opera run.
For more music samples from the opera (but not from this performance), go to: http://213.188.106.66/serie36.htm

This production combines the 2 short operas into a longer one in an opera within an opera format. The overall setting is at the theater where Frank the Impresario starts the show conducting a casting contest among the marionette dolls for a performance of Mozart’s opera Bastien und Bastienne. The protagonists, with the exception of Frank and his assistant Buff (who doubles as Colas the Magician during the opera part) are marionette dolls voiced by singers (who were auditioned by the 2 dolls...in an amusing ‘turn the table’ from the previous marionette audition). Two are selected to play Bastienne simply because Frank can’t decide on just one (the practical reason is because of the merge with Der Schauspieldirektor, which features 2 soprani, Mme Herz and Mlle Silberklang). The spoken dialog is completely re-written by Herr Reichert (just as well, since the original one supposedly contains mostly jokes about Mozart’s contemporary plays and actors... and who knows a thing about them these days?).

Cast: (roles are listed as that in ‘Der Schauspieldirektor’/ that in ‘Bastien’)
Frank (Theater Impresario) ::: Alfred Kleinheinz (speaking part)
Buff/Colas (Theater aid/ Magician) ::: Radu Cojocariu (bass)
Mlle Silberklang/Bastienne1 ::: Evmorfia Metaxaki (soprano)
Mme Herz/Bastienne2 ::: Aleksandra Zamojska (soprano)
M Vogelsang/Bastien ::: Bernhard Berchtold (tenor)
conductor ::: Elisabeth Fuchs / Junge Philharmonie Salzburg
Director ::: Thomas Reichert

To see photos from this performance, go to: http://www.salzburgfestival.at/popup_fotoservice.php?lang=de&id=128.


On the whole, I like this performance. The staging works quite well... In fact, the long opening sequence that is completely devoid of music (except for some smart Alecky excerpts from other Mozart operas during the casting process... you’d have to be familiar with Mozart’s The Magic Flute and Don Giovanni to get the jokes) is the most entertaining. A laugh-fest, thanks in large part to the very able puppeteers of the Salzburg Marionette Theater and the acting of Alfred Kleinheinz. Thomas Reichert, the stage director who came up with the idea of the merged opera explains his concept of this marionette/man staging as "The singer gives the marionette flesh, and the marionette gives the singer form." It is a daring exploration.

As Mme Herz (Mrs Heart) and Bastienne2 is the Polish soprano Aleksandra Zamojska... I’m afraid her voice isn’t quite strong and her technique not quite secured enough for the role (her voice spreads out above the high A or so and becomes rather harsh but not as dramatic as expected from this role... ending up shouting instead of singing on some sections). The audition aria ‘Da schlaegt die Abschiedsstude’ is a severe test for her (to be fair, it is a severe test to any mortal... Aloysia Weber-Lange, Mozart's sister-in-law who originated this role, must have been something of an alien). I wonder if she didn’t have enough time to prepare for this part (is the only one reading from the score during the ‘Bastien’ part... quite a feast of multi-tasking since she also has to keep in sync with the conductor and the puppet).

The Greek soprano Evmorfia Metaxaki’s Mlle Silberklang (Miss Silversound) and Bastienne1 is the highlight of the musical aspect of the show, I think. Gorgeous and powerful voice with great agility and stylish phrasing. She is in total control of her flashy audition aria ‘Bester Juengling’ and successfully upstaged Mme Herz, in my opinion (though Frank doesn’t agree with me and casts them both). In a way, this short role doesn’t do her justice... a voice and good technique like this, she’d make a good ‘Elettra’ in Idomeneo or ‘Vitellia’ in La clemenza di Tito, in my humble opinion.

In the dual roles of Buff the theater aid and Colas the Magician is the Romanian basso Radu Cojocariu. He is a very good comic actor and sings well (even with some iffy low notes) in very pleasantly warm bass voice. As Monsieur Vogelsang (Mr Birdsong) and Bastien is the tenor Bernhard Berchtold, who copes well with his part and projects youthfulness in his sounding of Bastien which I find fitting to the spirit of the piece (it really isn’t a serious operatic work).

Maestro Elisabeth Fuchs conducts the Junge Philharmonie Salzburg with a lively touch though can probably contrast the dynamics better. This is a young orchestra full of young players, and I think they play quite well. The musical standard is impressive considering that the Salzburg Festival staged all 22 opera in the same 2 months, and this production is not one of the big hit operas.

I enjoy this production, but there are a few complaints, not the least of which is the great difference between the music of the 2 opera. They don’t merge well, and to hear the 2 stellar Schauspieldirektor arias first really invites too high an expectation for the music of Bastien that follow... And the 12 years old Mozart was no match for his older self. It is also hard to know where to focus on at times with the singers singing from the orchestra pit while the puppets are acting on stage.

So I would recommend this DVD only to the fans of Mozart and his opera. I fear it would be quite a sleeping pill of a show for most other viewers. Would make good dating movie, though... if you get bored during the 'Bastien' part you can always just cuddle until you get to the 'Schauspieldirektor' part again.

The real reward for watching this is truly to discover the absolutely sublime trio at the end ('Ich bin die erste Saengerin! (I am the first singer!)') where the 2 divas get into a fantastic musical cat fight to be in the primary cast instead of the second cast, with the hapless Mr Vogelsang trying in vain to keep the peace. If you do get this DVD and find yourself bored half way through, at least fast forward to the 2nd part of 'Der Schauspieldirektor' to hear this number. It is truly one of the best virtuoso trio ever written (unearthly coloratura passages up into the alt notes for the 2 soprani).
If you don't want to brave the DVD, go here for a music sample from another production: http://213.188.106.66/36b16.wma

1 DVD. Sung in German with subtitle in: German, English, French, Italian, Spanish. Extras: 'Making of' short documentary, trailers of Salzburg Festival production of La Traviata, clips from M22 project operas. Booklet contains synopsis, track list, and brochure of other Deutsche Grammophone DVDs.

A big Thanks! to Millinocket for adding this DVD to the Database so speedily. :o)

My reviews of other Mozart operas:
Apollo et Hyacinthus (Salzburg 2006), Ascanio in Alba (Salzburg 2006), Bastien und Bastienne/Der Schauspieldirektor (Salzburg 2006), La clemenza di Tito (Salzburg 2003), La clemenza di Tito (Zürich 2005), La clemenza di Tito (Munich 2006), La clemenza di Tito (JE Gardiner), Cosi fan tutte (Ponnelle film), Don Giovanni (Met 2000), Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Salzburg 1998), La finta giardiniera (Salzburg 2006), La finta semplice (Salzburg 2006), Idomeneo (Salzburg 2006), Idomeneo (Met 198-), Lucio Silla (Salzburg 2006), Mitridate (Salzburg 1997), Mitridate (Rousset), Le nozze di Figaro (live performance- SDO 2007), Die Zauberflöte (ROH 2001), Die Zauberflöte (Modena 2005), Die Zauberflöte (Zürich 1999)

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up to Age 4