Bastien und Bastienne K. 50 (revised in 1964 to K. 46b) is a one-act singspiel

Singspiel

A Singspiel is a form of German-language music drama, now regarded as a genre of opera...

, a comic opera

Opera

Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...

, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...

.

Bastien und Bastienne was one of Mozart's earliest operas, written in 1768 when he was only twelve years old. It was allegedly commissioned by Viennese physician and 'magnetist' Dr. Franz Mesmer

Franz Mesmer

Franz Anton Mesmer , sometimes, albeit incorrectly, referred to as Friedrich Anton Mesmer, was a German physician with an interest in astronomy, who theorised that there was a natural energetic transference that occurred between all animated and inanimate objects that he called magnétisme animal ...

 (who himself would later be parodied in Così fan tutte

Così fan tutte

Così fan tutte, ossia La scuola degli amanti K. 588, is an opera buffa by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart first performed in 1790. The libretto was written by Lorenzo Da Ponte....

) as a satire of the 'pastoral' genre then prevalent, and specifically as a parody of the opera Le devin du village

Le Devin du Village

Le devin du village is an interméde, a one-act opera by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who also wrote the libretto.It was first performed before the court at Fontainebleau on 18 October 1752 and at the Paris Opéra on 1 March 1753. King Louis XV loved the work so much that he offered Rousseau the great...

by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of 18th-century Romanticism. His political philosophy influenced the French Revolution as well as the overall development of modern political, sociological and educational thought.His novel Émile: or, On Education is a treatise...

. The German libretto

Libretto

A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...

 is by Friedrich Wilhelm Weiskern, Johann Heinrich Müller and Johann Andreas Schachtner, based on "Les Amours de Bastien et Bastienne" by Justine Favart and . After its supposed premiere in Mesmer's garden theater (that is only corroborated by an unverified account of Nissen

Georg Nikolaus von Nissen

Georg Nikolaus von Nissen was a Danish diplomat and music historian...

), it was not revived again until 1890. It is not clear whether this piece was performed in Mozart's lifetime. The first known performance was on 2 October 1890 at Architektenhaus in Berlin.

Mozart's overture uses the same opening theme as Beethoven's Symphony No. 3

Symphony No. 3 (Beethoven)

Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 in E flat major , also known as the Eroica , is a landmark musical work marking the full arrival of the composer's "middle-period," a series of unprecedented large scale works of emotional depth and structural rigor.The symphony is widely regarded as a mature...

, 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 unknown source.

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

Roles

Role	Voice type Voice type A voice type is a particular kind of human singing voice perceived as having certain identifying qualities or characteristics. Voice classification is the process by which human voices are evaluated and are thereby designated into voice types...	Premiere cast, 2 October 1890 (Conductor: – )
Bastienne, a shepherdess	soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
Bastien, her lover	tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
Colas, a quack magician	bass Bass (voice type) A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C...

Synopsis

Place: A pastoral village

Time: Indeterminate

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

Before she can leave, however, she runs into Colas, the village soothsayer. Bastienne requests the help of his magical powers to help win back her Bastien. Colas (being a soothsayer) knows all about the problem, and comforts her with the knowledge that Bastien has not abandoned her, rather, he's merely been distracted lately by 'the lady of the manor'. His advice is to act coldly towards Bastien, which will make him come 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 a new lover. Bastien is shocked and asks the magician for help.

Colas opens his book of spells and recites a nonsense aria filled with random syllables and Latin quotations. Colas declares the spell a success and that Bastienne is in love with Bastien once more. Bastienne, however, decides to keep up the game a bit longer and spurns Bastien with great vehemence. Bastien threatens suicide, which Bastienne merely shrugs off.

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

Noted arias

• "Mein liebster Freund hat mich verlassen" – Bastienne
• "Ich geh' jetzt auf die Weide" – Bastienne
• "Befraget mich ein zartes Kind" – Colas
• "Wenn mein Bastien einst im Scherze" – Bastienne
• "Würd' ich auch, wie manche Buhlerinnen" – Bastienne

• "Grossen Dank dir abzustatten" – Bastien
• "Geh'! du sagst mir eine Fabel" – Bastien
• "Diggi, daggi, shurry, murry" – Colas
• "Meiner Liebsten schöne Wangen" – Bastien
• "Er war mir sonst treu und ergeben" – Bastienne

Recordings

Year	Cast (Bastien, Bastienne, Colas)	Conductor Orchestra	Label Catalogue number
1952	Waldemar Kmentt Waldemar Kmentt Waldemar Kmentt is an Austrian operatic tenor, particularly associated with the German repertory, both opera and operetta.... Ilse Hollweg Walter Berry	John Pritchard Wiener Symphoniker	LP: Philips Cat: ABL 3010
1956	Richard Holm Rita Streich Rita Streich Rita Streich , was one of the most admired and recorded sopranos of the post-war period.Rita Streich was born in Barnaul in Russia, and moved to Germany with her parents during her childhood. She grew up bilingual, something that was extremely helpful during her later career... Toni Blankenheim Toni Blankenheim Toni Blankenheim is a German operatic baritone. He notably sang the role of Schigolch in the 1981 recording of Alban Berg's Lulu which won a Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording. He is also on record singing the role of Alberich at Bayreuth. His memorable Beckmesser with the Hamburg State Opera...	Christoph Stepp Münchner Kammerorchester	CD: Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon is a German classical record label which was the foundation of the future corporation to be known as PolyGram. It is now part of Universal Music Group since its acquisition and absorption of PolyGram in 1999, and it is also UMG's oldest active label... Cat: 474 738 2
1957	Three soloists of Wiener Sängerknaben	Edouard Lindenberg Wiener Kammerorchester	LP: Philips
1965	Peter Schreier Peter Schreier Peter Schreier is a German tenor and conductor.-Early life:Schreier was born in Meissen, Saxony, and spent his first years in the small village of Gauernitz, near Meissen, where his father was a teacher, cantor and organist... Adele Stolte Adele Stolte Adele Stolte is a German soprano singer in concert and Lieder, and an academic voice teacher.- Biography :... Theo Adam Theo Adam Theo Adam is a distinguished German classical bass-baritone who had an active international career in operas, concerts, and recitals from the 1940s through the 1990s. He particularly excelled in portraying roles from the operas of Richard Wagner...	Helmut Koch Kammerorchester Berlin	CD: Berlin Classics Cat: 0091292 BC
1969	Thomas Lehrberger Ileana Cotrubaş Ileana Cotrubas Ileana Cotrubaş is a Romanian opera soprano whose career spanned from the 1960s to the 1980s. She was much admired for her acting skills and facility for singing opera in many different languages.-Biography:... Peter van der Bilt	Leopold Hager Leopold Hager Leopold Hager is an Austrian conductor , known for his interpretations of works from the First Viennese School .... Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg	CD: ORFEO ORFEO ORFEO is a German classical record label founded in 1979 and launched in 1982. It has released the archives of the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. The record label was used by its owner F. Axel Merhle as a tax shelter, which resulted in his prosecution for fraud in December 1985.-... Cat: C 705061 B
1976	Adolf Dallapozza Adolf Dallapozza Adolf Dallapozza is an Austrian tenor in opera, operetta and musical theatre He worked for more than 40 years at the Vienna Volksoper.-Career:Dallapozza was trained as a clerk and started work in a book shop... Brigitte Lindner Kurt Moll Kurt Moll Kurt Moll is a German operatic bass, now retired.-Biography:Moll was born in Buir, near Cologne, Germany. As a child, he played the cello and hoped to become a great cellist. He also sang in the school choir, and the conductor encouraged him to concentrate on singing...	Eberhard Schoener Eberhard Schoener Eberhard Schoener is a German composer, conductor, arranger, and keyboard player."My message is the music. The goal of my life is to create an original form of contemporary music in which the opera, jazz, ethnical and electronic music melt together... Bayerisches Staatsorchester	LP: EMI Electrola Cat: 1C 065 30231
1986	Three soloists of Wiener Sängerknaben: Dominik Orieschnig Georg Nigl David Busch	Uwe Christian Harrer Wiener Symphoniker	CD: Philips Cat: 422 527-2
1989	Vinson Cole Vinson Cole Vinson Cole is an American operatic tenor.A native of Kansas City, the tenor studied at the University of Missouri, Kansas City; the Philadelphia Musical Academy; and at the Curtis Institute of Music with Margaret Harshaw... Edita Gruberová Edita Gruberová Edita Gruberová , is a Slovak soprano who is one of the most acclaimed coloraturas of recent decades. She is noted for her great tonal clarity, agility, dramatic interpretation, and ability to sing high notes with great power, which made her an ideal Queen of the Night in her early years... László Polgár László Polgár (bass) László Polgár was an Hungarian operatic bass.Born in Budapest, Hungary, he studied with Eva Kutrucz at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, 1967–72, and later privately with Hans Hotter and Yevgeny Nesterenko. He made his debut at the Hungarian State Opera in 1971, as Count Ceprano in Rigoletto...	Raymond Leppard Raymond Leppard Raymond "Def" Leppard, CBE is a British conductor and harpsichordist.He was born in London and grew up in Bath, where he was educated at the City of Bath Boys' School, now known as the Beechen Cliff School... Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra The Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra is a chamber orchestra based in Budapest, Hungary.The Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra took the name of the great composer, to pay homage to the genius who became inseparable with the establishment of Hungarian music and whose spirit irradiates the musical life of...	CD: Sony Classical Cat: 45855
1990	Ralph Eschrig Dagmar Schellenberger Dagmar Schellenberger Dagmar Schellenberger is a German operatic soprano with a large repertoire ranging from Bach to Wagner. She sings Blanche on the critically acclaimed DVD of the La Scala production of Francis Poulenc's opera Dialogues des Carmélites.- External links :*... René Pape René Pape René Pape is a German opera singer, a bass.-Biography:Rene Pape was born in Dresden, then part of East Germany. His mother is a hairdresser and his father a chef. His parents divorced when he was two years old and he sometimes lived with his grandmother, who opened the way for his interest in music...	Max Pommer Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester Leipzig	CD: Berlin Classics Cat: 0010102BC
1991	Dongkyu Choy Eva Kirchner Thomas Müller De Vries	René Clemencic Alpe Adria Ensemble	CD: Nuova Era Cat: 7344
2006	Bernhard Berchtold Evmorfia Metaxaki Radu Cojocariu	Elisabeth Fuchs Junge Philharmonie Salzburg	DVD: Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon is a German classical record label which was the foundation of the future corporation to be known as PolyGram. It is now part of Universal Music Group since its acquisition and absorption of PolyGram in 1999, and it is also UMG's oldest active label... Cat: 000440 073 4244 2

External links

• Bastien und Bastienne: Libretto (vocal parts only)
• Full Score from IMSLP
• Bastien und Bastienne: Complete libretto