Raylynmor Opera Releases Film Adaptation Of Mozart's BASTIEN UND BASTIENNE

Raylynmor Opera will release an original film production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's delightful comic opera, Bastien and Bastienne, on Friday, March 26, 2021 at 7:00 P.M. The film features the premiere of a new English libretto and adaptation by Raylynmor Artistic Director Ben Robinson, which sets the action in the social media-obsessed present. The film, running under 40 minutes, will be available at www.raylynmor.com via Vimeo and YouTube at no cost to viewers.

Featuring bass-baritone Ashraf Sewailam as Colas, tenor Edward Graves as Bastien, and soprano Amanda Nelson as Bastienne, Bastien and Bastienne was filmed and recorded remotely, with the cast and creative team operating with complete social distance measures in place from their own homes. "The goal is to acknowledge the limits of the pandemic and incorporate them into the living artistic fabric of the opera," says Robinson, adding that "the adaptation plays with the fixation on social media, but tells the original story that Mozart set." Conductor and pianist Joe Turbessi led the musical components of the project from Boston. The rest of the production was filmed in Michigan, Tennessee, and Colorado.

Bastien and Bastienne is a family-friendly opera, telling the story of the titular young couple that find themselves in a social media-driven meltdown that challenges their relationship. They seek the help of Colas, a social media influencer, who helps push them in the right direction. The opera, Mozart's third, was written when the composer was 12 years old. Foretelling the composer's talents, Bastien and Bastienne contains hints of Mozart's later, more recognized operatic works.

Bastien and Bastienne will be available to stream on demand; a preview is available to watch!