Double Trouble: Mozart and Bach at play 2021

Music, love… and coffee: it's a heady mixture! And it's coming to Sydney's beautiful Customs House.

Following its critically acclaimed debut with Nordic Noir in March, this passionate new company presents a delightful double bill: Bach's humorous Coffee Cantata and Mozart's uber-romantic Bastien & Bastienna

The cheeky double bill showcases the wit and wisdom of two great maestros with these rarely performed gems where strong young women take control of the men in their lives!

A talented chamber ensemble accompanies a cast of exceptional soloists with new translations and entertaining, intimate cabaret setting assuring fun for audiences of all ages and musical tastes.

Directed by Christine Logan, with musical direction by Peter Alexander and design by Sandy Gray, Double Trouble features soprano Lesley Braithwaite, tenor Damien Hall and bass baritone Ed Suttle.

A special feature of the performances is the unique opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the heritage Barnet Long Room in Custom's House where the four performances take place.

Bastien und Bastienna is a singspiel written in 1768 when Mozart was only twelve years old. It was commissioned by the Viennese physician, 'magnetist' and hypnotherapist, Anton Mesmer and was first performed in his palatial home. It's a fascinating insight into this remarkable 12 year olds extraordinary mind. 

Our new English translation has been crafted to maximise the effect of Mozart's gentle humour, a touching nod to human frailty and surprisingly wise observations of affairs of the heart. Extraordinary qualities for one so young.

Even though Bach never wrote an opera, his Coffee Cantata, a miniature gem, comes as close as you would like. In 1734 Bach wrote this secular cantata about the temptation and power of coffee - a growing fad in Leipzig. It was written for a musical ensemble called The Collegium Musicum who performed in Zimmerman's coffee house in Leipzig where this work premiered.An irate father admonishes his coffee-addicted daughter and tries to forbid her going to the local bar. Who will win?

We've contemporised the setting and created a new translation. The only tweaking of the original German lyrics was to add an occasional 'espresso martini'. The coffee houses in Bach's Leipzig were not suitable for young women - in fact women were often banned in the 17th Century. Bach's depiction of this rebellious daughter will be very familiar to 21st Century parents!