| Operas by Jacques Offenbach |
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Ba-ta-clan (1855) |
Robinson Crusoé is an opéra comique, or operetta, by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Eugène Cormon and Hector-Jonathan Crémieux, which was loosely adapted from the novel Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, though the work owes more to British pantomime than to the book itself.
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Performance history
Robinson Crusoé was first staged at the Opéra-Comique, Salle Favart on 23 November 1867 with Vendredi, the 'Man Friday' role, sung by Célestine Marié, later to achieve fame as the first Carmen. Despite a positive reception by the public and press, no professional theatre played the work after its premiere until 1973 at the Festival in Camden. Opera della Luna's 1994 production of the work also played at Ilford in 2004. Ohio Light Opera produced the work in 1996.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, November 23, 1867, (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Robinson Crusoé | tenor | |
| Vendredi (Man Friday) | mezzo-soprano | Célestine Marié |
| Edwige, Robinson's fiancée | soprano | |
| Suzanne, a servant | soprano | |
| Toby, a servant | tenor | |
| Jim Cocks, a neighbour then cannibal chief | baritone | |
| Sir William Crusoé | bass | |
| Lady Deborah Crusoé | mezzo-soprano | |
| Will Atkins | baritone |
Synopsis
Robinson Crusoe, a hopeless romantic from Bristol, England, runs away to sea looking for adventure. He is shipwrecked and set upon by drunken pirates. His fiancee and her two servants set out to find him and end up on the same tropical island, where they meet Friday. They are taken prisoner by cannibals, whose cook turns out to be also from Bristol. Friday saves the day, and the Englishmen can return to Bristol.
Recordings
Opera Rara have released a recording made in English in London in 1980. This was conducted by Alun Francis with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Geoffrey Mitchell Choir. The cast included Roderick Kennedy (Sir William Crusoe), Enid Hartle (Lady Deborah Crusoe), Alan Opie (Jim Cocks), Wyndham Parfitt (Will Atkins), Yvonne Kenny (Edwige), John Brecknock (Robinson Crusoé), Marilyn Hill Smith (Suzanne), Alexander Oliver (Toby), and Sandra Browne (Man Friday).
Sources
- Robinson Crusoé by Andrew Lamb, in 'The New Grove Dictionary of Opera', ed. Stanley Sadie (London, 1992) ISBN 0-333-73432-7
- French profile of the work
