FULL ROBINSON CRUSOE (Offenbach) Rennes 2026 Pierre Derhet, Catherine Trottmann, Mathilde Ortscheidt

Information on the Performance

• Work Title: ROBINSON CRUSOE  
• Composer: Offenbach Jacques  
• Libretto: Eugène Cormon, Hector Crémieux    Libretto Text, Libretto Index
• Venue & Opera Company: Opera de Rennes, France  
• Recorded: June 18, 2026
• Type: Staged Opera Live
• Singers: Pierre Derhet, Catherine Trottmann, Mathilde Ortscheidt, Frédéric Caton, Kaëlig Boché, Marc Scoffoni, Apolline Raï-Westphal, Julie Pasturaud, Olivier Naveau
• Conductor: Guillaume Tourniaire  
• Orchestra: Orchestre national de Bretagne  
• Chorus: Chœur d’Angers Nantes Opera  
• Chorus Master: Xavier Ribes  
• Stage Director: Laurent Pelly   
• Stage Designer: Chantal Thomas  
• Costume Designer: Laurent Pell  
• Lighting Designer: Michel Le Borgne  

Information about the Recording

• Published by: Opera de Rennes, France TV  
• Date Published: 2026  
• Format: Broadcast
• Quality Video: 4 Audio:4
• Subtitles: yessubs, frsubs  

• ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PERFORMANCE

  PROGRAMME DE SALLE 

  Robinson Crusoé is an opéra comique with music by Jacques Offenbach and words by Eugène Cormon and Hector-Jonathan Crémieux. It premiered in Paris on 23 November 1867.

  The writers took the theme from the 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, though the work owes more to British pantomime than to the book itself. Crusoé leaves his family in England and runs away to sea. He is marooned on an island with only his friend and helper Vendredi (Man Friday) for company. His fiancée and two family servants come to the island in search of him, and after narrow escapes from cannibals and pirates they seize the pirates’ ship and set sail for home.

  The opera was written for the prestigious Opéra-Comique in Paris, his second work for that theatre, following the unsuccessful Barkouf seven years earlier. The music is on a grander scale than that of most of the composer’s earlier works. The opera was well received but ran for only 32 performances. In the 20th century it was not revived until the 1970s (in London) and was not seen again at the Opéra-Comique until 1986.

  Synopsis

  Act 1
  At the Crusoé family home in Bristol, Lady Crusoé, her niece Edwige and Suzanne, the maid, prepare for Sunday tea, while Sir William pointedly reads aloud the parable of the Prodigal Son from his Bible. Robinson finally arrives disgracefully late, but, a cherished only child, he easily persuades his parents to forgive him. Taking Toby aside, he explains that he has booked passages to South America for them both that very night on the schooner in the harbour. Edwige, realising that she is in love with Robinson, begs him to stay. He is tempted to remain, but she realises she will lose him if he forgoes his dream for her sake. Toby withdraws from the venture – at Suzanne’s insistence – but Robinson knows he has to go alone to seek his fortune.

  Act 2
  Six years later, Robinson is on a desert island at the mouth of the Orinoco, having escaped from pirates who attacked his ship. He has only one companion, Vendredi, whom he earlier rescued from being sacrificed to the gods by the cannibal tribe on the island. Robinson dreams of Edwige, and tries to explain his feelings to Vendredi.

  In another part of the island, Edwige, Suzanne and Toby have arrived to look for Robinson. They too have been attacked by and escaped from pirates. Toby and Suzanne are captured by the cannibals, and meet their old Bristol neighbour Jim Cocks. He had run away to sea ten years earlier, and, captured by the cannibals, has become their cook. He cheerfully informs Suzanne and Toby that they will be the cannibals’ dinner that evening. At sunset, Edwige is brought in by natives, who believe that she is a white goddess. She is to be sacrificed to their god, Saranha. Vendredi spies all this, and is smitten with Edwige. When the fire is lit, he fires Robinson’s pistol, the natives flee, and he rescues Edwige, Suzanne, Toby and Jim Cocks.

  Act 3
  The next day Robinson discovers Edwige sleeping in his hut and they are blissfully reunited. Vendredi explains that the pirates have left their ship, allowing the English group the chance to seize it and to return to England while the pirates feast and dance. Robinson, feigning insanity, fools the pirates with a story of treasure buried in the jungle and they go off to find it, but are caught by the cannibals. Robinson wields the pirates’ guns and the pirates plead to be saved. Robinson agrees, and all set sail for Bristol once again, with the pirate chief, as ship’s captain, marrying Robinson and Edwige at sea.

  Quoted from Wikipedia

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