Offenbach's Christopher Colombus - Opera Rara

A joyful and infectious pastiche that marries some of Offenbach’s best music with Don White’s witty and irreverent English version of the discovery of America.

A joyful and infectious pastiche that marries some of Offenbach’s best music with Opera Rara’s co-founder Don White’s witty and irreverent original English text about the discovery of America. Put together by Opera Rara for the 1976 American bicentenary celebrations, this recording weaves together music from lesser-known Offenbach operettas – some 36 excerpts from 22 different Offenbach works in fact – and tells the story of Christopher Columbus asking Queen Isabella of Spain for funding for his journey to America.

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‘A complete delight’ – Peter Davis, New York Times

“Christopher Columbus is one of the most delightful things I’ve heard in months, and easily one of the best pastiche operettas I’ve ever encountered, Offenbach or otherwise.”
American Record Guide, August 1978

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Unlike Opera Rara’s other Offenbach recordings, Christopher Columbus is a specially created comic opera rather than a rediscovered work by the composer. Opera Rara co-founder Don White fashioned an original English-language libretto around a selection of music drawn from Offenbach’s lesser-known and forgotten operas, creating an entirely new theatrical adventure from the composer’s remarkable musical legacy. The result is a playful celebration of Offenbach’s melodic imagination, bringing together music that might otherwise have remained largely unheard.

Created in 1976 to mark the American Bicentenary, Christopher Columbus brings together music from around twenty of Offenbach’s operettas, including material originally intended for works that never reached the stage. Opera Rara’s co-founder Patric Schmid compiled and edited the score, while fellow co-founder Don White wrote an entirely new English-language libretto. The result is a four-act comic adventure following the amorous Columbus, whose complicated romantic history catches up with him just as he becomes involved in an expedition to the New World, financed by Queen Isabella’s jewels. Accompanied by three former wives, Columbus encounters seasickness, storms, unexpected marriages and a rather surprising discovery on the other side of the Atlantic. Conducted by Alun Francis, Opera Rara’s recording features the London Mozart Players, the Geoffrey Mitchell Choir and an outstanding cast including Maurice Arthur in the title role. A wonderfully inventive celebration of Offenbach’s theatrical genius, Christopher Columbus demonstrates Opera Rara’s commitment not only to restoring forgotten operas, but also to finding imaginative new ways of bringing neglected musical treasures to audiences.

Alun Frances

Conductor

Maurice Arthur

Christopher Columbus

Joy Roberts

Beatriz

Johanna Peters

Rosa Columbus

Lissa Gray

Fleurette Columbus

Marilyn Hill Smith

Gretel Columbus

Christian du Plessis

Luis de Torres

Alan Opie

Chief of Police

Clive Harré

Tourist

John Duxbury

Waiter

Rosemary Ashe

Princess Minnehaha Columbus

Opera Rara’s Christopher Columbus is a four-act comic opera created from the music of Jacques Offenbach, with a new English-language libretto by Don White. Drawing on around twenty of Offenbach’s operettas, it transforms the composer’s music into a lively and unconventional adventure inspired by the voyages of Christopher Columbus.

Act I – Córdoba

Christopher Columbus is preparing to marry Beatriz when his three former wives – Fleurette, Rosa and Gretel – unexpectedly arrive, exposing his complicated romantic past. The ensuing commotion brings him before Queen Isabella, who becomes captivated by the adventurous explorer. Meanwhile, King Ferdinand is less than impressed by the situation.

The three women accuse Columbus of having abandoned them after their marriages, and the scandal erupts during a demonstration organised by the Round Earth Society. The local police chief intervenes, arresting Columbus along with the other participants.

Act II – The Royal Palace

The prisoners are brought before Queen Isabella, who is nursing a hangover from the previous evening. When Columbus appears before her, he is so dazzled by her beauty that he claims to have forgotten his prepared defence. Isabella promptly dismisses the charges, but finds herself increasingly attracted to him. Their private encounter is interrupted by the arrival of King Ferdinand. Quick-thinking Isabella explains that Columbus has been demonstrating a new route to the East. Ferdinand sees an opportunity to replenish the royal treasury and agrees to finance the expedition, offering Columbus three ships: the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. Isabella lends her jewels to fund the voyage, and the unlikely crew is assembled from those arrested in Córdoba.

Act III – Aboard the Santa Maria

As the expedition sets sail across the Atlantic, Columbus struggles with seasickness while the rest of the crew initially enjoy the voyage. Their optimism soon disappears when a violent storm strikes and the ships appear to have sailed beyond the edge of the known world. Blaming Columbus for their misfortunes, the increasingly mutinous crew turn against their leader. Despite Beatriz’s pleas for mercy, Columbus is cast adrift in a small boat. Just as the crew contemplate abandoning the expedition and returning to Spain, the lookout spots land on the horizon.

Act IV – The New World

Having reached the New World, the party finds itself in unfamiliar territory. Fleurette, Rosa, Gretel and Beatriz begin to question whether they have reached the Indies at all, particularly when they encounter the local inhabitants. Their fortunes change dramatically when Columbus reappears, revealing that he has already arrived ahead of them, married Princess Minnehaha and become an honorary chief of the tribe. He has also discovered a rather unexpected treasure: the cola nut, promising riches beyond their wildest dreams. With the New World named, Luis de Torres and Beatriz finally declare their love for one another, and the company prepares to return to Spain, bringing their extraordinary adventure to a close.

Christopher Colombus

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