Robinson Crusoe

£37.50

3 disc set
Single Track Download

Offenbach’s 1867 version, loosely based on Daniel Defoe’s classic, Robinson Crusoe is a hopeless romantic who runs away to sea only to be shipwrecked.

Catalogue Number: ORC7 Categories: , Tags: ,
  1. Robinson Crusoe: Act I: Overture Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  2. Robinson Crusoe: Act I: Introduction: There is a story I'd like you to hear Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  3. Robinson Crusoe: Act I: Voice of the sea, calling to me Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  4. Robinson Crusoe: Act I: Quartet: All right! Sit down and take your places now Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  5. Robinson Crusoe: Act I: The family that's always apart Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  6. Robinson Crusoe: Act I: My friend Tom was a dancing master Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  7. Robinson Crusoe: Act I: Ensemble: There's got to be a way ? Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  8. Robinson Crusoe: Act I: I am in love! Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  9. Robinson Crusoe: Act I: Quartet: With a kiss, with a kiss! Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  10. Robinson Crusoe: Act I: Duet: Please hear me ? let me speak Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  11. Robinson Crusoe: Act I: Duet: Shining brightly up above me Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  12. Robinson Crusoe: Act I: Finale: Ah well, then on my own Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  13. Robinson Crusoe: Act I: Finale: Our Father in heaven above Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  14. Robinson Crusoe: Act II: Sea Symphony Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  15. Robinson Crusoe: Act II scena I: Six years and seven days Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  16. Robinson Crusoe: Act II scena I: In the long ago, Friday speak to Sarantha Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  17. Robinson Crusoe: Act II scena I: Duet: A pain that fills my heart when I remember Edwige Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  18. Robinson Crusoe: Act II scena I: Duet: One day you'll fall in love Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  19. Robinson Crusoe: Act II scena II: Entr'acte - Now look what you've got us into! Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  20. Robinson Crusoe: Act II scena II: Stewpot Song: You take a gallon of water and an onion or two Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  21. Robinson Crusoe: Act II scena II: Duet: Oh, hold me Toby! Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  22. Robinson Crusoe: Act II scena II: Duet: I can't think why I married you! Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  23. Robinson Crusoe: Act II: Finale: Prepare, prepare! Make the goddess ready Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  24. Robinson Crusoe: Act II: Ensemble: Please don't make a fuss Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  25. Robinson Crusoe: Act II: Waltz Song: Take me away to the one I adore Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  26. Robinson Crusoe: Act III scena I: Entr'acte Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  27. Robinson Crusoe: Act III scena I: A perfume fills the air Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  28. Robinson Crusoe: Act III scena I: Trio: This must be what bliss is Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  29. Robinson Crusoe: Act III scena I: Ensemble: Happy day, happy day! Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  30. Robinson Crusoe: Act III scena I: I had a dream, a dream of you Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  31. Robinson Crusoe: Act III scena I: I break a Tamayo taboo! Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  32. Robinson Crusoe: Act III scena I: When I was small my mother always Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  33. Robinson Crusoe: Act III scena I: Quartet: There's no place like England Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  34. Robinson Crusoe: Act III scena II: It's time to take a liquor break! Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34
  35. Robinson Crusoe: Act III scena II: Finale: Tamayos are we, everybody knows Offenbach, J. Buy Track 0:34

Description

In Offenbach’s 1867 version, loosely based on Daniel Defoe’s classic, Robinson Crusoe is a hopeless romantic who runs away to sea only to be shipwrecked. His fiancée and her two servants set out to find him and themselves fall into mishap. With the help of Man Friday the whole company is rescued from drunken pirates and waltzing cannibals. The excellent English translation is superbly sung by a strong cast.

‘Yvonne Kenny and John Brecknock are outstanding’ – Penguin CD & DVD Guide

Cast

John Brecknock (Robinson Crusoe), Yvonne Kenny (Edwige), Roderick Kennedy (Sir William Crusoe), Enid Hartle (Lady Deborah Crusoe), Marilyn Hill Smith (Suzanne), Alexander Oliver (Toby), Sandra Browne (Man Friday), Alan Opie (Jim Cocks), Wyndham Parfitt (Will Atkins), Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Alun Francis – conductor

Tracklist

01 Robinson Crusoe: Act I: Overture
02 Robinson Crusoe: Act I: Introduction: There is a story I’d like you to hear
03 Robinson Crusoe: Act I: Voice of the sea, calling to me
04 Robinson Crusoe: Act I: Quartet: All right! Sit down and take your places now
05 Robinson Crusoe: Act I: The family that’s always apart
06 Robinson Crusoe: Act I: My friend Tom was a dancing master
07 Robinson Crusoe: Act I: Ensemble: There’s got to be a way ?
08 Robinson Crusoe: Act I: I am in love!
09 Robinson Crusoe: Act I: Quartet: With a kiss, with a kiss!
10 Robinson Crusoe: Act I: Duet: Please hear me ? let me speak
11 Robinson Crusoe: Act I: Duet: Shining brightly up above me
12 Robinson Crusoe: Act I: Finale: Ah well, then on my own
13 Robinson Crusoe: Act I: Finale: Our Father in heaven above
14 Robinson Crusoe: Act II: Sea Symphony
15 Robinson Crusoe: Act II scena I: Six years and seven days
16 Robinson Crusoe: Act II scena I: In the long ago, Friday speak to Sarantha
17 Robinson Crusoe: Act II scena I: Duet: A pain that fills my heart when I remember Edwige
18 Robinson Crusoe: Act II scena I: Duet: One day you’ll fall in love
19 Robinson Crusoe: Act II scena II: Entr’acte – Now look what you’ve got us into!
20 Robinson Crusoe: Act II scena II: Stewpot Song: You take a gallon of water and an onion or two
21 Robinson Crusoe: Act II scena II: Duet: Oh, hold me Toby!
22 Robinson Crusoe: Act II scena II: Duet: I can’t think why I married you!
23 Robinson Crusoe: Act II: Finale: Prepare, prepare! Make the goddess ready
24 Robinson Crusoe: Act II: Ensemble: Please don’t make a fuss
25 Robinson Crusoe: Act II: Waltz Song: Take me away to the one I adore
26 Robinson Crusoe: Act III scena I: Entr’acte
27 Robinson Crusoe: Act III scena I: A perfume fills the air
28 Robinson Crusoe: Act III scena I: Trio: This must be what bliss is
29 Robinson Crusoe: Act III scena I: Ensemble: Happy day, happy day!
30 Robinson Crusoe: Act III scena I: I had a dream, a dream of you
31 Robinson Crusoe: Act III scena I: I break a Tamayo taboo!
32 Robinson Crusoe: Act III scena I: When I was small my mother always
33 Robinson Crusoe: Act III scena I: Quartet: There’s no place like England
34 Robinson Crusoe: Act III scena II: It’s time to take a liquor break!
35 Robinson Crusoe: Act III scena II: Finale: Tamayos are we, everybody knows

English

THE STORY

ACT ONE

Inside the Crusoe’s home, in Bristol
While Suzanne, the maid, Lady Crusoe and her niece Edwige prepare for Sunday tea, Sir William Crusoe pointedly reads the parable of the Prodigal Son. Robinson arrives, late as usual, but soon charms his way out of a scolding. Taking Toby, the Crusoe’s factotum, aside, he explains that he has booked passages to South America for them both that very night. They are overheard by Suzanne, Toby’s fiancée. Edwige, realising that she is in love with Robinson, begs him to stay, but to no avail. Even when Toby withdraws from the venture – at Suzanne’s insistence – Robinson knows he has to go alone to seek his fortune.

ACT TWO

Scene I A desert island at the mouth of the Orinoco
Six years have passed. Robinson’s ship has been captured by pirates and he has escaped with his life to this desert island. His only companion is Man Friday, rescued by Robinson as the poor native was about to be sacrificed to the god Saranha by the Tamayos, a cannibal tribe also resident on the island. Robinson yearns for Edwige and tries to explain to Friday that one day he too will fall in love – but the native doesn’t understand.

Scene II Another part of the island
Tired of waiting for Robinson’s return, Edwige has set out in search of him, taking with her Suzanne and Toby, now man and wife. Their ship, too, has been captured by pirates. Set adrift, they have arrived on Robinson’s island. Suzanne and Toby are captured by cannibals and handed over to the cannibals’ chef, none other than Jim Cocks, a neighbour from Bristol who had run away to sea ten years before and suffered a similar fate. Now, he informs them, they are about to be the ingredients of the cannibals’ dinner that night. As the sun sets, Edwige is led in by the natives. Her blonde hair and fair complexion have let them to believe that she is the white goddess of their legends who will arrive from across the sea and who, when burned at the stake, will become the bride of Saranha. All this is observed by Friday who has fallen instantly in love with Edwige. As the funeral pyre is about to be lit, he fires Robinson’s pistol, and as the savages run off in fright, he rescues the three victims and Jim Cocks.

ACT THREE

Scene I Robinson’s hut
Robinson, returning from a night of vigil, watching for a ship, is told by Friday not to wake the goddess. Edwige and Robinson are reunited. Suzanne, Toby and Jim Cocks are delighted to find that Friday’s master is none other than their own Robinson. He tells them that the pirates have put ashore for supplies and this is their chance to take over the ship and return to England.

Scene II The lagoon
The carousing pirates make fun of Robinson who pretends to be mad. He tells them a tale of buried treasure and they rush off into the jungle, where they are immediately set upon by the cannibals. With the pirates’ muskets, Robinson now holds the upper hand. The pirates beg him to save them. Despite their wickedness, he agrees if, as they sail for Bristol once again, Captain Atkins will marry Robinson and Edwige aboard the ship. And all – perhaps even the pirates – live happily ever after.

Press Reviews

Excellent English diction here too, in Don White’s witty translation of one of Offenbach’s best scores, stylishly performed under Alun Francis’s baton. Coloratura cascades front Marilyn Hill-Smith support John Breckllock’s delightful Crusoe and his mezzo-soprano Man Friday (Sandra Browne).

Sunday Times, November 1981

Yvonne Kenny and John Brecknock are outstanding!

Penguin CD & DVD Guide

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