Robinson Crusoé

Jacques Offenbach

In German with English surtitles

Opéra comique in three acts · Libretto by Eugène Cormon and Hector-Jonathan Crémieux · adapted by Christiane Lutz

Premiere: 17 January 2027 / Salzburg State Theatre

Synopsis

A play about dropping out, set to music by Jacques Offenbach – the production “Robinson Crusoé” promises the thrilling discovery of an opéra comique with much musical esprit.
Everything is going great at the Bristol Hotel: Young Robinson is working there as an elevator operator; he is dating the smart girl Edwige and every day the big wide world stops by to pay him a visit. And yet, Robinson would like to embark on daring adventures and spontaneously decides to move to a remote island. There, he lives the sweet life of a dropout and meets the charming island native Friday. But it seems the island he picked is not as remote as he thought, and suddenly his mundane life is catching up to him.

These are the ingredients of Offenbach’s opéra comique: The adventure story and the masterfully orchestrated music often blur the boundaries between seriousness and comedy in a way that is typical of Offenbach’s works.

Offenbach created his cheerful and free adaptation of Daniel Defoe’s famous novel for the Opéra-Comique in Paris. The work was rediscovered only recently in London, Paris and Berlin. The Salzburg State Theatre now presents this opera in a modern version in Austria.

Jacques Offenbach (1819–1880) created 102 works for the stage and is considered one of the founding fathers of modern operetta. His works are characterised by humour, social criticism and catchy tunes. The year 1867 was the artistic highlight of his career. By the time the third World’s Fair opened, Offenbach had achieved world-wide fame as the creator of a new genre, following several tremendous successes (such as “Orpheus in the Underworld”).

Leslie Suganandarajah has been Music Director at the Salzburg State Theatre since 2019 and has, for instance, worked with the Berlin Konzerthausorchester, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Norwegian Radio Orchestra. Director Christiane Lutz has staged “The Magic Flute”, “Manon” and “Martha” in Salzburg. In 2024, she was in charge of project development for the NEST, the new venue for young audiences of the Vienna State Opera.