description Surcouf Overview
Surcouf is a French opéra comique in three acts and a prologue, with music by Robert Planquette and a libretto by Henri Chivot and Alfred Duru. It premiered at the Théâtre des Folies-Dramatiques in Paris on 6 October 1887 and uses the historical French privateer Robert Surcouf as its central figure. A London adaptation appeared in 1889 under the title Paul Jones, making the work relevant to study of nineteenth-century maritime subjects in light opera.
help Surcouf FAQ
Who was the real Surcouf in Planquette's operetta?
Robert Surcouf (1773–1827) was a famous French privateer from Saint-Malo who harried British shipping during the Napoleonic Wars. Planquette's operetta of 1887 turns his swashbuckling career into comic-heroic stage material.
When and where did the operetta Surcouf premiere?
It premiered at the Théâtre des Folies-Dramatiques in Paris on 6 October 1887. The three-act piece with a prologue has music by Robert Planquette and a libretto by Henri Chivot and Alfred Duru.
What else did Robert Planquette compose?
Planquette is best known for Les Cloches de Corneville (1877), one of the most performed French operettas of its era. Surcouf, written with the veteran libretto team of Chivot and Duru, was a later attempt to repeat that kind of popular success.
What happens in the operetta Surcouf?
The plot follows the corsair's adventures against the British, with scenes drawing on his privateering career from Saint-Malo out into the Indian Ocean, where the historical Surcouf was based at Île de France (Mauritius). As in most opéra comique of the period, romance and patriotic derring-do are mixed with comedy.
explore Explore More
Reviews & Comments
Write a Review
Be the first to review
Share your thoughts with the community and help others make better decisions.
