29 Over Street, Brighton, BN1 4EE, United Kingdom
Tel: 01273 689657


pavilion.music@outlook.com  

 For Opera and Operetta in English
For Opera and Operetta in English
menu
Pavilion Music
General Information
Shows by Title
Shows by Composer
Prices and Royalties
Other services
Terms and conditions
e-mail
Offenbach
The Island of Tulipatan
Operetta in 1 Act. (1868)
Libretto by Henri Chivot and Alfred Duru.
English Version by George Hauger.

SYNOPSIS
The warlike Duke of Tulipatan, Cockatoo XXII, is annoyed at the effeminacy of his son, Alexis.  The Duke’s seneschal, Romboidal, is likewise exasperated at the tomboy behaviour of his daughter, Hermosa.  A crisis occurs when the two young people fall in love and want to get married.  Alexis goes off to ask his father’s permission, and Romboidal’s wife, Theodorine, takes Hermosa aside and confesses that Hermosa is, in fact, a boy.  She has kept her son’s true sex a secret all these years because she was afraid he would be sent away to war and be killed.  Theodorine points out that marriage to Prince Alexis under these circumstances is quite out of the question.  Hermosa’s disappointment is cut short when Romboidal, still believing Hermosa is a girl, confesses that Alexis is in fact the Duke’s third daughter.  He had deceived the Duke because he thought it would kill him to learn that his third attempt to produce a son and heir had failed.  Alexis overhears this confession and goes off to change into a dress.  Hermosa changes into a soldier’s  uniform.  They meet up, and the inevitable happens.  They go off together to the church.  The Duke returns from lunch and is confused when the union of his son with his seneschal’s daughter is opposed by both Romboidal, who believes they are both girls, and Theodorine, who believes they are both boys.  But it is too late  -  the young couple return from church as man (Hermosa) and wife (Alexis).  Confessions all round, and the Duke decides it is not too late for him to get married again and have another go at producing a son.


 

 
2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 1 bassoon,
2 horns, 2 trumpets, 1 trombone,
percussion,
strings.
Orchestration
The garden of Romboidal’s house
Setting
Servants, courtiers, etc.    (SATTB)       35%
Chorus
Duke Cockatoo XXII  (baritone)
Alexis, his son  (soprano)
Romboidal, the Duke’s seneschal  (tenor)
Theodorine, Romboidal’s wife  (contralto)
Hermosa, their daughter  (tenor)
Solo Roles