Who knew that Franz von Suppé, composer of operettas (Die schöne Galathee, Boccaccio) and overtures (Poet and Peasant, Light Cavalry), also had full-blown operas to his name? I certainly didn’t; and actually The Sailor’s Return is hardly full-blown. When it was first mounted, in Hamburg in 1885, it was supplemented by Act 3 of Il trovatore to make a full evening’s entertainment.

That first production was sung in the original German, under the title Des Matrosen Heimkehr, but it’s performed here in a contemporary Italian translation. The setting is Lesina, now known as Hvar, the island off the coast of Croatia, and indeed the whole project is made up of Dalmatian components: a Croatian chorus and orchestra, Slovene and Croatian singers, sponsorship from a local shipping company – and Suppé himself was born in Split.

The story is a simple one. Pietro returns after 20 years at sea, to be warmly greeted by the crowd. Alone, he laments the loss of his lover, Jela, who died during his enforced absence. He discovers that Quirino, the pompous old mayor, intends to marry a young girl who already has a boyfriend, Nicolò. The girl is called Jela, who of course turns out to be Pietro’s daughter. Quirino, fulfilling one of his mayoral duties, orders Nicolò to enlist as a sailor; but Pietro volunteers as a substitute and Quirino’s plan is foiled.

With its patriotic numbers, recognition duet and triumph of young love, The Sailor’s Return is a limp amalgam of Simon Boccanegra and HMS Pinafore. Act 1 proceeds well enough, ending with a fine duet for father and daughter, but Act 2 is near-fatally flawed, the action coming to a complete standstill: Pietro retails the legend of Marco, a king who fought the Turks, after which comes a series of five dances. The performance is rather better than the work deserves. Adriano Martinolli D’Arcy’s chorus and orchestra are more than adequate, and Ljubomir Pu≈karic´ is an impressive Pietro: it would be good to hear him in Verdi. The Act 2 dances, full of local colour, would make an enjoyable item in the New Year’s Day concert from Vienna. But it’s hard to see this opera gaining even a toehold in the repertory.