Roméo et Juliette, Opera by C. Gounod
Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, is, perhaps, one of the most widely adapted of all his plays, with various stage musical and cinematic versions of it produced over the years. The French composer, Charles Gounod, also reinterpreted the famous story about star-crossed lovers set in Verona as a five-act opera following his big hit, Faust. Gounod collaborated with the same team that had written Faust's libretto, Jules Barbier and Michel Carré. On 27 April 1867, the ensuing new opera, Roméo et Juliette, premiered at the Théâtre-Lyrique in Paris. It met with a positive critical reception and was well received by audiences, too. Although it might not be quite as well-known as other Shakespearean adaptations today, the opera is still staged around the world on a frequent basis, as this version at Teatro dell’Opera di Roma exemplifies.
Gounod faced some difficulties in getting Roméo et Juliette onto the Parisian stage. Due to some problems in the casting process for the new opera, for example, he was forced to make changes and provide new orchestrations in order to accommodate the vocal ranges of some of the performers. In spite of these difficulties, Gounod's score is notable for no fewer than four duets sung together by the title characters. This demonstrates what the French composer wanted to achieve with his interpretation of the play: a greater focus on the two young lovers with less emphasis on the conflict that surrounds them as their families, the Montagues and Capulets, play out their bitter rivalries. In addition to the duets, Gounod wrote a truly memorable waltz aria – Je veux vivre (I want to live) – for Juliette, a role for a soprano singer.
Now considered a classic among 19th-century operas, Roméo et Juliette tells the tale of two lovers who fall for each other despite the opposition they encounter from their respective familial clans. The operatic version sticks quite closely to the plot many theatre-goers will be already familiar with, including the famous balcony scene and the final tragic act in which events take a considerable turn for the worse.
This staging, featuring Teatro dell’Opera di Roma Orchestra and Chorus, at Teatro Costanzi, highlights all the romance, passion and tragedy that have made the story such a compelling one in multiple formats for centuries. Experience Gounod's skill and compositional subtlety in an operatic production in the heart of the Eternal City with drama at every turn.