| Romeo and Juliet | |
|---|---|
 Commemorative coin depicting a scene from the ballet | |
| Choreographer | Ivo Váňa-Psota |
| Music | Sergei Prokofiev |
| Libretto | Adrian Piotrovsky, Sergei Radlov, Sergei Prokofiev, Leonid Lavrovsky |
| Based on | Romeo and Juliet |
| Premiere | 1938 (1938) Mahen Theatre,Brno |
| Original ballet company | Ballet of the National Theatre, Brno |
| Characters | Ivo Váňa-Psota as Romeo Zora Šemberová as Juliet |
| Genre | Drambalet |
Romeo and Juliet (Russian:Ромео и Джульетта,romanized: Romeo i Dzhulyetta), Op. 64, is aballet bySergei Prokofiev based onWilliam Shakespeare's playRomeo and Juliet. First composed in 1935, it was substantially revised for its Soviet premiere in early 1940. Prokofiev made from the ballet three orchestralsuites and a suite for solo piano.
Based on a synopsis created byAdrian Piotrovsky (who first suggested the subject to Prokofiev)[1] and Sergey Radlov, the ballet was composed by Prokofiev in September 1935 to their scenario which followed the precepts of "drambalet" (dramatised ballet, officially promoted at theKirov Ballet to replace works based primarily on choreographic display and innovation).[2] Following Radlov's acrimonious resignation from the Kirov in June 1934, a new agreement was signed with theBolshoi Theatre in Moscow on the understanding that Piotrovsky would remain involved.[3]
However, the ballet's original happy ending (contrary toShakespeare) provoked controversy among Soviet cultural officials.[4] The ballet's production was then postponed indefinitely when the staff of the Bolshoi was overhauled at the behest of the chairman of the Committee on Arts Affairs,Platon Kerzhentsev.[5] The ballet's failure to be produced in theSoviet Union until 1940 may also have been a result of consequences in the performing arts followingPravda'sdenunciation ofDmitri Shostakovich in 1936, as well as other "degenerate modernists" including Piotrovsky.[6] The conductorYuri Fayer met with Prokofiev frequently during the writing of the music, and he strongly urged the composer to revert to the traditional ending. Fayer went on to conduct the first performance of the ballet at the Bolshoi Theatre.
Suites of the ballet music were heard inMoscow and theUnited States, but the full ballet premiered in theMahen Theatre,Brno (then inCzechoslovakia, now in theCzech Republic), on 30 December 1938. This version was a single-act production with music mainly from the first two suites. Prokofiev was not able to attend the premiere due to his status of outbound restriction.
The history of the creation of the ballet was recited by the composerSergei Prokofiev himself:
At the end of December (of 1934) I returned to Leningrad specifically for the negotiations with the Kirov Theatre. I expressed my wish to find a lyrical scenario for a ballet… We started recalling the scenarios: Piotrovsky named "Pelléas and Méllisande", "Tristan and Isolde", "Romeo and Juliet". I immediately "clung" onto the latter – it would be impossible to find a better one! It was arranged that Piotrovsky, Radlov and I (S.P.) would be making a libretto. It was decided to engage as a producerRostislav Zakharov – a former student of Radlov… However, we didn't conclude a contract with the Kirov Theatre… I arrived in Moscow, and Golovanov, the then chief conductor of the Bolshoi Theatre said that if this was about "Romeo" the Bolshoi theatre would immediately conclude a contract with me. The contract was signed in the summer of 1935. The theatre gave me the opportunity to work on the ballet in "Polenovo" – the holiday home of the Bolshoi theatre, where I managed to almost finish the ballet using themes composed in the spring. An audition of the ballet took place in the theatre. It had no success. The ballet was not put on the stage at that time… Yet it was staged in the Kirov Theatre in 1939 (1940). R. Zakharov dropped out after the ballet had been rejected by the Bolshoi theatre. Lavrovsky, on the other hand, during the staging of the ballet in Leningrad, added quite a lot to what had been composed before him. Later I decided to include him in the co-authors of the libretto.[7]
It is better known today from the significantly revised version that was first presented at theKirov Theatre (now Mariinsky Theatre) inLeningrad (now Saint Petersburg) on 11 January 1940, with choreography byLeonid Lavrovsky and withGalina Ulanova andKonstantin Sergeyev in the leading roles. Despite the objections of Prokofiev, Lavrovsky significantly changed the score of the ballet. This production received international acclaim and was awarded theStalin Prize.
In 1955,Mosfilm madethe film version of this production withGalina Ulanova as Juliet and Yuri Zhdanov as Romeo. This film won the Best Lyrical Film and nominated as Palme d'Or in the1955 Cannes Film Festival.
Original Cast
In 1955,Frederick Ashton choreographed a production ofRomeo and Juliet for theRoyal Danish Ballet.
In 1962,John Cranko'schoreography ofRomeo and Juliet for theStuttgart Ballet helped the company achieve a worldwide reputation. It had its American premiere in 1969.
In 1965, choreographerSir Kenneth MacMillan's version for theRoyal Ballet premiered at theRoyal Opera House,Covent Garden.Margot Fonteyn andRudolf Nureyev danced the title roles. Fonteyn, considered to be near retirement, embarked upon a rejuvenated career with a partnership with Nureyev. Also in 1965,Oleg Vinogradov stages a version in Russia while serving as assistant ballet master toPyotr Gusev.
In 1971,John Neumeier, partly inspired by John Cranko, created another version of the ballet in Frankfurt. In 1974, Neumeier'sRomeo and Juliet premiered in Hamburg as his first full-length ballet with the company.
In 1977,Rudolf Nureyev createda new version ofRomeo and Juliet for the London Festival Ballet, today'sEnglish National Ballet. He performed the lead role of Romeo with British ballerinasEva Evdokimova and Patricia Ruanne creating the role of Juliet. As a partnership, they toured the production internationally. Eva Evdokimova danced the leading role Juliet in London and Paris, and it continues to be a popular ballet in the ENB repertoire, with its most recent revival in 2010 staged byPatricia Ruanne and Frederic Jahn of the original 1977 cast. This production was also staged byLa Scala Theater Ballet in 1980 andParis Opera Ballet in 1984 and has been a renowned performance in the POB repertoire.
In 1979,Yuri Grigorovich created a new version for the Bolshoi, "which did away with most of the stage properties and stylized the action into an all-danced text." This was revived in 2010 and remains in the Bolshoi repertory.[8]
In 1985, choreographerLászló Seregi's production premiered at theHungarian National Ballet,Budapest.
In 1990, directorArmondo Linus Acosta used Prokofiev's score, performed by theLondon Symphony Orchestra, to create a motion picture adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Acosta'sRomeo.Juliet was conceived as a film-in-concert with a live orchestra performing the soundtrack, and was performed as such to international acclaim with by conductors such asAndré Previn,Barry Wordsworth, andNicholas Cleobury.[citation needed]
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In 1991,Christopher Gable directed his own production for the Northern Ballet Theatre. It was choreographed byMassimo Moricone and featured William Walker as Romeo and Jayne Regan as Juliet.
In 1996, choreographerJean-Christophe Maillot premiered his version ofRoméo et Juliette atLes Ballets de Monte Carlo. Taking formal inspiration from the episodic character of Sergei Prokofiev's classic score, Maillot structured the action in a manner akin to cinematic narrative. Rather than focusing on themes of political-social opposition between the two feuding clans, this Romeo and Juliet highlights the dualities and ambiguities of adolescence.
In 2007,Peter Martins madeRomeo + Juliet onNew York City Ballet to the Prokofiev music.
In 2008,Krzysztof Pastor presentedhis version by theScottish Ballet at theEdinburgh Festival Theatre. The Polish premiere of this version was by thePolish National Ballet inWarsaw, and the United States premiere was by theJoffrey Ballet in 2014.
On July 4, 2008, with the approval of the Prokofiev family and permission from the Russian State Archive, the original Prokofiev score was given its world premiere. MusicologistSimon Morrison, author ofThe People's Artist: Prokofiev's Soviet Years, unearthed the original materials in the Moscow archives, obtained permissions, and reconstructed the entire score.Mark Morris created the choreography for the production. The Mark Morris Dance Group premiered the work at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts atBard College in New York state. The production subsequently began a year-long tour to include Berkeley, Norfolk, London, New York, and Chicago.
In 2011, theNational Ballet of Canada premiered a new choreography ofRomeo and Juliet byAlexei Ratmansky in Toronto, with plans to take it on tour in Western Canada in early 2012.
Also in 2011,Graeme Murphy created his version ofRomeo and Juliet forThe Australian Ballet.[9]
In 2015,Stanton Welch premiered his version ofRomeo and Juliet forHouston Ballet.
In 2019 at theCurve Theatre, LeicesterMatthew Bourne choreographed an alternative adaptation ofRomeo and Juliet set in a mental hospital called 'Verona Institute'. It was filmed with Cordelia Braithwaite asJuliet, Paris Fitzpatrick asRomeo and Dan Wright asTybalt.
In addition to a somewhat standard instrumentation, the ballet also requires the use of thetenor saxophone. This voice adds a unique sound to the orchestra as it is used both in solo and as part of the ensemble. Prokofiev also used thecornet,viola d'amore andmandolins in the ballet, adding an Italianate flavor to the music.
Full instrumentation is as follows:
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The score is published by Muzyka and the Russian State Publisher.
List of acts, scenes and musical numbers.[10]
| Scene | No. | Original title in Russian | English title | Tempo indication | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Act 1 | |||||
| 1 | Вступление | Introduction | Andante assai | ||
| Scene 1 | 2 | Ромео | Romeo | Andante | |
| 3 | Улица просыпается | The Street Awakens | Allegretto | ||
| 4 | Утренний танец | Morning Dance | Allegro | ||
| 5 | Ссора | The Quarrel | Allegro brusco | ||
| 6 | Бой | The Fight | Presto | ||
| 7 | Приказ герцога | The Prince Gives His Order | Andante | a.k.a. The Duke's Command. Introduction ofMontagues and Capulets in Suite No. 2 | |
| 8 | Интерлюдия | Interlude | Andante pomposo (L'istesso tempo) | ||
| Scene 2 | 9 | Приготовление к балу (Джульетта и Кормилица) | Preparing for the Ball (Juliet and the Nurse) | Andante assai. Scherzando | a.k.a. At the Capulets' (Preparations for the Ball) |
| 10 | Джульетта-Девочка | Juliet as a Young Girl | Vivace | a.k.a. The Young Juliet | |
| 11 | Съезд гостей (Менуэт) | Arrival of the Guests (Minuet) | Assai moderato | ||
| 12 | Маски (Ромео, Меркуцио и Бенволио в масках) | Masks (Romeo, Mercutio and Benvolio in Masks) | Andante marciale | ||
| 13 | Танец рыцарей | Dance of the Knights | Allegro pesante | The main part ofMontagues and Capulets in Suite No. 2 Famous Work of20th-century classical music | |
| 14 | Вариация Джульетты | Juliet's Variation | Moderato (quasi Allegretto) | ||
| 15 | Меркуцио | Mercutio | Allegro giocoso | ||
| 16 | Мадригал | Madrigal | Andante tenero | ||
| 17 | Тибальд узнает Ромео | Tybalt Recognizes Romeo | Allegro | ||
| 18 | Гавот (Разъезд гостей) | Gavotte (Departure of the Guests) | Allegro | Gavotte (movement III) from"Classical" Symphony, Op. 25 | |
| 19 | Сцена у балкона | Balcony Scene | Larghetto | ||
| 20 | Вариация Ромео | Romeo's Variation | Allegretto amoroso | ||
| 21 | Любовный танец | Love Dance | Andante | ||
| Act 2 | |||||
| Scene 3 | 22 | Народный танец | Folk Dance | Allegro giocoso | |
| 23 | Ромео и Меркуцио | Romeo and Mercutio | Andante tenero | ||
| 24 | Танец пяти пар | Dance of the Five Couples | Vivo | Dance in Suite No. 2 | |
| 25 | Танец с мандолинами | Dance with Mandolins | Vivace | ||
| 26 | Кормилица | The Nurse | Adagio scherzoso | ||
| 27 | Кормилица передает Ромео записку от Джульетты | The Nurse Gives Romeo the Note from Juliet | Vivace | a.k.a. The Nurse and Romeo | |
| Scene 4 | 28 | Ромео у патера Лоренцо | Romeo at Friar Laurence's | Andante espressivo | |
| 29 | Джульетта у патера Лоренцо | Juliet at Friar Laurence's | Lento | ||
| Scene 5 | 30 | Народное веселье продолжается | The People Continue to Make Merry | Vivo | a.k.a. Public Merrymaking |
| 31 | Снова народный танец | The Folk Dance Again | Allegro giocoso | a.k.a. Further Public Festivities (Снова народный праздник) | |
| 32 | Встреча Тибальда с Меркуцио | Tybalt Meets Mercutio | Moderato | a.k.a. Meeting of Tybalt and Mercutio | |
| 33 | Тибальд бьётся с Меркуцио | Tybalt and Mercutio Fight | Precipitato | a.k.a. The Duel | |
| 34 | Меркуцио умирает | Death of Mercutio | Moderato | ||
| 35 | Ромео решает мстить за смерть Меркуцио | Romeo Decides to Avenge Mercutio's Death | Andante. Animato | a.k.a. Death of Tybalt | |
| 36 | Финал второго действия | Finale of Act II | Adagio dramatico | ||
| Act 3 | |||||
| 37 | Вступление | Introduction | Andante | reprise of No. 7 | |
| Scene 6 | 38 | Ромео и Джульетта (Спальня Джульетты) | Romeo and Juliet (Juliet's bedroom) | Lento | |
| 39 | Прощание перед разлукой | Farewell before Parting | Andante | a.k.a. Romeo Bids Juliet Farewell, or The Last Farewell | |
| 40 | Кормилица | The Nurse | Andante assai | ||
| 41 | Джульетта отказывается выйти за Париса | Juliet Refuses to Marry Paris | Vivace | ||
| 42 | Джульетта одна | Juliet Alone | Adagio | ||
| 43 | Интерлюдия | Interlude | Adagio | ||
| Scene 7 | 44 | У Лоренцо | At Friar Laurence's | Andante | a.k.a. At Friar Laurence's Cell |
| 45 | Интерлюдия | Interlude | L'istesso tempo | ||
| Scene 8 | 46 | Снова у Джульетты | Again in Juliet's Bedroom | Moderato tranquillo | |
| 47 | Джульетта одна | Juliet Alone | Andante | ||
| 48 | Утренняя серенада | Morning Serenade | Andante giocoso | a.k.a. Aubade | |
| 49 | Танец девушек с лилиями | Dance of the Girls with Lilies | Andante con eleganza | ||
| 50 | У постели Джульетты | At Juliet's Bedside | Andante assai | ||
| Act 4: Epilogue | |||||
| Scene 9 | 51 | Похороны Джульетты | Juliet's Funeral | Adagio funebre | Romeo at the Tomb of Juliet in Suite No. 2 |
| 52 | Смерть Джульетты | Death of Juliet | Adagio (meno mosso del tempo precendente) | ||
Note that for compositional reasons the titles of the numbers in all three suites do not always correspond exactly to those in the complete ballet.
Prokofiev reduced selected music from the ballet asRomeo and Juliet: Ten Pieces for Piano, Op. 75, which were performed in 1936 and 1937.[11]
Sergei Prokofiev himself made the first recording of music from the ballet, with theMoscow Philharmonic Orchestra in 1938. Since then, there have been recordings of the full score, as well as various excerpts such as the orchestral suites the composer prepared.Leopold Stokowski conducted theNBC Symphony Orchestra in an early stereo recording in 1954.Gennady Rozhdestvensky and the Symphony Orchestra of theBolshoi Theatre recorded the full score in 1959.André Previn with theLondon Symphony Orchestra andLorin Maazel with theCleveland Orchestra both made recordings of the complete score in 1973; these landmark recordings meant wider Western audiences could hear the full score on disc for the first time, and have served as references since their release.Erich Leinsdorf conducted theLos Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra for an audiophile recording of excerpts on the Sheffield Lab label released in 1978.[12]Michael Tilson Thomas conducted theSan Francisco Symphony Orchestra in 1995, in selections from the score, forRCA Victor. Georg Solti conducted the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in a recording coupled with the Classical Symphony.Valery Gergiev made two recordings, with theKirov Orchestra in 1990 and with the London Symphony Orchestra in 2011.
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