Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev) : Ballet
Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev) : Ballet
This article is about Sergei Prokofiev's ballet. For other uses, see Romeo and Juliet (disambiguation).
Romeo and Juliet (Russian: ), Op. 64, is a ballet by Sergei Prokofiev based
on William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. Prokofiev reused music from the ballet in
three suites for orchestra and a solo piano work.
Ballet[edit]
Galina Ulanova and Yuri Zhdanovin the Romeo and Juliet ballet
Based on a synopsis created by Adrian 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 the Kirov 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 the Bolshoi
Theatre in Moscow on the understanding that Piotrovsky would remain involved.[3] However, the ballet's
original happy ending (contrary to Shakespeare) 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 within Soviet Russia until 1940 may also have been due to the increased fear and caution in
the musical and theatrical community in the aftermath of the two notorious Pravda editorials
criticising Shostakovich and other "degenerate modernists" including Piotrovsky.[6] The conductor Yuri
Fayermet 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 in Moscow and the United States, but the full ballet premiered in
the Mahen Theatre, Brno (then inCzechoslovakia, now in the Czech Republic), on 30 December 1938. It
is better known today from the significantly revised version that was first presented at the Kirov
Theatre in Leningrad on 11 January 1940, with choreography by Leonid Lavrovsky and with Konstantin
Sergeyev and Galina Ulanova in the lead roles.
Instrumentation[edit]
In addition to a somewhat standard instrumentation, the ballet also requires the use of the tenor
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 the cornet, viola d'amore and mandolins in the ballet, adding an Italianate
flavor to the music.
Full instrumentation is as follows:
Woodwinds: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes (2nd doubling on 2nd English horn), English horn,
2 clarinets (2nd doubling on E-flat clarinet), bass clarinet, 2 bassoons,contrabassoon, tenor
saxophone
Brass: 6 French horns, 3 trumpets, cornet, 3 trombones, tuba
Percussion: timpani, snare
drum, xylophone, triangle, woodblock, maracas, glockenspiel, tambourine, chime in
A, cymbals, bass drum
Keyboards: piano, celesta, organ
Strings: 2 mandolins, viola d'amore (or viola), 2 harps, first and
second violins, violas, violoncellos, double basses
In 1971, John Neumeier, partly inspired by John Cranko, created another version of the ballet in
Frankfurt. In 1974 Neumeier's Romeo and Juliet premiered in Hamburg as his first full-length ballet with
the company.
In 1977, Rudolf Nureyev created a new version of Romeo and Juliet for the London Festival Ballet,
today's English National Ballet. He performed the lead role of Romeo, with British ballerina Patricia
Ruanne creating the role of Juliet. As a partnership, they would tour the production internationally, and it
continues to be a popular ballet in the ENB repertoire, with its most recent revival in 2010 being staged
by Patricia Ruanne and Frederic Jahn, of the original 1977 cast.
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.[7]
In 1985 choreographer Lszl Seregi's production premiered at the Hungarian National Ballet, Budapest.
In 2007 Peter Martins made Romeo + Juliet on New York City Ballet to the Prokofiev music.
In 2008, Krzysztof Pastor presented a his version by the Scottish Ballet at the Edinburgh Festival
Theatre. The United States debut of this version was by the Joffrey 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
of The 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 at Bard College in New York state. The production subsequently began a year-long tour to include
Berkeley, Norfolk, London, New York, and Chicago.
In 2011, the National Ballet of Canada premiered a new choreography of Romeo and Juliet by Alexei
Ratmansky in Toronto, with plans to take it on tour in Western Canada in early 2012.
Structure[edit]
List of acts, scenes and musical numbers.[8]
Scene
No.
English
title
Russian title
(Original title)
Tempo
indication
Act 1
Scene 1
Introductio
n
Andante assai
Romeo
Andante
The Street
Awakens
Allegretto
Notes
Scene 2
Morning
Dance
Allegro
The
Quarrel
Allegro
brusco
The Fight
Presto
The Prince
Gives His
Order
Andante
Interlude
Andante
pomposo
(L'istesso
tempo)
Preparing
for the Ball
(Juliet and
the Nurse)
(
)
Andante
assai.
Scherzando
10
Juliet as a
Young Girl
Vivace
11
Arrival of
the Guests
(Minuet)
()
Assai
moderato
12
Masks
(Romeo,
Mercutio
and
Benvolio in
Masks)
(,
)
Andante
marciale
13
Dance of
the Knights
Allegro
pesante
14
Juliet's
Variation
Moderato
(quasi
Allegretto)
15
Mercutio
Allegro
giocoso
16
Madrigal
Andante
tenero
17
Tybalt
Recognizes
Romeo
Allegro
18
Gavotte
(Departure
of the
Guests)
(
)
Allegro
19
Balcony
Scene
Larghetto
20
Romeo's
Variation
Allegretto
amoroso
21
Love
Dance
Andante
22
Folk Dance
Allegro
giocoso
23
Romeo and
Mercutio
Andante
tenero
Act 2
Scene 3
Scene 4
Scene 5
24
Dance of
the Five
Couples
Vivo
25
Dance with
Mandolins
Vivace
26
The Nurse
Adagio
scherzoso
27
The Nurse
Gives
Romeo the
Note from
Juliet
Vivace
28
Romeo at
Friar
Laurence's
Andante
espressivo
29
Juliet at
Friar
Laurence's
Lento
30
The People
Continue to
Make
Merry
Vivo
31
The Folk
Dance
Again
Allegro
giocoso
32
Tybalt
Meets
Mercutio
Moderato
33
Tybalt and
Mercutio
Precipitato
Fight
34
Death of
Mercutio
Moderato
35
Romeo
Decides to
Avenge
Mercutio's
Death
Andante.
Animato
36
Finale of
Act II
Adagio
dramatico
37
Introductio
n
Andante
38
Romeo and
Juliet
(Juliet's
bedroom)
(
)
Lento
39
Farewell
before
Parting
Andante
40
The Nurse
Andante assai
41
Juliet
Refuses to
Marry Paris
Vivace
42
Juliet Alone
Adagio
Act 3
Scene 6
reprise of No. 7
Scene 7
Scene 8
43
Interlude
Adagio
44
At Friar
Laurence's
Andante
45
Interlude
L'istesso
tempo
46
Again in
Juliet's
Bedroom
Moderato
tranquillo
47
Juliet Alone
Andante
48
Morning
Serenade
Andante
giocoso
49
Dance of
the Girls
with Lilies
Andante con
eleganza
50
At Juliet's
Bedside
Andante assai
a.k.a. Aubade
Act 4: Epilogue
Scene 9
51
Juliet's
Funeral
Adagio
funebre
52
Death of
Adagio
Juliet
(meno
mosso del
tempo
precendente
)