Sergei Prokofiev was born in Sontsovka, Russia, on April 23, 1891 and died in Moscow, Russia, on March 5, 1953. The first performance of the ballet, Romeo and Juliet, took place at the Brno Opera House in Czechoslovakia, on December 30, 1938. Romeo and Juliet is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets (2nd doubling E-flat clarinet), bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, six horns, three trumpets, cornet, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, piano/celeste, and strings. Approximate performance time of selections is forty minutes.

Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet has long been celebrated as one of the greatest ballet scores. But during the period of its creation and early performances, Prokofiev met resistance at every turn. This prompted the great Russian ballerina Galina Ulanova, who danced the role of Juliet at the July 11, 1940 Leningrad premiere, to offer the following toast, a play on the concluding lines of the Shakespeare original:

"Never was a story of more woe than this of Prokofiev’s music for Romeo."

Prokofiev adapted music from his Romeo and Juliet ballet for two Orchestral Suites (premiered, respectively, in Moscow, in 1936, and Leningrad, in 1937) as well as a collection of Ten Pieces for Solo Piano, Opus 75 (1937).  Prokofiev completed a third Orchestral Suite in 1946.

This concert features excerpts from the complete Ballet and three Orchestral Suites.

Introduction (Ballet): The Introduction to Act I presents themes associated with the “star-crossed lovers,” Romeo and Juliet.

Morning Dance (Suite 3, No. 2): Vibrant music reflecting bustling activity in a Verona square.

Montagues and Capulets (Suite 2, No.1): The brief and fierce opening measures are derived from an Interlude that follows the Prince of Verona’s warning to the battling Montague and Capulet families. After the introduction, the Dance of the Knights begins.

The Young Girl Juliet (Suite 2, No. 2): The playful nature of the thirteen-year-old Juliet is depicted by the spiccato violin figures, but there is also more reflective music that suggests the blossoming young woman.

Masks (Suite 1, No. 5): Romeo, Montague’s son, and his friend, Mercutio, arrive at the Capulet ball, wearing disguises. Capulet and his wife enter with their daughter Juliet. They bid the musicians to play, and the guests to dance. At the sight of Juliet, Romeo immediately falls in love with the beautiful young woman. The lighthearted Masks is notable for its use of percussion, solo brass, and woodwinds.

Tybalt’s Death (Suite 1, No. 7): Tybalt challenges Romeo to a duel. Romeo, now married to Juliet, has become Tybalt’s cousin. Romeo therefore refuses to fight. Mercutio intercedes and is mortally wounded by Tybalt. When Romeo learns that his friend has died, he is overcome with anger, and kills Tybalt. A searing funeral procession follows.

Romeo and Juliet Before Parting (Suite 2, No. 5): The Duke permanently banishes Romeo from Verona. Romeo defies the order to spend the night with his bride Juliet. As the sun rises, the lovers realize that they must part, and bid farewell. The music is a masterful depiction of daybreak, the lovers’ passion, and their heartache upon separation.

Juliet’s Tomb and Death of Juliet (Ballet): Juliet, hoping to escape with Romeo, drinks a potion that places her in a deep sleep, simulating the appearance of death. The Capulet family carries Juliet’s lifeless body to the family tomb. Romeo believes that Juliet is dead, and rushes to the tomb. Romeo drinks poison and dies. Juliet awakens and sees her dead husband. She takes Romeo’s knife and kills herself. The searing music depicting the lovers’ despair finally subsides to a pianissimo whisper.