Romeo and Juliet Ballet by SERGEY PROKOFIEV

Music Ballet by SERGEY PROKOFIEV

 

Choreography and Directing - Prof. HIKMET Mehmedov
Set design - RADOSTIN CHOMAKOV
Costume Designer - Chavdar Chomakov
Assistant Director - DARINA GLAVANAKOVA -BAKARDZHIEVA

Actors:

Juliet, daughter of Capulet

Romeo, son of Montecchi

Tybalt, nephew of Signor Capulet

Mercutio, a friend of Romeo

Earl of Paris, a nobleman

Benvolio, Montecchi's nephew and friend of Romeo

Padre Lorenzo, Franciscan monk

Juliet's foster mother

Signora Capulets

Signor Capulets

Juliet's Friends

Eskal, Duke of Verona

 

History of creation

            Sergei Prokofiev spent 14 years abroad, however, without breaking his ties with his homeland. He returned to Russia several times, gave concerts, met with old colleagues and friends, and since 1933 has lived permanently in Moscow. At that time, the composer's creative portfolio contained an impressive number of works from all fields of music: operas, symphonies, piano concerts, and orchestra. He also wrote the ballets "Jester", "The Steel Jump", "The Prodigal Son", "Trapeze" and "The Dnieper".

            Ever since her return to the homeland, Prokofiev has been engaging in intense creative work. He wrote music for the film comedy Lieutenant Kizhe, stage music for "Eugene Onegin" and "Boris Godunov" based on Pushkin's plots, "Egyptian Nights," and composed piano pieces, Violin Concerto and Orchestra No. 2. Towards the end of 1934, the Leningrad Theater for Opera and Ballet S. M. Kirov "suggests that the composer write a ballet on Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet. Prokofiev willingly accepted the proposal and, in the spring of 1935, together with renowned opera director Sergei Radlov, developed the script in consultation with the ballet master. In the summer the music is ready, but in the theater, they consider it insufficiently danceable. The ballet underwent various revisions until it found its unique version after the intervention of Leonid Lavrovsky - the latter made significant changes and additions to the libretto of Romeo and Juliet. That is why the production of the theater "S." is considered the true premiere of the ballet on the emblematic Shakespearean tragedy. M. Kirov ”(1940), whose choreographer is Lavrovsky. The premiere becomes one of the biggest events in the country's cultural life, and the breathtaking reproduction of Juliet's poetic image is forever associated with the art of ballerina Galina Ulanova.

 

Summary:

            The feud between the two noble families of Verona - Montecchi, and Capulet, is passed down from generation to generation.

            But, imprisoned by the endless love that burned between them, Romeo, the heir to the Capulet family, and Juliet, the descendant of Montecchi, ignore the deadly hatred between their families and secretly marry.

            Signor Capuletti's nephew Tybalt, in search of an argument with Romeo's friend Mercutio, insults him, for which Mercutio challenges him to a duel. In vain are Romeo's attempts to stop them. Mercutio finds his death pierced by Thibald's sword. Enraged by the death of his friend, Romeo, in turn, rushes against a relative of the Capulet family and kills him. And he must flee at once, because, according to the order of the Duke of Verona, he faces the death penalty.

            Juliet's parents announce their last will: their daughter should marry Earl Paris. In vain, Juliet resisted parental exhortations and threats. Her last hope is in Father Lorenzo. The monk gives the girl a lullaby: when she drinks it, she will fall asleep so deep, as if she had died. And when her body is laid in the family tomb, he will reveal the truth to Romeo and the two lovers will finally be free.

            In the morning before Juliet's wedding to Count Paris, Juliet's girlfriend, Signor, and Signora Capulet and Juliet's breast are astonished: they find the girl dead in her bedroom.

            When the mourning ceremony for the laying down of Juliet's mortal remains in Capulet's tomb ends and everyone goes away, to her breathless body slides down the grief-stricken Romeo, who does not even know that the death of his beloved is in fact imagined. The young man says goodbye to his invulnerable beloved for the last time and pierces his heart with his dagger. Sleep is running out. Juliet wakes up and, seeing Romeo's dead body in front of her, falls into endless horror. Realizing that her life is already over - without her beloved, he is simply devoid of purpose and meaning, Juliet grabs Romeo's dagger and, in turn, slams it into her own heart…