Running time: 2 hour 10 minutes


Schedule for Romeo and Juliet The State Classic Ballet Theatre 2022

Composer: Sergei Prokofiev
Libretto: Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilev
Choreography: Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilev

World premiere: 11 January 1940, Kirov Theatre, Leningrad, USSR

Performance by The State Classic Ballet Theatre

Choreography fantasy in 3 parts based on W.Shakespear’s tragedy and script by S.Prokofiev

Libretto: N.Kasatkina and V.Vasilev
Choreography: N.Kasatkina and V.Vasilev
Staging and artist: national artist of the USSR, the State Prize of the USSR winner I.Sumbatashvili

The ballet-masters had been dreaming of staging “Romeo and Juliet” for a long time. They were interested in everything – both wonderful and pure love of the young heroes and picturesque Renaissance Venus, as well as comical servants’ characters. They called their performance a choreography fantasy. It is a peculiar theatre fresco – large and lyrical, passionate and delicate. It revives the unforgettable images, created by Renaissance masters in our memory. The choreography of the ballet also follows classical traditions, using some Italian nuisances.

The summary of the ballet

Romeo Montekki, young person from Verona, is fallen in love with the excellent lady Rosaline that, however, does not prevent him from participating in merry tricks of his friends Mercutio and Benvolio, or in street skirmishes between the representatives of two quarrelling families - Montekki and Capulet. This hostility has already taken away dozens of lives. So, one more fight takes place early in the morning, beginning with servants’ arguments. The Duke of Verona tries to make peace between the heads of the two quarrelling families, but in vain… He announces that from now on all the guilty will pay their lives for any bloodshed.

In the Capulet’s house the nurse tries to wake up her favourite. Juliette is naughty and doesn’t listen to her. Parents enter the room. Signor and Signora Capulet remind the girls, that she is old enough to meet her groom at today’s ball. He is Count Paris.

Dames and knights are dancing at the ball. Romeo and his friends are also here. Secretly. But having seen each other incidentally in the hall, Romeo and Juliette understand that they have fallen in love at first sight.

Tibalt is quite an aggressive person. He is Juliette’s cousin and he recognizes in Romeo a member of the enemy family.

Romeo and Juliette meet at night and talk about their love.

During the carnival Juliette and Romeo agree about a secret wedding. The nurse is on their side. They ask monk Lorenzo to help them. He marries them in hope that Romeo and Juliette’s unit will put an end to that deathly feud.

Tibalt and Mercutio face each other among carnival crowd. They are determined to use any chance for a quarrel that ends up with a fight on swards. Romeo tries to calm them down, but in vain. Tibalt wounds Mercutio from under Romeo’s hand. The wound is dangerous. The crown cries for their favourite Mercutio. Romeo runs after Tibalt to take revenge for his friend and kills him after a long and difficult fight. Juliette hears the noise and runs out. She sees her cousin dying. Lorenzo takes Romeo with him to save from the Duke’s fury.

At the dawn next day Romeo says farewell to Juliette and leaves Verona. Juliette’s parents can’t make the girl marry Paris. Lorenzo suggests her plan. Juliette will have some drink that will put her to a sleep that looks like death. Meanwhile Lorenzo will let Romeo know about it. He will get into Capulet’s family vault by the moment of Juliette’s awaking and will take the girl from Verona for ever. Juliette agrees to marry Paris and drinks the medicine.

Merry arrangements to the wedding are interrupted by the nurse’s pitiful cries. She has found dead Juliette. The funeral moves to the vault. But the news about Juliette’s death gets to Romeo earlier, than news from Lorenzo. Romeo gets into the vault, says farewell to Juliette and commits suicide himself. Juliette wakes up and sees his breathless body. She sees no sense in living without her beloved. She throws Romeo’s sharp knife in her heart.

Only over their children’s bodies the heads of Montekki and Capulet forget about their bloody quarrel.

Contents

Act One

introduction
the streets wakes up
morning dance
quarrel
fight
arrangements to the ball (Juliette and the nurse)
Juliette-a girl
Guests gather (menuette)
Masks
The knights’ dance
Juliette’s variations
Mercutio
Madrigal
Tibalt recognizes Romeo
Gavotte (chorography by G.Taranda)
Scene at the balcony
Romeo’s variations
Love dance
 
Act Two

folk dance
five pairs’ dance
the nurse gives Juliette’s note to Romeo
Romeo at padre Lorenzo’s
Juliette at padre Lorenzo’s
Folk dance again
Tibalt meets Mercutio
Tibalt fights with Mercutio
Mercutio dies
Romeo decides to take a revenge for Mercutio
The final of Act II (choreography by G.Taranda)

Act Three

introduction
Romeo and Juliette (Juliette’s bedroom)
Farewell before the parting
The nurse
Juliette refuses to marry Paris
Juliette is alone
Interlusion
At Lorenzo’s
At Juliette’s again
Juliette alone
Romeo at Mantua
 
Epilogue

Juliette’s funeral
Juliette’s death

Music For Ballets

Fragment 1 Fragment 2