BERLIOZ: ROMÉO ET JULIETTE
2023.11.04（SAT）19:30
SCAC Grand Theatre
Conductor XU Zhong
Choir Master Denis Comtet
Vocal Coach Sébastien Driant
Mezzo-Soprano WANG Xiaoxi
Tenor YU Haolei
Bass Todd Thomas
Shanghai Opera House Chorus
BERLIOZ Roméo et Juliette
NOTICE TO AUDIENCE
1. DURATION Approximately 81 minutes without intermission. 2. SUGGESTED AGE 6 and above. 3. Minimum Height For Children :1.1m. Except For Performances Specially Arranged For Children.
ROMEO AND JULIET is one of the most familiar stories, with masterpieces being composed in the arts at different times. The idea for a musical work based on ROMEO AND JULIET was conceived by Hector Berlioz when he first encountered Shakespeare’s tragedy, but it was not until a generous grant of 20000 francs from his ardent supporter, the legendary Paganini, that he was able to move forward. This work is a symphonie dramatique. It is not an opera in concert form. It has a large structure, with soloists, chorus and orchestra performances interspersed, and large recitatives and arias in the final section. In terms of its structure and music, Berlioz’s Roméo et Juliette is heavily influenced by Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, not only in the use of soloists and chorus, but also in the concentration of vocal parts at the end, and in the orchestration. This is a work by Berlioz at the height of his creative ambition, both in terms of his attempts at musical color and his individual virtuosity, which made it a great success for the composer.
