Romeo and Juliet, painting by Frank Bernard Dicksee, 1884
Throughout the centuries, unhappy love stories have been the greatest source of inspiration for writers, poets, painters and composers. This is logical, because what could be more moving than the sad fate of two people who, out of love for each other, choose death over life? It is the height of romance, and most people enjoy a good cry.
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet are perhaps the most famous lovers of hem all. Plays, films and ballets have been based on and/or inspired by hem. And operas, of course.
Everyone knows Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette. Berlioz also makes an appearance here and there. But did you know that Bellini also wrote an opera about it? No? And why not? Because it is hardly ever performed anymore? And this while his I Capuletti e i Montecchi is so breathtakingly beautiful!
My favourite performance was recorded live at La Scala in Milan in 1968, with a tenor (Giacomo Aragal at his best!) as Romeo and Renata Scotto as Giulietta. Tebaldo was sung by (what a treat!) a young Luciano Pavarotti And Claudio Abbado conducted (Gala GL 100.517)
Aragall and Scotto in ‘Si, fuggire!… Vieni ah! vieni, e in me riposa:
In 2009, a new recording was released featuring none other than Anna Netrebko and Elina Garanca in the leading roles. As Tebaldo, you will hear Joseph Calleja (DG 4778031), at the time a newname, now a famous tenor. Definitely worth listening to.
In the Dynamic box set (CDS 552/1-25) containing all Bellini’s operas (if you don’t already own it, go out and get it right away!), Julia is sung by Patricia Ciofi. What a singer! Not only does she hit all the notes and deliver all the witty remarks (and all “a punto”), she is also a particularlyconvincing voice actress. The recording was made in Martina Franca in 2005.
Patrizia Ciofi in “Oh! quante volte” from the production of I Capuleti e i Montecchi in Barcelona in 2016:
Romeo et Juliet by Gounod:
Romeo and Juliet by Delius
Romeo et Juliette by Berlioz:
Basia con fuoco 
Nog een kleine aanvulling op deze discografie. Er is ook een live opname (MELODRAM) van de Holland Festival uitvoering op 30-6-1966 o.l.v. Claudio Abbado en met Margherita Rinaldi, Giacomo Aragall, Luciano Pavarotti, Nicola Zaccaria en Walter Monachesi. Verder het Residentie Orkest en het Coro del Teatro Comunale di Bologna. Het publiek reageert uitzinnig.
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Jammer dat de EMI opname met Gruberová en Agnes Baltsa o.l.v. Muti niet meer beschikbaar is. Opgenomen in maart 1984 in het Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Dat geldt trouwens ook voor de eerdere EMI opname met Beverley Sills en Dame Janet Baker.
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