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Charles Gounod operas
• Faust (1859)
• Roméo et Juliette (1867)

“Roméo et Juliette” by Charles Gounod

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Romeo and Juliet, Ромео и Джульетта

Premiere / date of written: 27 April 1867

Roméo et Juliette (Romeo and Juliet) is an opéra in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, based on The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. It was first performed at the Théâtre Lyrique (Théâtre-Lyrique Impérial du Châtelet), Paris on 27 April 1867. This opera is notable for the series of four duets for the main characters and the waltz song "Je veux vivre" for the soprano.

Libretti

French–English side-by-side translation

# Language Authors
1 French Jules Barbier, Michel Carré
2 German
3 English
4 Russian

original libretto
side-by-side of the original libretto

History

April 27, 1867 Charles Gounod's opera 'Roméo et Juliette' was produced in Paris.
May 2, 1869 The premiere of Charles Gounod's opera "Roméo et Juliette" took place at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris.

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Similar Theme

  • Tristan und Isolde (1859) — Richard Wagner Both couples find a love that cannot fit into the world around them, and death becomes the only place where they can finally be together.
  • Aida (1871) — Giuseppe Verdi Both couples are separated by loyalty to opposing sides. In Aida it is nations at war; here it is two families that refuse to stop fighting.

Good Next Choice

  • Faust (1859) — Charles Gounod Faust is the natural next Gounod opera. It has a darker supernatural story, but the lyrical writing for the central lovers will feel familiar.

Contrasting Companion

  • Eugene Onegin (1879) — Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Both turn on a love declaration and a choice that comes too late. Romeo and Juliet accept love immediately; Onegin spends years regretting his refusal.

Same Source Author

  • Das Liebesverbot (1836) — Richard Wagner Both operas are based on Shakespeare: Roméo et Juliette on Romeo and Juliet and Das Liebesverbot on Measure for Measure.
  • Falstaff (1893) — Giuseppe Verdi Both operas are based on Shakespeare: Roméo et Juliette on Romeo and Juliet and Falstaff principally on The Merry Wives of Windsor.
  • Otello (1887) — Giuseppe Verdi Both operas are based on Shakespeare. Roméo et Juliette keeps close to the famous love tragedy; Otello follows a much darker story of marriage and jealousy.
  • Macbeth (1847) — Giuseppe Verdi Another Shakespeare-based opera, but from the opposite end of his dramatic world: young love in Roméo et Juliette against ambition and murder in Macbeth.

Tags

Style / Movement: Late Romantic
Structure: Full-length Number opera
Source: After Shakespeare Based on literature Based on a play
Theme: Tragic love
Discovery: Beginner-friendly Crowd-pleaser
Place: Italy

Related operas

More by Charles Gounod

  • Faust (1859) — Charles Gounod

Also in French

Related links