I CAPULETI E I MONTECCHIVincenzo Bellini
Operni zbor i orkestar Opere i baleta Slovenskog narodnog gledališča Ljubljana
Guest performance by the Opera and Ballet of the Slovenian National Theatre in Ljubljana
Romeo and Juliet are an inexhaustible inspiration, and Bellini recreated this famous story of the lovers who paid for their passion with their lives. He strove for clarity and melodic elegance, sharpening the close connection between music and words, and reaching the audience with charm and strong vocal melodies for which he has remained famous. I Capuleti e i Montecchi differs from Shakespeare’s version; Bellini does not convey the whole story, but rather the last moments of the famous lovers’ lives, their last day. The sense of melancholy and sadness unfolds in a stunning ending. The opera thus lacks the legendary balcony scene, but has one of the most fascinating final scenes of the opera repertoire. Director Frank Van Laecke places Bellini’s version of Shakespeare’s tragedy in a photo studio in 1950s Verona, where the godfather of the Capuleti clan invites all of his loved ones to create a family portrait. A gunshot is fired; Capuleti’s son dies; the overture begins. Accompanied by Bellini’s music, revenge is looming…
The performance lasts approximately two and a half hours, with one intermission.
