Classical Music Interpretations of Romeo and Juliet: Tchaikovsky, Gounod and Prokofiev

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Tutor: Dr. Julie Sanders

Classical Music Interpretations of Romeo and Juliet: Tchaikovsky, Gounod and Prokofiev


Contents

Acknowledgements                                                                Page 3

Preface                                                                                Page 4

Chapter One: The Masked Ball                                                Page 6

Chapter Two: The Balcony Scene                                                Page 15

Chapter Three: Friar Lawrence                                                Page 23

Conclusions                                                                        Page 31

Glossary                                                                        Page 33

Bibliography                                                                        Page 34


Acknowledgements

This dissertation would not have been possible without the help of many tutors and friends at Keele University. Thanks, first of all are due to Dr. Julie Sanders who stimulated and encouraged me throughout the writing of this piece. Secondly I would like to thank Matt Edmonds who let me borrow several pieces of his music collection so that this dissertation could be completed. My Mum, Dad and Phil need a special thanks for reading rough drafts, sharing my enthusiasm and for picking me up when I was in need of help.

Thank you all.


Preface

This study originated in my interest in Shakespeare and my love of music. I first had an interest in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet when I did a school production at the age of twelve. Having since studied a wide range of Shakespearean material at university I decided to go back to my initial interest of Romeo and Juliet and write a dissertation. As my interest in classical music has grown over the years I felt it would be interesting to look at how different composers have interpreted the play.

The composers that I have chosen to analise the works of are Charles Gounod (1813-1893), Sergi Prokofiev (1840-1893) and Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1891-1953). My reason for choosing these particular composers is that they all wrote their interpretations of Romeo and Juliet in different musical styles. Gounod has written his in the style of an opera, offering words to the audience to aid the understanding. Prokofiev decided upon a ballet to portray his ideas and with constant action added drama to the music. Tchaikovsky was used another style to the two others. He composed a fantasy overture that only last approximately sixteen minutes thirty seconds and has no words or actions leaving a vast amount of interpretation to the listener. For me this made my study more interesting and challenging as every listener has their own views and ideas so no one can be right or wrong.

Early in my study it became apparent that a thorough study of musical interpretations of Romeo and Juliet had not yet been undertaken. The first part of this discussion focuses on the masked ball and in particular the first encounter of the two protagonists. The second chapter moves swiftly on to the famous balcony scene. I chose this scene as it is one of Shakespeare’s most recognised scenes and composers have a lot to input in love scenes such as this.

The final chapter moves away from the two main characters and looks at Friar Laurence with his important input to the play. With the Friar being a mediating figure of the play and by being the main person behind Romeo and Juliet’s decisions Gounod, Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky portray him differently and pick up on separate parts of his characteristics.

The study I have outlined above, will, hopefully fill a gap in research on classical music interpretations of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and hopefully will persuade other listeners to put forward their own interpretations and ideas.


The Masked Ball

        Act One Scene Four of Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet is the masked ball that is held at the Capulet’s house. During this scene we encounter many of the characters but probably most importantly it includes the first meeting of the two main protagonists Juliet Capulet and Romeo Montague. The scene begins with a few members of the Montague family gatecrashing the party.

At the beginning of Act One Scene there is discussion between Romeo, Benvolio and Mercutio on whether or not to intrude on the party being held at the Capulets house. Mercutio already has an invite but Benvolio feels it would be fun to go along. In the end Romeo is persuaded and in disguise they enter the party. Capulet welcomes the maskers and watches the dance, recollecting with his cousin his own dancing days. Tybalt realises part way through the dance that one of the maskers is a Montague, and is infuriated by the intrusion:

This, by his voice, should be a Montague.

Fetch me my rapier, boy.

What, dares the slave

Come hither, covered with an antic face,

To fleer and scorn at our solemnity?

Now by the stock and honour of my kin,

To strike him dead I hold it not a sin.

(Act One, Scene Four, Line 167-172).

Capulet, realising himself that the Montague is infact Romeo, orders Tybalt to control himself and let the intrusion pass. Tybalt accepts the order but vows to himself that this will not be the end of the matter.

Prokofiev’s ballet opens with Romeo and his friends Mercutio and Benvolio gate crashing the masked ball. To illustrate the dance Prokofiev has written a minuet, a common form of dance and he uses this music to portray the arrival of the guests. The music itself is similar to background music, as the emphasis is more on Capulet welcoming his guests. It begins with a prominent blast by the strings and timpani followed by a short phrase from the oboe telling the listeners that the party has begun. It then subsides into a short question and answer theme by means of the low brass and middle woodwind, which depicts Capulet welcoming his guests. The cornet then plays a solo accompanied by strings and in this you can almost hear the speech that Capulet gives after he has welcomed everybody and ordered the musicians to play:

        Welcome, gentlemen. Ladies that have their toes

        Unplagued with corns will walk about with you.

        Ah my mistresses, which of you all

        Will now deny to dance? She that makes dainty,

        She I’ll swear hath corns. Am I come near ye now?

        Welcome, gentlemen. I have seen the day

        That I have worn a visor and could tell

        A whispering tale in a fair lady’s ear,

        Such as would please. ’Tis gone, ’tis gone, ’tis gone.

        You are welcome, gentlemen. Come, musicians, play.

                                                Act One, Scene Four, Line 129-138  

 The dancing continues and the music displays this by, again, using question and answer snippets, this time to help the listener recognise the dancing and changing of partners. The next section of music Prokofiev has appropriately named ‘Masks’. It begins with simple tambourine and snare drum beats marking out the beats of the bar. The clarinet then interrupts with a small motif that winds the music up to the main outburst by the strings. The theme that the strings develop has a sneaky devious feeling to it that is created by the high pitch and gradual crescendo. The clarinet then repeats this theme with interludes between the strings. This highlights the build up to Tybalt’s outburst that comes in the next new theme of music. To finish off this section of music, Prokofiev has introduced a diminuendo in the low register of the clarinet with the double basses plucking notes with a bigger rest between the next. The next theme that Prokofiev introduces begins with very loud prominent trombones and lower strings that, to me, represent Tybalt’s anger at the intrusion:

        TYBALT

             Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe;

             A villain that is hither come in spite

             To scorn at our solemnity this night.

        CAPULET

             Young Romeo is it?

        TYBALT

                                     ’Tis he, that villain Romeo.

                                        Act One, Scene Four, Line 174-177

 It is a harsh sound and although the strings play a quite melodic tune it is the trombones’ blasting chords on the first and third beat of every bar that highlights the issue that is being made. The harsh sound helps to portray Tybalts language and the words that he uses such as ‘foe’, ‘villain’, ‘spite’ and ‘scorn’. They all have a bitter sound to them and are nasty words and the trombones symbolise this. When the trombones and lower brass take over the main theme there is an air of tension and urgency making the listener believe that a climax is being reached and a fight is about to start. This section of music builds up the tension throughout but then ends with two chords by all the instruments. This symbolises the time in the play when Tybalt decides to leave everything for now and when Romeo begins his approach on Juliet.  

Gounod takes a different approach from Prokofiev and begins the dance with a waltz. It includes a solo by Capulet where he is introducing his guests and welcoming everyone to the ball. He is accompanied by strings with the double basses striking chords on the first beat of each bar helping to keep the movement going and to remind the listeners that it is a dance. Capulet creates the main theme of the movement and along with a running figure from the strings build up excitement. The chorus then takes over singing the main theme that Capulet has already begun and with the piccolo’s playing high pitched trills they represent the anger that is bubbling up in Tybalt. The whole orchestra eventually plays the main motif while the voices are quiet and the dancing continues. The next movement that Gounod introduces is Mercutio singing a solo that resembles his speech on Mab, Queen of Dreams:

O, then I see Queen Mab hath been with you.

She is the fairies’ midwife, and she comes

        In shape no bigger than an agate stone

        On the forefinger of an alderman,

        Drawn with a team of little atomi

        Over men’s noses as they lie asleep.        

                                        Act One, Scene Four, Line 51-56

Mercutio’s language is very descriptive as he paints a picture of Queen Mab to Romeo and the audience and this is reflected in the music. In Shakespeare’s text this actually comes before Capulet welcomes his guests but Gounod varies this. To reiterate the point of dreaming that Mercutio is making to Romeo Gounod modulates the music from minor to major throughout the middle section of the piece. It is a slow movement that, with the use of cellos and low brass, becomes expressive and romantic. Towards the end the tempo increases and the woodwind enter with short staccato notes followed by running figures that get higher in pitch until they reach their climax which symbolises the end of the piece and their involvement in the masked ball.

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Tchaikovsky begins his ball with a transition from the opening theme, starting with the entrance of the timpani. The theme is then briefly developed and then the tempo starts to speed up which then leads into the theme of the party. This theme uses the full orchestra and although it is symbolising the ball it also represents the Montague-Capulet feud. After presenting it Tchaikovsky develops it slightly, first in a canonic style and then by tossing fragments between the strings and the woodwind. This can also represent Tybalt and Capulet as Tybalt becomes angry and Capulet tries to calm him ...

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