Organization

Singer

Tenor

Nico Darmanin

Romeo

Valentyn Dytiuk

Soprano

Perrine Madoeuf

Juliet

Bass

Priit Volmer

Friar Laurent

Baritone

Tamar Nugis

Mercutio

Mart Madiste

Tybalt

Mezzo-soprano

Janne Ševtšenko

Stephano

Aare Saal

Paris

Mati Vaikmaa

Aule Urb

Gertrude

Urmas Põldma

Benvolio

Raiko Raalik

Gregory

Bass-baritone

Jassi Zahharov

Count Capulet

Stage director

Stephen Barlow

Conductor

Vello Pähn

Arvo Volmer

Kaspar Mänd

Lighting designer

Matt Haskins

Set designer

Yannis Thavoris

Choreographer

Indrek Sammul

Eric Fennell

Kristel Pärtna

Märt Jakobson

René Soom

Mehis Tiits

Helen Lokuta

Juuli Lill

Mart Laur

Rauno Elp

Heldur Harry Põlda

Karis Trass

Janari Jorro

The Duke

Estonian National Opera

French

Roméo et Juliette -  (Romeo and Juliet)

Tallinn

Estonia

Main Stage

Public

Romeo and Juliet

Estonian

English

Approved

„Romeo ja Julia“ on 19. sajandi prantsuse ooperi üks hinnatumaid pärle. Ooperi üheks tuntumaks muusikanumbriks on „Je veux vivre“ ehk „Julia valss“. Lavastaj...

Gounod’ ooper „Romeo ja Julia“ / Gounod’s opera „Romeo and Juliet“

OPERAS

Romeo and Juliet
In this famous love story, stage director Stephen Barlow focuses on the fate of two feuding families, integrating it into contemporary Paris society. Through the futile feud of Capuleti and Montecchi families, the the love of two young people is the ray of light spreading the message of everlasting love.

The success of “Faust” in 1859 had motivated the director of theatre Théâtre-Lyrique, Léon Carvalho to commission a subsequent opera from Gounod. The composer’s splendid version of Shakespeare’s tragic story is graceful, dramatic, and supremely melodic. It is famous for its deeply emotional love duets, its beautiful orchestral colours and its heart-stirring choruses. This work is one of the huge hits of 19th century French opera. “Je veux vivre” or “Juliet’s Waltz” is one of the famous arias in this operatic masterpiece. In this famous love story, stage director Stephen Barlow focuses on the fate of two feuding families, integrating it into contemporary Paris society. Through the futile feud of Capuleti and Montecchi families, the the love of two young people is the ray of light spreading the message of everlasting love.

Stephen Barlow: “My starting point with Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette is the very first line of the Shakespeare play – Two households, both alike… two equal sides stuck in a permanent feud. Though the play was written over 400 years ago this hostile description calls to mind the increasing polarization of politics and society in present day Europe and beyond, fuelled by mounting mistrust in our political and economic institutions. This has lead to the re-emergence of populism and increasing civil unrest of which the gilets jaunes protests in Paris are the most recent and virulent demonstration. Britain, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Scotland for example have all become deeply divided communities in the aftermath of controversial referenda and/or elections which, as in Shakespeare’s play, have opened up entrenched positions that brook no compromise.
So designer Yannis Thavoris and I were attracted to a contemporary dystopian setting of this prophetic story which encapsulates the binary YES versus NO political world that we now live in with the Capulets and the Montagues rival, but unspecified, political factions. I want this brutal medieval tragedy to unfold and be counterpointed in a modern-day gilded world of power and privilege and I hope that watching this classic opera through a carefully considered unfamiliar prism might reflect different themes and provide more familiar points of references that resonate with a contemporary audience.”

Romeo and Juliet by Gounod, From (2021/2022), Directed by Stephen Barlow,, Conductor Vello Pähn, Arvo Volmer, Kaspar Mänd, Estonian National Opera, Tallinn, Estonia

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

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