The tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet has been sung about and mourned in music countless times, not least by Berlioz, Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev. Tchaikovsky's symphonic poem Romeo And Juliet (let's keep the title of Shakespeare) was composed after a detailed outline of his colleague Balakirev. As a listener, you sometimes miss such programmatic intentions, but fortunately the unparalleled love
… theme does not need any explanation. After the premiere in 1870, Tchaikovsky would rework the piece twice more. And it's the last version, the one from 1880, that we usually hear. The booklet provides detailed information about Romeo And Juliet, as well as those two other 'Shakespeariana': Hamlet & The Tempest. Remarkably, that information comes from Simon Callow, the British actor who will at least be known in our country from Four Weddings and a Funeral (his role was the 'funeral'). With this release, the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra continues its worldwide triumphal march. This orchestra is the premier division of an entire system of youth orchestras, offering Venezuelan youth an alternative to poverty and crime. (HJ)more
