Romeo und Julia
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Product ID: WG3 ETM2083
By Sergej Prokofiev
Publisher:
Musikverlag Andrea Wiegand
Arranger:
Andreas Wins
Series:
Erlebniskonzert
Genre:
Classical, Ballet
Line Up:
Flexible Instrumentation (Solo: Narrator)
Duration:
40:00 + 15:00
Level: 3-4
Full Score
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About this item
Prokofiev wrote his ballet Romeo and Juliet (op. 64) as a commission for the Bolshoi Theatre in 1935, the plot in the final version of the ballet closely following the play by William Shakespeare. Prokofiev himself took individual pieces of the ballet music to form the three well-known orchestral suites (op. 64bis, op. 64ter, op. 101) and also the Ten Pieces for Piano (op. 75). Unlike in the suites, this arrangement puts many of the best-known melodies and dramatically important scenes into chronological order. With only music as the vehicle, this then presents the entire story of the ballet essentially as a suite in its own right. What’s more, a riveting narrative combines the individual numbers to an exciting concert experience, the narrator’s last few words being given in the score each time before the orchestra is to come in as cues for the conductor. Although the effect of this arrangement will only reach its greatest potential with a full orchestra, a performance with smaller orchestral forces is also perfectly possible. What is essential in any performance, however, is a full (five-part) complement of strings in which a Violin III (included in the separate parts book) is on no account used to replace the viola but can instead play the viola part in a supportive role. In addition, there must be a minimum of two flutes and at least one set of woodwind and of brass instruments, including a tenor saxophone and a tuba. The second parts, which can be omitted if needs be, have been written as substitute notes (see below) where this was possible when another instrument (1st part) is not playing at that particular time. The arrangement also allows for timpani, percussion and a harp (which can likewise be left out if necessary) and also a piano. The piano music contains the actual piano part as one of the orchestral parts (in standard size) and also a kind of piano reduction or condensed score (in cue-note size) and can be used to help specifically support certain instruments. Since these small notes are already played by the orchestra, this section of the part (and only this one) can be simplified whenever desired by not playing certain notes in the chords, for example, or thinning out fast passages etc. The separate parts will help to create greater flexibility in the instruments which can be employed but they should be used with circumspection. It’s normally better to give preference to instruments of the same family for woodwind or brass, for example the tenor saxophone for Trombone I in B flat (high) or the baritone. Horn I in E flat can best be replaced by an althorn or tenor horn and Horn II in B flat (high) by a baritone. An exception is Trombone II in E flat (high) – the baritone saxophone is actually meant in this case. Despite its name, the E-flat tuba is not transposed (in Germany). The bass clarinet as a substitute for Bassoon I is not so much a recommendation as a limitation; other instruments in high B flat are even less or not at all suitable for the low notes of this part. The score is written in C but the individual parts in the parts book are in the key of the particular instrument. The absence of sharps or flats in the pieces does not necessarily mean the key of C major or A minor, however, as some sections are atonal, which in practice means that sharps and flats do not appear for the transposing instruments at these places either. As a rule, sharps and flats are not given for trumpets and horns.
Songlist (14)
- Romeo
- The Wet Nurse
- The young Julia -
- Dance of the Knights
- Tybald attacks Romeo
- Balkony Scene
- Pater Lorenzo
- Romeo avenges Mercutio's death
- Funeral March
- The morning -
- Julia refuses -
- Julia alone -
- Lilies dance -
- Julia's death
Instrumentation
Strings
Winds
Harp
Piano
Percussion
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Composer
Sergej Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (23 April 1891[2] – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century.
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