•
Rating: An eerie silence triumphs. One of those rare occasions where you can hear a fly buzzing. The lights give way to the atmosphere, timidly dimming. Perhaps even the woodworms cease gnawing at the chiseled intarsia of the gallery's lacquered wood. It is Rudol'f Nuryev who makes the stageboards creak.
When Nuryev dances, even the butterflies feel the duty to bow.
The applause mingles with emotion and the roar becomes sweetly deafening. A noise you would never want to stop assailing your ears. Margot Fonteyn will play Juliet. Damn arthritis. Dragonflies, in this case, can fly even without wings.
Prokofiev, as he will do for "Peter and the Wolf," applies a musical phrase to each character. He makes them protagonists in a melody, stitching a melodic soul onto them that is necessarily revisited throughout the ballet's three acts. The doubts, the restlessness, the tears and silences of Romeo, as well as the confidences, the preparations, the hopes, the effusions of Juliet, take on a pathos that is hard to match. In almost every passage, there is a sound trace leading back to the presence of a character on stage, whether it be a step, a sigh, a punch. As well as the hostilities between Mercutio and Tybalt, with phrases reminiscent of the folkloric style of the Cossack ballads from a time not so suspect.
The first act features the presentation of the characters, their perceptible sensations, accompanied by the scents and pristine smells that, without the skillful use of strings and the almost extemporaneous incursion of flutes, cannot be better described. The prevalence of wind instruments in interpreting the protagonists is quite evident, despite being well matched in effective intersections with strings. Surprising but very apt, the use of a mandolin in the namesake dance, in one of the few cheerful passages of the work. The high point of the first act and the entire work is the splendid "Dance of the Knights." It captures the scene like a sudden explosion, where the heaviness of the instruments gives the perfect sense of the advancing, imposing, of armored soles sinking into the ground. The strings cut the air, touching heights that potentially flirt with ultrasound, then leaving a temporary void skillfully filled by the powerfully blown brass. Georg Solti, in conducting, produces a version very abundant in sound power. Perhaps, within the context of the work, a more "light" version like that of Masur, Previn, Ozawa, or Abbado would be preferable. However, it should be noted that this would lose the feeling of the advancement de quo, which, believe me, is beautiful. The verdict to the listeners.
Noteworthy, in the second act, is the transition from the sonic calm of the two lovers confiding with Friar Laurence to the overwhelming surge of notes in the avalanche of violins describing Romeo's acceptance of the duty to avenge the death of his friend Mercutio. Interesting, from a structural point of view, is the "joyfulness" that characterizes what is actually a tragic event, namely the fight between Tybalt and Mercutio that culminates with the latter's death. It seems as if you can see them facing each other, hopping like two boxers in the act of gauging the right moment to strike.
Of notable interest in the third act is the use of the organ and celesta, especially in passages showcasing Juliet's abandonment of all hope, the outward display of a sorrowful sentiment, a sadness that, despite the rejection of marriage with Paris, and the beautiful dance of the maidens with the lilies, prevails for the rest of the composition. In Juliet's death, absolutely heartrending, the sense of hope that manages to be perceived despite the dramatic finale of the story must be highlighted.
The boards have stopped creaking, and the heavy breathing of the protagonists is perceptible despite their resting position. Eyelids embrace in a movement of passion and grace. The awakening of the lights blends with the compact fabric of vigorous applause.
On stage, bouquets of flowers fly in the shadow of a tenderly kissed hand.
Tracklist
Loading comments slowly
