Romeo and Juliet

It’s five centuries since Shakespeare used an old Italian tale as inspiration for Romeo and Juliet – and the tragic love story has been the basis of many artistic works since.   So the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra rightly chose to present famous musical interpretations of the story with the words that inspired them – with assistance of actors from Bell Shakespeare.   It was the largest of three works inspired by the ‘star-crossed lovers’ – Prokofiev’s stirring music for the ballet Romeo and Juliet – that dominated both halves of the program. Its clearly delineated scenes (‘Dance of the Knights’, ‘Juliet’s Bedroom’ and so on) sat easily with the spoken word, and illuminated the experience of hearing music so well matched to Shakespeare’s words.   First, however, was Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet, an ‘overture fantasy’ that has appeared in numerous film soundtracks (although, ironically, not for the best-known versions of Romeo and Juliet). The work is faithful to the essential story, the music beginning with a sense of foreboding, well achieved by conductor Benjamin Northey and the MSO.   The orchestra segued smoothly from this to a hint of a medieval tune – and then to the dramatic sound of the conflict between the Capulets and Montagues, making the contrast with the lyrical ‘Juliet’s theme’ all the more powerful.     The strong chords that ended the Tchaikovsky left listeners with an awareness of the tragic dimensions of Shakespeare’s play, so little pause was needed before the first of the excerpts from Prokofiev’s ballet music for Romeo and Juliet: ‘The Duke’s Command’.   With John Bell himself appearing as the Prince to issue his warning to the Montagues and Capulets, the scene was set for the tragedy to play out in words and music. Bell’s stentorian tones gave confidence that this would work – and it did. Not that there was any doubt about it.   The MSO gave as convincing a performance of the ‘Dance of the Knights’ as you could hope for; the great syncopated brass against the urgent strings contrasted with a gentler winds-driven subject in the middle section. This is probably the best-known part of Prokofiev’s ballet music and it was extremely satisfying.   Although the actors did not have to speak above the music (almost impossible!) their voices were, without exception, strong and clear. Kane Felsinger, as Benvolio, had thundering tones to match those of Bell himself, although – with text carefully selected from a far longer play – his role was primarily to fill the audience in on the action.   Hearing the familiar words of Shakespeare worked extremely well, but having actors occasionally step out of character to give a summary of the action did not – mainly because the words sounded ‘flat’ beside those of the Bard.   As to Shakespeare’s words, they were done justice by the central actors: Nicholas Masters as Romeo and Andrea Demetriades as Juliet. Both created distinctive characters with only a fraction of the original text – and that interrupted by long pieces of music. A simple gesture – that of reaching out hands to each other – worked well throughout the performance, as a reminder of the inherent sadness of this story, with its inevitable tragic ending.   Unlike most reviews, this will not analyse closely the performance of the orchestra. This is simply because, in a brave experiment, Northey and the MSO got it absolutely right. The familiar music, heard in a new way, was played superbly – much of it with a massive sound faithfully reproduced by Hamer Hall’s new acoustics.   Mention should be made, however, of the lesser known A Village Romeo and Juliet: The Walk to the Paradise Garden, by Delius. This was the first work after interval and, although the audience was keen to get back to the Prokofiev and the story-telling, it appreciated this far more delicate interlude. Prudence Davis’s flute was heard to advantage in the dreamlike quality of the piece, as it was then to be in ‘Juliet’s Bedroom’, when the Prokofiev resumed.   This performance was a little risky, but more than proved its worth. A repeat of the program – and more like it – would be well received, judging by audience response on the night.   Rating: 4 ½ stars out of 5   The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra presents Romeo and Juliet In association with Bell Shakespeare Conductor: Benjamin Northey Director: John Bell Members of The Bell Shakespeare Company   Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall 2 November