An Analysis of Romeo and Juliet in Classical Music
Romeo, oh Romeo. These are the famous words from one of Shakespeare’s most
celebrated plays, Romeo and Juliet. This play provoked many artists to incorporate the
notorious forbidden tale of love in to their own masterful works. William Shakespeare, born in
1564, wrote the famous play of Romeo and Juliet early in his career. The play is still one of
Shakespeare’s most performed works to this day. The story of the young star-crossed lover’s fate
controlled by their feuding families has influenced many people time and time again through
literature, film, and music. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet has inspired so many musicians to
write operas, symphonic poems, ballets, jazz works, musical theater performances, and much
more. Just to name a few composers who were touched by this incredible writing of
Shakespeare include Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, and Bernstein. Their pieces have captured the true
spirit of Shakespeare’s work.
The famous Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky born in 1840 was very inspired
by Shakespeare’s literature, writing pieces on Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest, and Hamlet.
Tchaikovsky’s Overture-Fantasy can be argued as the most popular musical version of the love
tragedy Romeo and Juliet. Unlike his other major compositions, this piece does not have an
opus number. Tchaikovsky got the idea to write a piece on Romeo and Juliet from his friend
Mily Balakirev who was the leader of the famous Russian composer group call The Five. In fact,
Balakirev even went so far to help Tchaikovsky that he outlined the form, planned the keys, and
helped with revisions. At 29 years old, Tchaikovsky started working on the piece and 11 years
later, after going through many spells of depression, he finally revised the piece into what we
hear today. This incredible symphonic poem is written in sonata form with three reappearing
main themes to tell the story. The first theme, written in F sharp minor, is the mysterious eerie
tune of Friar Laurence played by strings and upper woodwinds. Later all the winds enter while
the theme is repeated. Once the timpani makes it’s entrance, the full orchestra gradually begins
picking up speed until the entire ensemble bursts out with the roaring second theme of the
feuding Capulets and Montagues. Fast movement throughout strings and winds conveys the
dueling strife between these families. The cymbal lets out a series of crashes signaling the bitter
climax of the theme. Slowly the orchestra dies down and the low strings move the piece into the
very famous love theme played by the English horn and violas. Growing more and more the
third theme blooms into full flight with the flute, oboe, and droning French horn trio. Sweeping
sounds from the low strings and low winds along with the reprise of the English horn really pull
an intense feeling during this section, but the beautiful and luscious theme is soon turned into
the mighty theme of the feuding going on. The second theme is even stronger this time than the
first with sharp fierce trumpets and booming brass and string sounds. Somehow through the
intense theme of the Capulets and Montagues emerges the love theme stronger than ever
proclaiming that love will prevail. Each time the love theme returns Tchaikovsky raises the key
up a half step creating more and more aggressiveness. But Romeo and Juliet’s love cannot
escape the feuds of their families and thus returns the fighting theme entangled with the love
theme. Romeo and Juliet know that the only way for them to be together is in death. Then
everything in the orchestra stops. Sadly the two young lovers are dead. Timidly the strings enter
with a sad and dark sound that converts into a more hopeful sounding woodwind semi-chorus
encouraging peace for the families of the two star-crossed lovers. Tchaikovsky ends this forceful
piece with a final majestic farewell fanfare with all brass, strings, and an outstanding percussion
section to close this tragic tale. By the time Tchaikovsky finished this piece, listeners slowly fell
in love with its lush melodies, orchestration and sincerity of emotional expression. The first two
drafts of this piece were not appreciated, but by it’s final revision Tchaikovsky had written an
amazing piece that reaches all audiences and tells the stunning tale of Romeo and Juliet.
Sergei Prokofiev, born in 1891, was also a Russian composer who wrote an amazing 2
and a half hour ballet on Romeo and Juliet. This ballet, written in 52 short movements, is still
the most preferred score for productions of Romeo and Juliet. Prokofiev was so true to the
story, writing music so clear to where and when certain characters appear in the story that
choreographers are able to depict the story to Shakespeare’s word. A few personal favorites of
all 52 movements would be scene 2 and scenes 19-21; both selections are in the first act. In the
beginning of Act I scene 2 we are brought to the serene marketplace in Verona where the towns
people are buying goods. Everything is going smoothly until the Capulets and the Montagues
meet in the street . Fighting erupts and the peace of the marketplace is overrun by the two
enemy families creating much fear and harm to the people of Verona. Prokofiev’s infamous
theme of the Capulets and Montagues , or also called the Dance of the Knights, starts with a
heavy pull from the low strings and then in sweeps the upper strings with this strong grudging
theme. The brass enter in and add even more power to entice the audience into the fight.
Prokofiev’s music literally makes you feel like you are a part of the scene with the thundering of
the Capulets and Montagues storming the marketplace. With swimming brass and strings it is
easy to feel the intensity of this scene. Interestingly the woodwinds are almost all tacit during
the real meat of this movement. An exciting addition to the instrumentation in this selection is
the tenor saxophone who makes a rare solo appearance in the transitional music to the next
scene. The tenor saxophone is rarely used in ballets, but had started becoming more popular
around the time of this composition in other classical works. The second selection is from the
memorable balcony scene between Romeo and Juliet. It begins with the middle strings playing
this gorgeous line of moving slow phrases. Atop the main melody the upper strings enter with a
piercing complementary melody overtaking the entire phrase with much gusto. Over above the
strings fluid ascending motive, emerges the flute with a sprinkling of staccato 3rds that adds just
the perfect touch of flavor. The piece adds more and more instruments until it is a tornado of
fortissimo sound circling around representing the unexpected love of Romeo and Juliet. Just
like in Tchaikovsky’s symphonic poem, the amazing theme of the two lovers keeps repeating and
with each entrance the key goes up a half step creating a very intense over powering feeling of
passion. There is also the presence of the English horn consistent to the Tchaikovsky piece and
a major emphasis in the majestic sounding French horn during the love theme, but the most
powerful presence during the two selections mentioned here would be the low strings. The
timbre creates the entire mood of the Capulet and Montague theme and the love scene would be
unfulfilling without their luscious downward half notes. Prokofiev’s amazing moving melody in
the love scene would not be complete without the breath taking descending line of the low
strings while the upper strings hold out the end of their earnest love theme. There are so many
different musical lines going on at the same time, yet they create an incredible masterpiece of
sound. Truly, the cello and bass descending line finalizes the complexity of this unbelievable love
scene. How could you not be in love after experiencing the romance of this sound?
One of the more modern stories of Romeo and Juliet set with music is the musical
theater production of West Side Story written by Leonard Bernstein. Bernstein, born in 1918,
was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer, and pianist. He was among the
first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide fame.
West Side Story was a collaboration between choreographer Jerome Robbins, book writter
Arthur Laurents, and composer Leonard Bernstein. The plot of West Side Story takes place in
the mid 1950’s in New York. Instead of having the Capulets and the Montagues, we have the
Sharks and the Jets. The Sharks are Americans born in Puerto Rico and the Jets are a white
group who claim themselves to be “real” Americans. Our Romeo in this story is named Tony
and Juliet is Maria. Bernstein’s music for this story ended up being a perfect union for the
production. Personally, the music is what makes this movie a success. With unforgettable
melodies in One Hand, One Heart to the perfect Latin flavor in songs like Dance in the Gym,
Bernstein captures the true essence of Shakespeare’s passionate story. Each song fits perfectly
into each characters’ personality and mood of the scene to reel in the audiences’ heart. In the
1961 film version of the musical, Anita, played by Rita Moreno, sings in favor of living in the
United States while Bernardo, her husband and leader of the Sharks, responds to her praises
with criticisms stating the racism in American society towards Puerto Ricans. Some of lyrics of
the song America, written by Stephen Sondheim, are sung, "Life is all right in America," "If
you're a white in America". The Sharks are still having a huge problem trying to live in peace in
America while being harassed by other cultures. This tension results in why Tony, with the Jets,
and Maria, with the Sharks, cannot be together. A main element of this song is the mixed meter.
The song alternates meters of 3/4 and 6/8 having the eighth note consistent throughout the
entire song.
By having this mixed meter, Bernstein has created a modern feel to this Puerto Ricanesque
melody and Sondheim brings a lighthearted mood to the problems the Puerto Ricans are facing
in their new country. The song Tonight appears twice in the movie. The first time we hear this
melody it is between Tony and Maria. This scene mirrors the balcony scene in Romeo and
Juliet. This beautiful duet conveys that everything would be better for the two ill-fated lovers if
only they could be together. They realize that as long as the two culture groups are fighting, they
cannot live together. Later in the movie the song Tonight is sung again, but this time it is sung
as a quintet. The quintet is sung in five parts by the Jets, the Sharks, Tony, Maria, and Anita.
The Tonight quintet is an incredible and different way to show the anticipation of the coming
night, which will end up being the climactic part of the story. By creating parts for all five of the
characters, we are able to hear how they personally feel about the upcoming ironic events of the
evening. The song begins with the five characters’ parts sung all together in unison, then the
different parts begin to overlap and swirl around and around until the piece finally build to the
last line, "Tonight," sung together simultaneously by the entire ensemble with multiple colored
harmonies. The Jets and the Sharks are the rival gangs anticipating the rumble which will settle
a bitter territorial feud that has been brewing between them for some time now. Both groups are
confident that the outcome of the fight will be in their favor. Everyone is singing in anticipation
of the results of the fight. Tony has fallen in love with Maria, Bernardo's sister. After Maria's
request, he plans to go to the rumble and stop the fighting once and for all. Maria and Tony sing
about their eagerness to see each other after Tony returns and they believe that after Tony stops
the fight, the tension surrounding their forbidden love will finally vanish. They are hoping that
Tony will succeed and they will be together forever. Sadly the fight does not end the way anyone
would have imagined. Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks, and Riff, the leader of the Jets, have
both been killed in the fight even though Tony originally went to regain peace to the two enemy
gangs. Sadness and grief hit home of both the gangs. Anita and Maria, who are struggling with
the death of Bernardo, sing an inspiring duet A Boy Like That and by the time we reach the final
scene, Tony has been shot and killed. While Maria kneels beside him and talks of her love for
him, the two feuding groups are finally able to see what they have done. The characters leave
the scene one by one while Bernstein’s music solemnly plays in the background. Gradually
growing the music ends with an explosion of sound that inspires the audience by these two
lovers. West Side Story does end differently than the classic tale of Romeo and Juliet with Maria
surviving the clashing of the two hostile cultures. In 1961, West Side Story won ten out of eleven
academy award nominations and is still the musical with the most academy awards. Bernstein’s
music absolutely makes this production what it is and authentically captures the story of Romeo
and Juliet.
It is interesting to see what each composer personally took on to inspire others about this
woeful tale of Romeo and Juliet. These masterpieces, unique in their own ways, all capture the
words of Shakespeare that spoke to each composer. Amazing masterpieces have been inspired
from this tale and even more than mentioned here have been created. For musically it would be
woe, if we didn’t have Juliet and her Romeo.