ROMÉO ET JULIETTE. METOPERA

The “thrilling star team” (New York Observer) of Diana Damrau and Vittorio Grigolo sing with “white-hot sensuality and impassioned lyricism” (New York Times) as Shakespeare’s classic star-crossed lovers in Gounod’s lush adaptation. Director Bartlett Sher’s “brilliant and inspired new production … is a revelation” (Huffington Post), and has already won acclaim for its vivid 18th-century milieu and stunning costumes during runs at Salzburg and La Scala. The performances are led by the “richly textured and vibrant conducting” (New York Times) of Gianandrea Noseda.

World premiere: Théâtre Lyrique, Paris, 1867. Perhaps the most enduringly successful of the many operatic settings of the world’s consummate love story, Roméo et Juliette is an excellent example of French Romanticism, a tradition that values subtlety, sensuality, and graceful vocal delivery over showy effects. In the opera there is a slight shift of focus away from the word games of the original play and a greater focus on the two lovers, who are given four irresistible duets, including a brief final reunion in the tomb scene that does not appear in the play.

http://www.metopera.org/Season/2016-17-Season/romeo-et-juliette-gounod-tickets/