We all know that the lovers will die, but what does that matter? The measure of any performance of Romeo and Juliet, whether told in play, opera or ballet form, is the extent to which the portrayal of their demise appeals to our emotions.
And by such a measure, this Royal Opera House production of Gounod's Romeo et Juliette is only partially successful. Recorded live at Covent Garden on 15 and 17 November 1994, the production, directed by Nicolas Joel and conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras, boasts a strong cast and some excellent singing. It suffers, however, from lacking sufficient visual appeal to sustain interest for three hours in a living room.
The orchestra hardly puts a foot wrong in producing sounds appropriate for each scene. The opening to Act One, which depicts the bloody rivalry between the families, is suitably strident, the start of Act Two at Juliet's balcony introduces some beautifully understated and melancholic playing, whilst in Act Three in Frere Laurent's cell the sound is both rounded and intense.
The scenes are also exciting to watch where the chorus has a role to play. The tumultuous fight at the start takes place under subdued lighting, which then dominates throughout as if to emphasise the inevitable fate that awaits the lovers. The chorus deliver a thick, haunting sound, and wear suitably colourful costumes at the ball, where masks do not simply hide the physical. When characters remove theirs, it is clear they are revealing their innermost feelings as much as their faces.
But, since the chorus appears relatively little, any production's success relies mainly on how its soloists perform. Here, Leontina Vaduva is a captivating Juliette, capturing a real sense of youthful excitement and fear in the balcony scene, and demonstrating a brilliant upper register. In contrast, Roberto Alagna's voice as Romeo sometimes feels too nasal and abrasive, although he can be forgiven this for his singing in certain solos is incredible. Unfortunately, however, it is only in the solos that he excels as his interaction with Juliette is profoundly lacking.
Alagna seems too caught up emotionally in his own part to appear enraptured with Vaduva. This leads to some visually awkward duets, made all the more so on screen as the camera zooms in on the lovers.
More widely, the frequent close-ups in scenes with few characters make it hard to grasp the overall concept of the production. The large stage is peppered with appropriate features for each scene (a balcony, or the entrance to the Capulets' house) but, at least on screen, do not appear to bear any greater dramatic or symbolic significance.
This said, there are many strong performances, particularly from Peter Sidhom as Capulet (Juliette's father) and Paul Charles Clarke as Tybalt. With brilliant singing from both, the irony is that they come across as benevolent figures wanting what is best for Juliette. This makes it all the more disturbing when we remind ourselves that it is their outlook that is fuelling the hatred and violence.
The DVD possesses no special features and the notes contain merely a synopsis. It you are primarily looking for superb playing and singing, then this recording of Gounod's Romeo et Juliette is probably the one to choose. To me, however, the DVD is let down by weak acting from Alagna, since it is the interaction between Romeo and Juliette that provides the main visual interest in the opera.
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