Based on a synopsis created by Adrian Piotrovsky (who first suggested the subject to Prokofiev) and Sergey Radlov, the ballet was composed by Prokofiev in September 1935 to their scenario which followed the precepts of "drambalet" (dramatised ballet, officially promoted at the Kirov Ballet to replace works based primarily on choreographic display and innovation). Following Radlov's acrimonious resignation from the Kirov in June 1934, a new agreement was signed with the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow on the understanding that Piotrovsky would remain involved. However, the ballet's original happy ending (contrary to Shakespeare) provoked controversy among Soviet cultural officials; the ballet's production was then postponed indefinitely when the staff of the Bolshoi was overhauled at the behest of the chairman of the Committee on Arts Affairs, Platon Kerzhentsev. The ballet's failure to be produced within Soviet Russia until 1940 may also have been due to the increased fear and caution in the musical and theatrical community in the aftermath of the two notorious Pravda editorials criticising Shostakovich and other "degenerate modernists" including Piotrovsky. The conductor Yuri Fayer met with Prokofiev frequently during the writing of the music, and he strongly urged the composer to revert to the traditional ending. Fayer went on to conduct the first performance of the ballet at the Bolshoi Theatre.
"Romeo and Juliet" was the lead single released from Sylk-E. Fyne's debut album, Raw Sylk. The song was released on January 27, 1998, with production from Gerald Baillergeau and Victor Merritt and a guest appearance from William "Chill" Warner. The song was a massive hit on Mainstream Urban radio stations in February 1998. The music video was released in January 1998 and had heavy rotation on the B.E.T. network. It contains an interpolation of "You Don't Have To Cry" by Rene & Angela.
The song quickly became a success, rising to #6 on the Billboard 100 and #1 on the rap charts. However, her album failed to match the single's success as Raw Sylk struggled sales-wise, and she was dropped from her label, RCA Records. Though her next single, 2000's "Ya Style" found some success on the rap charts (peaking at #17), "Romeo and Juliet" remains both Sylk-E. Fyne and Chill's only top 40 hit on the Billboard 200.
"Romeo and Juliet" was certified gold by the RIAA on March 30, 1998 for sales of over 500,000 copies.
Kenneth MacMillan had previously choreographed the balcony scene for Lynn Seymour and Christopher Gable to dance in September 1964 for Canadian Television. This experience made him seem a good candidate to choreograph the entire ballet for Covent Garden, when the Soviet Union refused to allow Leonid Lavrovsky's classic production to tour to London. MacMillan prepared his version with the blessing of Frederick Ashton.
Premiere performance
Kenneth MacMillan's Royal Ballet production of Sergei Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet premiered at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on 9 February 1965. Though MacMillan had conceived the ballet for Lynn Seymour and Christopher Gable, for "bureaucratic reasons" Margot Fonteyn and Rudolph Nureyev danced the opening night, to MacMillan's disappointment. Fonteyn and Nureyev brought new life to the characters, as did the set and costume designs by Nicholas Georgiadis; Fonteyn, considered to be near retirement, embarked upon a rejuvenated career with a partnership with Nureyev.
The song is a moderately up-tempo number, with Stokkan addressing the object of his desires. He sings about his elaborate preparations to "seduce you" - going to the lengths of borrowing clothes to look better. Unfortunately for him, his advances appear to have been over-eager, as he sings "My greatest pleasure was to touch you/My biggest stupidity was to feel you up". His paramour compares him unfavourably to Romeo, telling him that "the Gods shall know that you will never become a/Romeo, Romeo, try to take it easy", even as he is begging on his knees for the relationship to work.
Despite the somewhat unconventional lyrics - Eurovision entries tending to be about requited love - the song is more significant for the appearance onstage of a drag queen, a member of the Norwegian drag troupe "Great Garlic Girls", dressed in stylised clothing reminiscent of the 18th century.
Marvin Dawkins (born 23 October 1980), better known by his stage name Romeo or MC Romeo, is an English rapper and MC.
Biography
Romeo first found fame in the garage group So Solid Crew, having grown up on and around the notorious Surrey Lane, Winstanley and Badric Court estates of Battersea. He subsequently had a solo career. He got his name Romeo due to his smoothness with the ladies.
Romeo released his solo album Solid Love in November 2002, through Relentless records, the label that No Solid had just left for Independiente.
He enjoyed two top 10 singles, "Romeo Dunn'em" which reached No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart in 2002, and secondly a duet with Christina Milian, "It's All Gravy Baby", which reached No. 9 in the UK Singles Chart in the same year.
However, only a disappointing 40,000 copies sold of his album, peaking at No. 46 in the UK Albums Chart. In March 2003, Relentless filed for bankruptcy with debts of £3m.
In 2004, Romeo appeared in the reality show The Games, and returned to the series to compete in the Champion of Champions contest in 2006. Romeo also featured in a gameshow called Fool Around With... Romeo on Channel 4 in 2005, in which he had to guess which girl out of four was single.
Someone prep the Prokofiev because it's about to get all Montagues and Capulets (Cublets and Orblets) up in here! Not Romeo and Juliet, but Quadralon and Radiara of the Cubes and the Orbs — warring photonic species of the Veraflex nebula ... 9 ... Next ....
Dance is the unique medium that underscores this production of “Romeo & Juliet,” set to Sergei Prokofiev’s ballet score ... The seminal question that the production tackles is not contained to the tragic fate of Romeo and Juliet’s relationship.
Maksim is crossing his own boundaries too, with the challenging classical piece ProkofievFantasy presented on the album ... It comes in three parts, including the famous Romeo and JulietBallet and the coda from the Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No 3 ... .
Later, there are hints of Bernard Herrmann and other film scores and even a non-cinematic homage to Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet.” The result is big, lush and, of course, decidedly cinematic music, ...
Up Next...Sainsbury’sChristmas advert is out in the world (Picture ... In the short film entitled Shadows, set to Aubade from Romeo and Juliet by Prokofiev, people stacked objects in a white room to create a shadow of a woman walking her dog on the wall.
The symphony will perform Romeo and JulietSuite No. 2, a seven-movement work drawn from Sergei Prokofiev’s landmark ballet, and Johannes Brahms’ legendary Symphony No. 1... “Prokofiev was one of the early ‘bad boys’ of classical music,” Gesme explained.
It’s the unofficial kickoff of the symphony’s season, with the “ElectricLove” concert with Silverman slated for 7.30 p.m ...Others reacted to the music, jumping backward as the menacing music of Sergei Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet Suite No ... .
Superlatives. A Vulture series in which artists judge the best and worst of their own careers ... Vulture; Photo ... I wrote most of it in hospital ... He had the Prokofiev knack. You listen to “Romeo and Juliet,” and musically you suddenly are somewhere else ... ....
Cascade Business News
24 Oct 2024
Cascade Business News
24 Oct 2024