Vincenzo Bellini: The Capulets and the Montagues
öteborg Opera, Sweden
Göteborg Opera Orchestra and Chorus
Giancarlo Andretta, conductor
CAST: Kerstin Avemo (Giuletta); Katarina Karnéus (Romeo); Mats Persson (Lorenzo); Karl Rombo (Tebaldo); Markus Schwarz (Cappelio)
Bellini's take on the Romeo and Juliet story is unusual in that it's not primarily based on Shakespeare's tragedy, instead deriving from an Italian novella. It was a runaway hit at its premiere, causing Bellini to refer to it as "Zaira's revenge," as much of its music was recycled from his opera Zaira, which had failed less than a year earlier.