Abstract
Juliette kisses Romeo’s lifeless form one final time, and then stabs herself. In Shakespeare’s original version, the most famous lovers in theatrical history don’t have the chance to say a proper goodbye. The deeply religious French composer Charles Gounod, on the other hand, closes out his opera Roméo et Juliette with a duet. In a lyrical, ecstasy-infused surge, the lovers sing their way to a shared death, which they interpret as redemption. At the end, they ask God for forgiveness. Their final duet is the last of four great duets in this dramme lyrique, which is devoted entirely to the inner dramatic development of this tragic love affair. Roméo et Juliette is Gounod’s second most important work, after Faust, his most successful opera. It premiered during the International Exposition in 1867 in Paris, and was a great success, with a run of more than 100 performances. Thanks to its attractive vocal parts, it still occupies a firm place in 19th century French repertoire.
In this new production for Zurich, we’re presenting a vocal and performing dream couple: soprano Julie Fuchs and tenor Benjamin Bernheim. Both started their careers at the Opernhaus Zürich and now rank among the biggest names in the international opera scene. Both hail from France, and time and again both have returned to the repertoire of their home county. On his first solo album, Benjamin Bernheim proved with Roméo’s aria «Ah! Lève-toi, soleil» that the role of the rapturous young lover suits him well. Julie Fuchs, whose performances epitomize vocal virtuosity, musical intelligence, and a stupendous stage presence, has already appeared in Zurich in a wide range of roles. She’ll now show off her French side with her role debut as Juliette, opening the evening with one of the most well-known arias from the opera, the waltz «Je veux vivre».
American stage director Ted Huffmann returns to the Opernhaus Zürich to bring this romantic tragedy vividly to the stage, following his production of Puccini's Madama Butterfly.