The Royal Opera hasn't played
it in seventy years.
But before that, Charles Gounod's languishing opera was given practically every year, ever since its premiere in Paris in 1869. His gnoll-friendly version of Shakespeare's heartbreaker was as popular as any in Oscarian Stockholm.
Here, French operas were preferred to Wagner, who took time to make his mark.
But then German trumped
French in Swedish culture.
Gounod & co were perceived as sentimental and frivolous.
And it's a kind of musical patisserie – with really delicious tartlet duets and pastry arias.
In the most elegant imaginable design.
And you have that in Malmö, which can always handpick its singers out on the market: a super fresh Juliette with Russian Kseniia Proshina against South Korean Schoon Moon as an ideal languishing Romeo.
Two absolutely fantastic voices, surrounded by an equally fine international cast.
A bit unnecessary, though, to go abroad for the smallest supporting role – there are quite good singers at home...
The English production
team, headed by director Amy Lane, has moved the story to Gounod's own time - but to New York, just like the more modern Romeo and Juliet version "West Side Story".
Here are the warring Italian families, competing with each other in the emerging, lucrative entertainment industry.
Which enables a colorful and festive scenic build-up.
After a break, it burns in all the colorful and sweet.
Kseniia Proshina convinces as a young strong-willed and crazy woman, while her singing partner does not have the stage presence as Romeo.
Still, the inexorable ending grips, even if Gounod can never be as tragic as Verdi or Puccini.
But conductor Patrik Ringborg with choir and orchestra make a masterpiece of his score.