February 22, 2013

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.