Based on Shakespeare’s famous love story, the famous ballet music was written in 1936. Telling the familiar Shakespearean story, the lovers theme is full of love, foreshadowing, longing and grief while the conflict between the Montagues and the Capulets is tense and dramatic as you might expect. The work has set the bar for pure drama since it was written and has been used widely in popular culture including music from Sia, A Tribe Called Quest and famously as the theme tune for The Apprentice.

Prokofiev had originally and controversially intended the ballet to have a happy ending but was forced to dramatically rewrite his work under Stalinist rule. It was well received at the time but quickly forgotten in the tumult of WWII. However, to this day it is considered a masterpiece.

We can’t wait to perform the second suite of Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet this 14 February at Lighthouse Poole. This performance will also be live streamed so if you’re having a quiet night in with someone special why not tune in from the comfort of your sofa?

If you’d like to enjoy more romantic music from the BSO why not also come along to our Valentine’s Classics concert on Sat 10 Feb? It features some of the most romantic symphonic music of all time including Steiner’s Gone with the Wind overture, Elgar’s Salut D’amour and Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake Suite. This concert will be led by our Assistant Conductor Tom Fetherstonhaugh and stars Amar Muchhala as tenor. Not to be missed!

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