Juliet: Portrait of a Young Girl in Love (2007)
This suite is a musical examination of the first half of the story of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet from Juliet’s point of view. Having been a part of several productions of this show, I have always felt that the emotional journey of the character of Juliet in this section of the play is often overlooked. In this piece, Juliet is the one and only focus. The first movement, Arrangements and a Party, takes us from the beginning of the play to the end of the party scene. We hear Juliet’s worry over a possible arranged marriage and the preparations for the party. Ultimately, the party begins where she meets Romeo for the first time and the two are quickly swept away in young love. The second movement, On a Balcony Under the Inconstant Moon, takes us to the balcony scene where the young people profess their love to one another and pledge to get married the following day. The final movement comes at the moment when Juliet is alone on her balcony having been married earlier in the day. In a long monologue, she expresses her excitement and anxiety of the coming wedding night. The movement and the piece finishes right before she learns of Tybalt’s death and Romeo’s banishment, and the tragedy begins.
listen to it:
II. On A Balcony Under The Inconstant Moon
MIDI recording.
