Caracalla 2019: Romeo and Juliet
About the Event
Experience ballet like never before in this astonishing performance of masterworks by Prokofiev at Rome's remarkable Baths of Caracalla.
Romeo and Juliet is considered Prokofiev's most important contribution to the ballet genre. The ballet follows the plot of the play.
Romeo and Juliet was premiered in 1938 in the former Czechoslovakia and is still regarded as one of the highlights of Prokofiev's musical oeuvre. The rich and varied instrumentation as well as the rhythmic complexity of the score still present challenges for orchestra and dancers.
Practical Information
The Baths of Caracalla are ancient baths in Rome and among the largest thermal baths in the Eternal City.
The construction of the Caracalla baths probably started in 206 under Septimius Severus and was completed in 216 under Emperor Caracalla. Further extensions, such as arcades and decorations, were carried out under the emperors Elagabal and Severus Alexander, so that the complex was not really completed until 235 AD. Together with the Diocletian Baths it belonged to the public and free bathing palaces.
In 537 the Ostrogoths destroyed the water pipe during the siege of Rome, which stopped the bathing activities. Nevertheless, they were regarded as the best preserved thermal baths until the Renaissance.
In 1824 systematic excavations began under Count Girolamo Egidio di Velo, who found the mosaic with the athletes. Nowadays the Rome Opera hosts open‐air opera performances here.
Cast / Production
Conductor David Levi
Choreography and direction Giuliano Peparini
Giulietta Rebecca Bianchi / Susanna Salvi
Romeo Claudio Cocino / Michele Satriano
