Gounod: Roméo et Juliette
Opernhaus Zürich

Juliet kisses the lifeless Romeo one last time, then stabs herself. With Shakespeare, the most famous lovers in the history of theater do not say a goodbye with many words. Charles Gounod, on the other hand, closes his opera “Roméo et Juliette” with a duet: the lovers sing their way to a shared death, which they perceive as redemption; finally, they ask God for forgiveness. It is the last of a total of four great duets in this drame lyrique, which is devoted entirely to the inner dramatic development of this tragic love affair.

Roméo et Juliette is Gounod’s most important opera. It was premiered during the Paris World’s Fair of 1867 and was a great success. Thanks to its attractive vocal parts, it still occupies a firm place in the French repertoire of the 19th century.

The new Zurich production will present a vocal and performing dream couple in soprano Julie Fuchs and tenor Benjamin Bernheim. Both started their careers at the Zurich Opera House and are now among the big names in the international opera scene. Both hail from France and have devoted themselves time and again to the French repertoire.