Composed in 1839, Romeo et Juliette is a unique work which straddles the opera and symphonic genres. Berlioz himself used the term "Symphonie dramatique" to characterize it. With three vocal soloists and a triple chorus accompanied by large orchestra, the number of vocal soli is less than what was normally employed for operas of the era and is closer to the forces employed by Beethoven in his Symphony No.9. Much of the drama is supplied by Berlioz's exquisite orchestral writing, elevating the orchestra to a full participant in the unfolding drama of the classic Shakespeare tragedy - in a French adaptation by Émile Deschamps. The work was given its premiere on November 24, 1839 in Paris at the Conservatoire, with voices, chorus and orchestra conducted by the composer.
The present vocal score is a digitally restored reissue of the one prepared by Richard Kleinmichel in 1901 to coincide with the complete edition of Berlioz's work under the joint editorship of Charles Malherbe and Felix Weingartner by Breitkopf und Härtel. Printed in a convenient, easy-to-read A4 size, this vocal score will be a useful addition to the libraries of vocalists, choruses and rehearsal pianists alike. In contrast to so many of the on-demand scores now available, this one comes with all the pages and the images have been thoroughly checked to make sure it is actually readable. Matching large conductor's score and orchestral parts are also available from Serenissima Music.