Montagues and Capulets

Montagues and Capulets is a work of classical music written by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev. The piece is the first one in the Suite No. 2 from Romeo and Juliet, Op. 64ten, which consists of two parts from his 1935 ballet Romeo and Juliet. He wrote versions for both orchestra and piano.

The work is in loose ternary form, with an abridged da capo section.

The introduction of the piece corresponds to No. 7 of the complete ballet score, The Prince Gives His Order, which is following The Fight between the Montagues and the Capulets. This theme is related to death and later served as the Introduction of Act III, after the fatal duel between Mercutio and Tybalt. It begins very loud, then drops to pianissimo, which is played by the strings. The horns and woodwinds then layer on top of the strings and the dynamics return to fortissimo. It then drops to piano again. Prokofiev creates the dark and foreboding mood through the extreme dynamic range and very dissonant harmonies.

The following sections is identical with No. 13 of the complete score, Dance of the Knights. The A section begins with a strong pulsating beat from the brass section. This shows motoric rhythm, one of Prokofiev's signatures. The texture of this opening is almost metronomic, and provides a strong foundation for the dramatic string theme that comes out on top of it. Later on, the brass also takes up a soaring counter theme, and also punctuates the original string theme. In the ballet, this section would show the Capulets dancing in a very slow and dignified way, as this is the music for the Capulet Ball.

The B section provides a stark contrast, as it is in the pianissimo dynamic range and is played by the flutes. It is marked adagio, and is very calm and serene. Prokofiev also utilizes touches of celesta in this section, which was highly unusual in orchestral works. In the middle of this section, there is an oboe solo accompanied by pizzicato strings. This section is meant to represent Juliet's entrance to the ball, as she flits about and meets various people. She eventually dances with the Count Paris until the close of this section.

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