Vincenzo Bellini: I Capuleti e I Montecchi – Joyce DiDonato & Olga Kulchynska

The story of Shakespeare’s star crossed lovers has been adapted and retold by composers, librettists, playwrights, and choreographers for centuries. Since the Renaissance, everyone seems to have put their own spin on the story. This release features Vincenzo Bellini’s frequently overlooked gem “I Capuleti e i Montecchi.” This work is unique in that it is not simply a retelling of Shakespeare’s story set to music. Rather, the opera tells the account of the last 24 hours in Romeo and Juliet’s lives. Desperation and melancholy draw to a tragic cataclysm as the young lovers choose to end their lives. This production, directed by Christof Loy and conducted by Fabio Luisi, originates in Zurich, and was wonderfully received by both audiences and critics. Joyce DiDonato dazzles in the role of Romeo alongside Ukrainian soprano Olga Kulchynska, who plays Giulietta.

Zurich’s Opera’s cast and conductor jump on board with admirable commitment. Fabio Luisi boldly sculpts the cantabile phrases without getting bogged down, and the orchestral playing is evocative, with pungent contributions from the winds…Bernheim brings conflicted ardour to Tebaldo, and Lorenzi offers compassionate mercy as Lorenzo…yet Zurich really strikes gold with the triumphant pairing of Joyce DiDonato as Romeo and Olga Kulchynska as Giulietta…tremendously affecting. — Gramophone Magazine, December 2016