Video: Tchaikovsky: Romeo & Juliet / Gergiev · London Symphony Orchestra · BBC Proms 2007

Video: Tchaikovsky: Romeo & Juliet / Gergiev · London Symphony Orchestra · BBC Proms 2007
Overview & Impression
Taking a look at Tchaikovsky’s piece: Romeo & Juliet, the first thing after listening to the piece was that it was not what I expected. Then again, it is Tchaikovsky we are talking about. After listening to some of his other pieces such as Waltz of the Flower or Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, this piece no doubt resembles them through the dramatic flare you experience and will only notice this by listening intently to how the London Symphony Orchestra was able to portray this.
Rhythm
For me, the rhythm was a mixture of fast and slow, but what impressed me the most was that the pacing changed at different intervals of the piece. In the beginning, it started slow, and then suddenly, in the middle, it became fast. That is unique because I would usually listen to fast rhythms at the end or before the climax. Another pleasant surprise was when I thought that the pacing would stay slow, the rhythm suddenly became fast once more. It felt like I was witnessing the third Act of Romeo and Juliet when Romeo killed Tybalt after his cousin, Mercutio, was killed by the latter. Then, the rhythm slowed once more, but this time, it felt like I was experiencing Juliet’s grief upon knowing that Romeo succumbed to death because the message did not reach in time.
Truly, the London Symphony Orchestra was able to bring me into these magical settings because not only was I dumbf...