"Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance."On this day of all things Shakespearean*, it is a felicitous coincidence indeed that also born on this day was the composer Sergei Prokofiev.
"Not I, believe me. You have dancing shoes
With nimble soles. I have a soul of lead
So stakes me to the ground I cannot move."
"You are a lover. Borrow Cupid’s wings
And soar with them above a common bound."
For it was Prokofiev who took inspiration from Will's greatest romantic play Romeo and Juliet to create one of the best ballet scores of the 20th century.
From it comes one of my favourite pieces of classical music, the dramatic and triumphal Dance of the Knights - also known as Montagues and Capulets - here played in its entirety by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev:
And if that didn't wake you up, nothing will!
Sergei Prokofiev (23rd April 1891 - 5th March 1953)
[*'tis 400 years since the Bard's death, and traditionally also the date usually marked as his birthday.]
Shakespeare and his boys are the latest "exhibit" in the Dolores Delargo Towers Museum of Camp.
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