laborate orchestral
movement describing the sleep of Juliet, takes place in the tomb of the
Capulets. MM. Barbier and Carre could not resist an opportunity of
improving upon Shakespeare, and prolonged Romeo's death agony, in order
to enable him to join in a final duet with Juliet.

The composer of the third act of 'Faust' could hardly fail to be
attracted by 'Romeo and Juliet.' Nevertheless Gounod was too pronounced
a mannerist to do justice to Shakespeare's immortal love-story. He is,
of all modern composers, the one whose method varies least, and
throughout 'Romeo et Juliette' he does little more than repeal in an
attenuated form the ideas already used in 'Faust.' Yet there are
passages in the opera which stand out in salient contrast to the
monotony of the whole, such as the exquisite setting of Juliet's speech
in the balcony scene, beginning--

'Thou knowest the mask of night is on my face,'

which conveys something more than an echo of the virginal innocence and
complete self-abandonment of Shakespeare's lines, or the more
commonplace but still beautiful passage at the close of the act;
suggested by Romeo's line--

'Sleep dwell upon thine eyes.'

The duel scene is vigorous and effective, and the song allotted to
Romeo's page--an impertinent insertion of the librettists--is
intrinsically delightful. It is typical of the musician that he should
put forth his full powers in the chamber duet, while he actually omits
the potion scene altogether, which is the legitimate climax of the act.
In the original version of the opera there was a commonplace cavatina
allotted to Juliet at this point, set to words which had but a remote
connection with Shakespeare's immortal lines, but it was so completely
unworthy of the situation that it was usually omitted, and when the
opera was revised for production at the Grand Opera in 1888, Gounod
thought it wiser to end the act with the Friar's discourse to Juliet,
rather than attempt once more to do justice to a scene which he knew to
be beyond his powers. The last act is perhaps the weakest part of the
opera. MM. Barbier and Carre's version of Shakespeare's magnificent
poetry is certainly not inspiring; but in any case it is difficult to
believe that Gounod's suave talent could have done justice to the
piteous tragedy of that terrible scene. Gounod's last three operas did
not add to his reputation. 'Cinq Mars' (1877) made little impression
when it was first produced, but i