, Charles Gounod made little profit from this beloved classic and never saw his opera take off into the stratosphere during his lifetime. His music publisher Choudens reaped the monetary awards. All that international acclaim for Faust came later.,with libretto from the busiest stage writers in Second Empire France, Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, that was Gounod's one smash hit for the opera stage.
Barbier and Carré deftly arranged Shakespeare's inescapable tragedy to showcase the lovers. Although other characters have their moments – Mercutio's “Queen Mab” aria ; Romeo's page Stephano , a trouser role not in Shakespeare, with her taunting “Song of the Turtledove;” Tybalt's psychotic menace in the violent brawl that kills him and Mercutio; Friar Laurence's patience and compassion ; gruff Lord Capulet – it's the young lovers who are constantly center stage.
Tenor Michael Spyres was the evening's revelation. His clarion voice spoke youth, love, passion. Influenced by the Italians, all old French operas demanded high-flying tessitura and Gounod didn't buck tradition, he gave his audience a full fusillade. Although Spyres doesn't possess the ardent lithe look of teenage Romeo, his voice does. Once he opened his mouth and sang, we believed anything.