Maximum Sensuality Prokofiev's 'Romeo and Juliet' - reviewed by ROBERT ANDERSON '... suggests Tristan and Isolde ...'

Prokofiev suffered much over his Romeo and Juliet. With a complete piano score done in 1935, he had to be content for many years with orchestral suites from the work. And when eventually the ballet came to rehearsal at the Kirov Theatre in Leningrad, he had to face incomprehension from the cast and arrogance from the choreographer Leonid Lavrovsky, who wanted additions and subtractions and was not averse to making changes in the order of the music without consulting the composer. Eventually a surly Prokofiev had to acknowledge a triumph. This Milan performance has slightly reworked the Kenneth MacMillan choreography first seen at Covent Garden in 1965.

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