¶ … Russian composer Piotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was that of his Romeo and Juliet Fantasy (first composed in 1869 and subsequently revised 1870 and 1880). In this composition, Tchaikovsky adapted Shakespeare's tragedy of thwarted adolescent love into the sonata form. (Grout & Palisca 584) Although the play that inspired this musical work is often called tragic rather than Romantic in its orientation, Tchaikovksy's interpretation of the tale is a clear example of the Romantic style of 19th century orchestral music. Five elements must be analyzed to understand and underline the Romantic nature of this composer's work. Firstly, one must consider the 'storytelling' use of the sonata form of the Fantasy. Secondly, one must consider the way in which the sonata was considered by the composer to be an Overture, a work that gives a 'summary' or a miniature of a larger story or musical work. Thirdly, the tone color of the music must be analyzed. And fourthly and fifthly the timber and texture the work must also be reflected upon to understand the opulent quality of the music that renders it characteristic of the Romantic period during which Tchaikovsky composed music. According to the musicologist E.T.A. Hoffman, the Romantic period of Western music was characterized by the "fantastic, idealistic, and marvelous." He states that such qualities are associated with the "romance, a medieval tale or poem about heroes or events written in one of the languages descended from Latin." (Cited in Grout & Palisca 563) Tchaikovksy's choice to use the story of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" as the title of his Fantasy underlines the importance of Romantic thought in the orchestration of the composition. Rather than simply expanding upon or working within sonata form, defined as "an ambitious work in several movements for one or two solo instruments," Tchaikovksy renders the form...
The focus of the piece is not to create a mood, nor simply to create a dance (even though the story of Romeo and Juliet did later become a ballet). Rather the story of Romeo and Juliet is what is important, and the fact that the sonata's focus is traditionally upon two instruments is used to explicate this. The story is about two lovers at odds, and the nature of two opposing yet complementary elements help bring forth elements of the narrative, rather than the piece simply being about a single mood created by different movements of the music. The music and the story of Romeo and Juliet is Romantic both in the sense that it is about love, but also because the music focuses on the fantastic, idealistic, and marvelous nature of the story and the lovers, rather than upon rendering musical elements in a classically perfect fashion.
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