Romeo and Juliet (1940)

Sergei Prokofiev's ballet Romeo and Juliet, Op. 64, is based on William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. It was written in 1935 and heavily altered for its Soviet premiere in early 1940. Prokofiev adapted the ballet into three orchestral suites and a solo piano set. Although the dance mostly follows Shakespeare's original storyline, Prokofiev modified the tragic ending into a brighter ending for the two lovebirds in the first version of the ballet. Instead of both Romeo and Juliet committing suicide, Prokofiev's version has Juliette resurrecting in Romeo's arms so that the happy couple can dance happily ever after.

Giulietta e Romeo, the first ballet based on Shakespeare's story, was presented in 1785, with music by Luigi Marescalchi. The five-act ballet was choreographed by Eusebio Luzzi at Venice's Théâtre Samuele. Many people believe that Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet ballet score is the best ever written. The most well-known rendition was initially performed in 1940 at the Kirov Theater in Leningrad, choreographed by Leonid Lavrovsky. Since its premiere, the play has been revived multiple times.