Romeo and Juliet: Fantasy Overture (3rd version)

Tchaikovsky's celebrated Romeo and Juliet is styled as an Overture-Fantasy, based on Shakespeare's play of the same name. Like other composers such as Berlioz and Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky was deeply inspired by Shakespeare and wrote works based on The Tempest and Hamlet as well. Unlike Tchaikovsky's other major compositions, Romeo and Juliet does not have an opus number. It has been given the alternative catalogue designations TH 42 and CW 39.In 1880, ten years after his first reworking of the piece, Tchaikovsky rewrote the ending and gave the piece the subtitle "Overture-Fantasia". It was completed by September 10, but did not receive its premiere until May 1, 1886. This third and final version is the one that is now in the repertoire.