<P> A Village Romeo and Juliet is an opera by Frederick Delius, the fourth of six operas . The composer himself, with his wife Jelka, wrote the English - language libretto based on the short story Romeo und Julia auf dem Dorfe by the Swiss author Gottfried Keller . The first performance was at the Komische Oper Berlin on 21 February 1907, as Romeo und Julia auf dem Dorfe . Thomas Beecham conducted the British premiere at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in London on 22 February 1910 . The US premiere was on 26 April 1972 in Washington, D.C. </P> <P> While the opera has rarely been staged, the orchestral interlude between Scenes 5 and 6, "The Walk to the Paradise Garden", is heard separately in concerts and has been recorded many times . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Role </Th> <Th> Voice type </Th> <Th> Premiere cast, 21 February 1907 (Conductor: Fritz Cassirer) </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Manz </Td> <Td> baritone </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Marti </Td> <Td> baritone </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Sali, son of Manz as a child </Td> <Td> soprano </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Sali, son of Manz as a man </Td> <Td> tenor </Td> <Td> Willi Merkel </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Vreli, daughter of Marti </Td> <Td> soprano </Td> <Td> Lola Artôt de Padilla </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> The dark fiddler </Td> <Td> baritone </Td> <Td> Desider Zádor </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Two peasant men </Td> <Td> baritones </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Three peasant women </Td> <Td> sopranos </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Gingerbread woman </Td> <Td> soprano </Td> <Td> Minnie Egener </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Wheel of fortune woman </Td> <Td> soprano </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Cheap jewellery woman </Td> <Td> mezzo - soprano </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Merry - go - round man </Td> <Td> baritone </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Slim girl </Td> <Td> soprano </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Wild girl </Td> <Td> mezzo - soprano </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Poor horn player </Td> <Td> tenor </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Hunchbacked bass player </Td> <Td> bass </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Role </Th> <Th> Voice type </Th> <Th> Premiere cast, 21 February 1907 (Conductor: Fritz Cassirer) </Th> </Tr>

A village romeo and juliet gottfried keller summary