In time for Valentine’s weekend, a pair of local arts institutions are performing perhaps the greatest love story of all time. We stopped by Ballet San Antonio’s practice space to speak with San Antonio Symphony’s Associate Conductor Akiko Fujimoto.
“The symphony will be performing with Ballet San Antonio Prokofiev’s great ballet Romeo and Juliet. Prokofiev has a great way of depicting both romance and tragedy, which are the two key ingredients of the story of Romeo and Juliet.”
She says the composer has interesting ways of taking hold of your emotions.
“Prokofiev is a master at piecing together harmonies that aren’t logical. And second, his melodies are very angular.”
She says these surprising techniques are heightened by the use of an atypical instrument. “The saxophone. It adds a very different, almost eerie quality to the sound. Very human.”
Fujimoto explained how the composer used various sections of the orchestra in Romeo and Juliet. “And of course tons of percussion! He really uses this large orchestra to its maximum potential.”
They perform Romeo & Juliet four times between Friday and Sunday afternoon at the Tobin Center.
“And it’s just going to be really monumental.”
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