Live from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Charles Mackerras conducts tonight's performance of Gounod's five-act opera Romeo et Juliette based on Shakespeare's great love story. Unlike many operatic adaptations of Shakespeare, Gounod and his librettist stuck closely to the original story, and the opera was an immediate success at its premiere in 1867.

Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, conductor Charles Mackerras

Acts 1 and 2

8.15 Gounod's Shakespeare
David Charlton searches for the voices of Romeo and Juliet in 19th-century Paris.

8.40 Act 3

9.20 The Murdering Word
Professor Kieran Ryan explores the role of language in Shakespeare's tragedy and brings a fresh interpretation to familiar words.

9.40 Acts 4 and 5

Music: page 48