Which composer wrote the ballet Romeo and Juliet, premiered in Brno in 1938?

Sergei Prokofiev wrote the ballet Romeo and Juliet, whose first performance took place in Brno in 1938.

Prokofiev composed the ballet in 1935 to a scenario based on William Shakespeare’s tragedy. The work was initially intended for the Kirov Ballet, but disagreements over its ending and choreography delayed its stage history. It was eventually premiered by the Ballet of the National Theatre in Brno, Czechoslovakia, on 30 December 1938.

The ballet contains several widely recognized orchestral numbers, including “Montagues and Capulets,” “Dance of the Knights,” and “Juliet as a Young Girl.” The famous heavy, march-like music is often identified with the feud between the two families. Prokofiev later arranged three orchestral suites and a set of piano pieces from the ballet, helping the music reach concert audiences beyond the theatre.