Benjamin Koppel - Romeo og Julie (Vendsyssel Teater 2020) (2020)

Theater music is usually only played in the theater hall. But here is an exception.

For Vendsyssel Teater and Cowbell Music can now publish the newly composed theater music for the musical theater interpretation of ‘Romeo and Juliet’, already before rehearsals for the performance.

The music is by Benjamin Koppel. He has been inspired by William Shakespeare's love tragedy and by the rhythms and imagery of the lines. Together with the director Rune David Grue, he has selected rhymes, sentences and single words from the text translated by Niels Brunse.

The result is 12 songs. Among the songs are the titles ‘Come night, come Romeo’, ‘The one who runs, stumbles easily’, ‘Like too early hoarfrost’ and ‘My friend, why?’.

The music is recorded by Benjamin Koppel's quartet: Benjamin Koppel, alto saxophone - Søren Bebe, piano - Jesper Bodilsen, double bass - Morten Lund, drums.

The songs are sung by 24-year-old Molly Koppel, who debuted with the EP ‘Waves’ last fall. She is the niece of Benjamin Koppel and his sister, the singer Marie Carmen Koppel - and the daughter of the animation artist Sara Koppel and the granddaughter of the composer Anders Koppel.

In the theater performance, Molly Koppel performs live in a singer role as an angel of death. On stage, she sings to an instrumental recording of the music.