Romeo And Juliet is an orchestral work by Tchaikovsky. Written in the form of a symphonic poem it was styled a Fantasy Overture by the composer. First written in 1870 and based on the Shakespeare play of the same name it was revised several times with notable suggestions from Balakirev before the final version was produced in 1880. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893) is one of the best-known Russian composers in the West. He was the first Russian composer to write in the European style generating criticism from his peers for abandoning the Russian cultural heritage but gathering acclaim across both Europeand America.
