Romeo and Juliet
Synopsis
In the fair city of Verona, Romeo (Douglas Booth) and Juliet (Hailee Steinfeld), children of the feuding Montague and Capulet families, meet at a feast and fall deeply in love. Despite the sworn contempt their families hold for each another, they steal away and are secretly wed. It is not long, however, before a chain of fateful events changes the lives of both families forever.
Directed by Carlo Carlei and with a screenplay by Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey), the film captures Shakespeare’s most famous and tragic love story adapted by Julian Fellowes with an international cast including Douglas Booth as Romeo, Oscar nominated Hailee Steinfeld as Juliet, Ed Westwick as Tybalt, Damian Lewis as Lord Capulet, Paul Giamatti as Friar Laurence, Stellan Skarsgard as Prince of Verona, Natasha McElhone as Lady Capulet, Kodi Smit-Mcphee as Benvolio, Lesley Manville as Juliet’s Nurse, Christian Cooke as Mercutio and Tom Wisdom as Paris.
A Note from Abel
Their vows and promises, relentlessly exchanged, over and over again, like returning choruses of an endless love song – when Romeo and Juliet talk to each other, it already sounds like music. At some point the extraordinary words serve their purpose no more and rational meaning becomes irrelevant, and then… we can truly feel.
My score is about that love story. I did my best to forget how it ends, to really focus on the sweetness and agony of each moment as it is unfolding. In Romeo and Juliet, life and death serve merely as useful props, points of reference, eventually overcome and readily abandoned. It’s a triumphant song of love reaching eternity.

Critics about the score
A sweeping, soaring, romantic masterpiece that is easily one of 2013’s finest musical achievements. (…) the ultimate romantic score for the ultimate romantic story (…) Korzeniowski has yet again managed to write a central romantic theme of such grace and elegance, passion and emotion; virtually no-one working in film music today is writing music like this (…) some of the most moving and affecting music heard anywhere this year.
This is the stuff that goosebumps are made from! (…) aims straight for the heart (…) one of this year’s very best.
Wow. (…) A brilliant successor to [Nino Rota’s] score, both spiritually and in terms of quality. (…) A beautiful work, infused with as much passion and emotion that you could expect from the greatest love story ever written.
it is the sweeping sumptuous score of Polish composer Abel Korzeniowski that gives ROMEO & JULIET its wings. (…) ROMEO & JULIET is without a doubt the crowing glory in Korzeniowski’s repertoire. The score is very much a character in the film, carrying us along, keeping us paced and moving without become trapped or lost in the pentameter of Shakespeare. Lush and smooth, the score is thematic, much like that of Bernard Hermann or Max Steiner or even Korzeniowski’s contemporary, Aaron Zigman. Scoring – another technical aspect of the production that calls for Academy attention.
Romeo and Juliet is another outing for the brilliant composer (…) an emotional, grand, soothing and heartbreaking orchestral effort, that does well to pull at every string possible.
July 2013
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13 Responses to Romeo and Juliet
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your music made me weep so much bc it was so beautiful I want it to be played at my wedding and my funeral. <3
I would like to buy the sheet music to the soundtrack Romeo and Juliet.
I’m a piano teacher and my students ask for this musics. I look for the book at sites of sheet musics, but I can’t find it.
When will it be released?
Congratulations for your compositions, I like them very much.
Thank you!
Hello, how are you Abel? I’m from São Paulo, Brasil.
I would like to buy the sheet music to the soundtrack Romeo and Juliet.
I’m a piano teacher and my students ask for this musics. I look for the book at sites of sheet musics, but I can’t find it.
When will it be released?
Congratulations for your compositions, I like them very much.
Thank you!
Still waiting for the sheet music to this incredible soundtrack. When will it be released?
Still waiting for the sheet music of this incredible soundtrack!
Thank you for your beautiful music. You are a gift sent to music lovers. I have fallen in love with ‘A Thousand Times Good Night’. It is simply exquisite.
i fell in love with the romeo and juliet soundtrack, and am especially enamored with the queen mab song. will you be making it available as piano sheet music? eagerly awaiting.
An absolutely gorgeous soundtrack (yet again). Mr. Korzeniowski is quickly becoming one of my favourite composers! :)
The Romeo and juliet soundtrack’s are gorgeous, feels like the music is coming from your heart. Thanks for such beautiful and romantic music. With love from Kazakhstan.
I cannot wait to hear this soundtrack! I listen to all of your music at least once everyday. They are truly inspiring. I’ll be ecstatic to add these songs to my list!
You are awesome artist
a beautiful masterpieces creator
keep up your good sensation :)
greetings flying from Egypt
I love your terrific music. You and Mansell are at higher level. I am from spain. Thank you for these musical pieces that will beat in my pulse forever.
I like your music very very very much! I am from china your music is beautiful!!!! I want wait your next movie !!