Charles Gounod (1818-1893) completed the five-act opera ROM�O ET JULIETTE (ROMEO AND JULIET) in 1867. With a libretto by Jules Barbier and Michael Carr�, the opera tells the tragic story of Shakespeare’s play with little deviation. The work is well-known for the series of four duets sung by the main characters and the waltz song AH! JE VEUX VIVRE as sung by the soprano lead. It premiered on April 27, 1867, at the Th��tre Lyrique in Paris, Adolphe Deloffre conducting. The aria NUIT D’HYMENEE (Chamber Scene) opens Act IV and is sung by Romeo and Juliet as they awaken in Juliet’s room.