1968 Roméo & Juliet Moresca & What Is A Youth

Preceded by a dance, the ballad “WHAT IS A YOUTH“ comes from the film “Romeo & Juliet“ by Franco Zeffirelli [1968]. This is the filmed version I prefer of Shakespeare’s play. The two actors are gracefully fresh: Olivia Hussey (as Juliet) is in her spring and Leonard Whiting (as Romeo) too, Olivia almost out of time. The tune “What is a Youth“ was composed by Nino Rota for Eugene Walter lyrics. The song was sung by Glen Weston. After morisca danced on some medieval dance tunes, the ballad “What Is A Youth“ is in a “neo-troubadour“ style: a cry of love in minor scale, a scene with few lyrics. The song sums up the whole drama: the inescapable attraction of the two young kids. How an impetuous fire hugs Juliet and Romeo, how it draws them to each other and leads them to death. The words of love are sweeter than honey but whose cry, in the end is bitterly sad. Their love disturbs too much the rules of the family clans in Verona. The popularity of