I agree with those praising the Verdi trio, Britten's DREAM and both Gounod's and Prokofiev's (balletic)  R & J.

I love CAPULETI but would remind the list that it does not derive from Shakespeare's play.

Some other shorter Shakespeare pieces I'd suggest:

Since I never seem to be able to post urls successfully here, I will mention what to search for on Youtube:



1) Hector Berlioz - Béatrice & Bénédict (1862) - "Nuit paisible" (Sylvia McNair & Catherine Robbin) 


2) Berlioz - La mort d'Ophélie - Cecilia Bartoli 


3) Joyce DiDonato - Berlioz. Romeo et Juliette. Premiers transports que nul n'oublie 


4)Elwira Janasik, Jolanta Pawlik St.Moniuszko- Piosnka obłąkanej Ofelii 

[Can't find Teresa Zylis-Gara's lovely version online]

5) Assisa' a pie d'un salice... Deh calma, o ciel (Otello, ROSSINI) - Frederica VON STADE, Nucci CONDO


6) Haydn: She never told her love Thomas Allen, baritone Malcolm Martineau, piano


7) Janet Baker - "Where the bee sucks" 

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