Act I. The grand hall in the palace of the Capulets. A fête is in

progress. The chorus sings gay measures. _Tybalt_ speaks to _Paris_ of _Juliet_, who at that moment appears with her father. _Capulet_ bids the guests welcome and to be of good cheer--"Soyez les bienvenus, amis" (Be ye welcome, friends), and "Allons! jeunes gens! Allons! belles dames!" (Bestir ye, young nobles! And ye, too, fair ladies!).

_Romeo_, _Mercutio_, _Benvolio_, and half-a-dozen followers come masked. Despite the deadly feud between the two houses, they, Montagues, have ventured to come as maskers to the fête of the Capulets. _Mercutio_ sings of Queen Mab, a number as gossamerlike in the opera as the monologue is in the play; hardly ever sung as it should be, because the rôle of _Mercutio_ rarely is assigned to a baritone capable of doing justice to the airy measures of "Mab, la reine des mensonges" (Mab, Queen Mab, the fairies' midwife).

The Montagues withdraw to another part of the palace. _Juliet_ returns with _Gertrude_, her nurse. Full of high spirits, she sings the graceful and animated waltz, "Dans ce rêve, qui m'enivre" [Transcriber's Note: correct title is 'Je veux vivre dans le rêve'] (Fair is the tender dream of youth).

[Music]

The nurse is called away. _Romeo_, wandering in, meets _Juliet_. Their love, as in the play, is instantaneous. _Romeo_ addresses her in passionate accents, "Ange adorable" (Angel! adored one). His addresses, _Juliet's_ replies, make a charming duo.

Upon the re-entry of _Tybalt_, _Romeo_, who had removed his mask, again adjusts it. But _Tybalt_ suspects who he is, and from the utterance of his suspicions, _Juliet_ learns that the handsome youth, to whom her heart has gone out, is none other than _Romeo_, scion of the Montagues, the sworn enemies of her house. The fiery _Tybalt_ is for attacking _Romeo_ and his followers then and there. But old _Capulet_, respecting the laws of hospitality, orders that the fête proceed.