Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Music for William Shakespeare play by Felix Mendelssohn

Romantic composer Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847), composed music for William Shakespeare's famous play, A Midsummer Night's Dream. Near the start of his career in 1826, Mendelssohn wrote a concert overture in E major (Op. 21). He was then 17 years and 6 months old. This overture music was not associated with any performance of the play.  He completed it on August 6, 1826. The prominent engineer and writer on music, Sir George Grove called the piece "the greatest marvel of early maturity that the world has ever seen in music.




Five years before his death at the young age of 38, Mendelssohn wrote an incidental music (Op.61) of a play production, in which he incorporated the earlier overture music he created. The incidental music (German title: Ein Sommernachtstraum) includes the world-famous Wedding March.

Below are two of our endeared music, Mendelssohn's Scherzo from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and Wedding March.



Mendelssohn Scherzo from A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op.21.



Wedding March by Felix Mendelssohn.


Video Credits:

1.  Mendelssohn Scherzo from A Midsummer Night's Dream Op.21 by V. Gergiev, MTO (2008). YouTube, uploaded by lyricpost.  Accessed June 20, 2014.

2.  Wedding March by Felix Mendelssohn. YouTube, uploaded by TheWickedNorth. Accessed June 20, 2014.

3. Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream /  Ein Sommernachtstraum (Auszüge der Bühnenmusik) ∙ hr-Sinfonieorchester ∙ Paavo Järvi. YouTube, uploaded by lyricpost. Accessed February 1, 2018.


Resources:

Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th Ed., 1954.
Grove, Sir George. (November 1, 1903).  "Mendelssohn's Overture to "A Midsummer night's Dream"".  The Musical Times.   

 

 

 

(c) June 2014. Updated February 1, 2018. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.