Composer

:

Felix Mendelssohn

Genre

:

Orchestral

Style

:

Incidental Music

Compose Date

:

1843

Publication Date

:

1844

First Performance

:

Oct 14, 1843

Average_duration

:

42:53

Movement_count

:

14

Movement ....

Felix Mendelssohn composed the incidental music for William Shakespeare's play "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in 1842. The music was written for a production of the play at the King's Theatre in London. The premiere of the music was on October 14, 1843, at a performance of the play at the same theater. The music consists of 14 movements, including an overture, intermezzos, and dances. The overture is one of Mendelssohn's most famous works and is often performed as a standalone piece. It begins with a slow, mysterious introduction that leads into a lively and playful main section. The intermezzos are short pieces that were played between scenes in the play. They are mostly slow and lyrical, with a few more lively sections. The dances include a minuet, a scherzo, and a wedding march. The music is characterized by its lightness and playfulness, which perfectly captures the whimsical nature of the play. Mendelssohn's use of orchestration is also notable, with the use of delicate woodwind and string sections to create a magical atmosphere. The music is also notable for its use of the "fairy music" motif, which is a recurring theme throughout the work. Overall, Mendelssohn's incidental music for "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is a masterpiece of the Romantic era. Its playful and magical nature perfectly captures the spirit of Shakespeare's play, and its popularity has endured to this day.

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