A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, incidental music by German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) written to accompany performances of Shakespeare’s play "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" at the Prussian royal court.

Mendelssohn became familiar with Shakespeare by reading German translations as a boy, and in 1827, at age 17, he was inspired to write a piece capturing the atmosphere of Shakespeare’s comedy.

The piece, a concert overture, quickly became a popular favourite throughout Europe.

Marc Chagall | La branche de gui or Le rêve, 1928

Mendelssohn returned to Shakespeare in 1843 at the request of Prussian King Frederick William IV, an admirer of the overture, who wanted a set of incidental music for an upcoming production of "A Midsummer Night’s Dream".

Mendelssohn crafted 14 short pieces based on themes and moods from the earlier piece.

The complete work was first performed with the play on October 14, 1843.

Mendelssohn’s new creations, such as the "Song with Chorus", a lullaby for the fairy queen Titania, and the "Wedding March", written to accompany the multiple weddings at the end of the play, recaptured the magical spirit of the overture.

Eduard Magnus (1799-1872) | Portrait of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdys, 1846

The complete set also includes a nimble fairies’ scherzo, a haunting nocturne rich with horns, a buoyant clowns’ dance, and a farewell finale.

The best-known movement is perhaps the "Wedding March", which is often played in modern wedding ceremonies. | Source: © Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Marc Chagall

A Midsummer Night's Dream Summary

"A Midsummer Night's Dream", written in approximately 1595 or 1596, is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare.

The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta.

One subplot involves a conflict among four Athenian lovers.

Another follows a group of six amateur actors rehearsing the play which they are to perform before the wedding.

Both groups find themselves in a forest inhabited by fairies who manipulate the humans and are engaged in their own domestic intrigue.