What famous cultural tradition popularized Mendelssohn's Wedding March? Learn!
Felix Mendelssohn's "A Midsummer Night's Dream, incidental music, Op. 61" is a delightful and iconic work. Here are some interesting facts about it:
Inspired by Shakespeare: Mendelssohn's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was composed as incidental music for a production of William Shakespeare's play of the same name. He was just 17 years old when he wrote the overture, and later, in 1842, he composed additional incidental music for the entire play.
Two distinct parts: The incidental music can be divided into two parts. The first part, composed in 1826, consists of the famous overture that many people associate with the play. The second part, composed in 1842, includes a series of musical interludes and character pieces that are designed to accompany the different scenes and moods of the play.
Premiere delay: The overture, which is one of Mendelssohn's most well-known works, was actually not premiered with the play. It was first performed in a concert setting in 1827, a year after Mendelssohn composed it. The full incidental music, including the overture, was first performed in 1843 in Berlin.
Innovative orchestration: Mendelssohn's orchestration in this work was considered innovative for its time. He used a wide range of orchestral colors and textures to capture the magical and whimsical elements of Shakespeare's play. For example, he employed the use of the celesta, an instrument that was relatively new at the time, to create the ethereal sounds of the fairy world.
Mendelssohn's favorite work: Mendelssohn himself held "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in high regard. He once wrote to his sister Fanny that this music was the "most important and the most beautiful piece of music that I have ever composed."
Influence on future composers: Mendelssohn's music for "A Midsummer Night's Dream" had a significant influence on later composers, including Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Richard Strauss, who were inspired by Mendelssohn's ability to vividly depict the characters and scenes of Shakespeare's play through music.
Timeless popularity: The overture, in particular, remains one of Mendelssohn's most popular and frequently performed compositions. Its lively and evocative music captures the essence of the play's magical and whimsical atmosphere.
Wedding favorite: The wedding march from Mendelssohn's incidental music is a perennial favorite at weddings. It is often played as the processional music for brides as they walk down the aisle, making it one of the most recognized and beloved pieces of wedding music in the world.
Mendelssohn's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is a testament to his genius as a composer and his ability to bring Shakespeare's timeless story to life through music.