The Hebrides (overture) The Hebrides (overture) Felix Mendelssohn's concert overture The Hebrides (; ) was composed in 1830, revised in 1832, and published the next year as his Op. 26. Some consider it an early tone poem. It was inspired by one of Mendelssohn's trips to the British Isles, specifically an 1829 excursion to the Scottish island of Staffa, with its basalt sea cave known as Fingal's Cave. It is not known whether Mendelssohn set foot on the island, the cave being best visible from the water, but the composer reported that he immediately jotted down the opening theme for his composition. He
Julius Caesar (overture) Julius Caesar (overture) The Julius Caesar overture, Op. 128, is a concert overture written in 1851 by Robert Schumann, inspired by Shakespeare's play "Julius Caesar" and influenced by the "Egmont" and "Coriolan" overtures of Ludwig van Beethoven. "Julius Caesar" is usually associated with two other Schumann concert overtures written about that time, also inspired by great literature: "The Bride of Messina", Op. 100 (based on Schiller's eponymous play) and "Hermann und Dorothea", Op. 136 (based on Goethe's epic poem). The year 1851 was intensely active for Schumann: not only did he complete these three overtures, he also wrote his Piano