A Midsummer Night's Dream (Mendelssohn) A Midsummer Night's Dream (Mendelssohn) At two separate times, Felix Mendelssohn composed music for William Shakespeare's play, "A Midsummer Night's Dream". First in 1826, near the start of his career, he wrote a concert overture (Op. 21). Later, in 1842, only a few years before his death, he wrote incidental music (Op. 61) for a production of the play, into which he incorporated the existing Overture. The incidental music includes the world-famous "Wedding March". The German title reads Ein Sommernachtstraum. The Overture in E major, Op. 21, was written by Mendelssohn at 17 years and 6 months old (it was
A Midsummer Night's Dream was John Dryden, writing in 1677. He was preoccupied with the question of whether fairies should be depicted in theatrical plays, since they did not exist. He concluded that poets should be allowed to depict things which do not exist but derive from popular belief. And fairies are of this sort, as are pigmies and the extraordinary effects of magick. Based on this reasoning, Dryden defended the merits of three fantasy plays: "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "The Tempest", and Ben Jonson's "Masque of Witches". Charles Gildon in the early 18th century recommended this play for its beautiful reflections, descriptions, similes,