Mendelssohn and A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Dance of the Clowns

When was Mendelssohn born? 1809
When did Mendelssohn die? 1847
Where was Mendelssohn from? Germany
In what musical period did Mendelssohn compose? Romantic
What was Mendelssohn’s family background? A loving, well-to-do family. His sister, Fanny, was also a talented composer and she was friends with Charles Gounod and inspired his compositions.
What is Mendelssohn credited with doing? Bringing the music of Bach back to popularity after it had been somewhat forgotten
What did Mendelssohn die of? a stroke at age 38.
Why did Mendelssohn compose A Midsummer Night’s Dream? to accompany Shakespeare’s play by the same name
What is A Midsummer Night’s Dream? A play written by William Shakespeare in 1596.
What is the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream about? It tells the story of a human couple who run off to an enchanted forest where they encounter fairies, goblins and magic. Oberon, King of the Fairies, and Puck, a mischievous hobgoblin, play tricks on them, giving them love potions and even the head of a donkey, with hilarious results.
When did Mendelssohn write this piece? He wrote the overture in 1826 (at age 17) and he wrote the incidental music, including Dance of the Clowns in 1842.
What kind of group performs this piece? A symphony orchestra
incidental music music to accompany a play or story
time signature the number of beats in each group, and what type of note gets one beat
accent a stress or strong emphasis on a note
half note a note lasting for two beats
paired eighth notes a pair of notes having two sounds on a beat
quarter note a note lasting for one beat
repeat sign a sign meaning to repeat the music again