The youthful perfection achieved by Felix Mendelsshon at the age of 17 in his Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream—rarely has anyone of such young years written at such a high level of mastery—is one of the true miracles of music. Another was Mendelssohn's ability, 17 years later (upon being commissioned by the King of Prussia to write further incidental music for a production of the play in Potsdam in 1843) to reach back, four years before his death, and perfectly capture the spirit of his youthful masterpiece and create 12 more pieces (including the famous "Wedding March"), which also, we might add, perfectly capture the spirit of Shakespeare's immortal play itself. On this afternoon's Classical Music With Foley Schuler, we'll hear the Overtur and Incidental Music to A Midsummer Night's Dream in honor of the 183 anniversary of its premiere—and much more.
You can hear Foley Schuler's musical selections—and stories behind the music—every weekday afternoon from 1 until 4 on Blue Lake Public Radio.
