As July is coming to an end and the days are long and hot, please enjoy these classical pieces inspired by summer:
Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Mendelssohn was just 17 years old when he composed his famous Midsummer Overture. This emotive piece tells the story of Shakespeare’s play through fairy dances (1:03), royal fanfares (1:52), and braying donkeys (3:55). His sister Fanny said of the Overture:
“From our youth, we were entwined in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Felix particularly made it his own. He identified with all of the characters. He recreated them, so to speak, every one of them whom Shakespeare produced in the immensity of his genius.”
*Fun fact: Mendelssohn later wrote incidental music (music used in a film or play as a background to create or enhance a particular atmosphere) for the rest of the play in 1843. Click here for the video!
Upon a Summer’s Day by John Playford (1623-1686/7)
Composed in 1651 for two mandolins, Playford‘s piece was written to accompany English dancers on a summers’ day. The “English country dance” genre emerged in the 1500s as a result of visiting Italians to the Elizabethan court. Composers sought to create a similar style of dance that would please the royal family, and that’s how the English country dance was born. Upon a Summer’s Day was the first in a set of 105 English dances published in this new genre.
For more about the history of the English country dance, read here.
End of Summer (1985) by Ned Rorem (1923)
This 20th-century chamber piece for clarinet, violin, and piano is unique in that it incorporates aspects of counterpoint, impressionism, experimentation, and lyrical melodies to create a soft summertime-turning-autumn mood. The dream-like music constantly shifts, creating images and impressions of the changing seasons.
The entire piece is 3 movements, the 2nd of which is Fantasy. Listen to the full work here.
Summer Night on the River by Frederick Delius (1862-1934)
Delius composed Summer Night on the River after he moved to a French village on the River Loing. This river definitely inspired Delius’s music! Listen for the quiet lapping of waves created via evocative colors, small melodic gestures, and a rolling 2-note motif heard at the very beginning. The impressionist harmonies paint an image of mist on the water, while the rhythms suggest rocking boats.
What classical pieces do you like to listen to in the summer?
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