Felix Mendelssohn was a voracious consumer of literature as a child—works by Shakespeare were a particular favorite. At 17 years old, Mendelssohn composed his soon-to-be-famous overture based on Shakespeare’s comic play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 16 years later, he was commissioned to write incidental music for a new production of the play. Mendelssohn recycled his concert overture for the occasion and carried themes from the earlier work throughout the new piece of music. From fairies and spells to lover’s trysts, Mendelssohn’s incidental music captures all the fanciful and captivating elements of Shakespeare’s tale.
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