Scherzo, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op 61 for flute nonet

At two separate times, Felix Mendelssohn composed music for Shakespeare’s play, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. First in 1826, near the start of his career, he wrote a concert overture, op. 21. Then 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. It includes the famous Wedding March and the popular Scherzo with its sprightly scoring as dominated by chattering winds and dancing strings. It became the intermezzo between Acts 1 and 2. This arrangement for nine flutes is appropriately energetic and incredibly fun to play.

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