A Midsummer Night's Dream

Question 1

Who wrote ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?

Answer 1

Mendelssohn.

Question 2

When was ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ written?

Answer 2

1826

Question 3

What kind of programme music is ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?

Answer 3

Concert Overture.

Question 4

What is the instrumentation of’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?

Answer 4

Small romantic orchestra: pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets in A, bassoons, trumpets in E, horns in E, strings, timpani and an ophicleide or tuba.

Question 5

What is special about the double bass and cello parts in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?

Answer 5

They are separate.

Question 6

In ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ when do the cellos and basses not play and why?

Answer 6

When the violins separate. This is to avoid a heavy string texture. Violas are pizzicato at this time as well.

Question 7

How are horns used with the rest of the orchestra in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?

Answer 7

They are grouped with the woodwind.

Question 8

In ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ what are the ‘heavy’ instruments and how are they used?

Answer 8

Trumpets, ophicleide and timpani and they are used in music associated with mortal characters.

Question 9

When do the ‘heavy’ instruments first enter in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?

Answer 9

Theseus’ theme at bar 69.

Question 10

In ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ what happens in bar 276 with regards to instrumentation?

Answer 10

Solo cello and bass are stipulated to avoid muddiness in the development of fairies’ theme.

Question 11

How are the timpani used in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?

Answer 11

They create contrast in order to reinforce ‘bigger’ moments, but often a pianissimo roll provides a light bass.

Question 12

How does ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ end?

Answer 12

A horn pedal note under a soft timpani roll to fill in the dominant of the chord.

Question 13

How is the division of the strings used in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?

Answer 13

It provides a thicker texture used for the scampering fairies theme in the opening and elsewhere.

Question 14

In ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ what happens with regards to texture at bar 250?

Answer 14

The fairies’ theme is developed with a light texture.

Question 15

In ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ what texture leads to a dynamic change being dramatic and in what bars?

Answer 15

Light texture before a fortissimo, ‘con tutta forza’ (with all the strength) entries of the horns in bars 294, 302 and 310. Returns to light texture shortly after.

Question 16

What is the overall texture of of the opening of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?

Answer 16

Homophonic.

Question 17

What is the texture of Theseus’ theme in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?

Answer 17

Homophonic (texture for most of the piece).

Question 18

What are some examples of antiphony in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?

Answer 18

Strings and brass (b.238), two violin parts and flutes and oboes (b.290), strings and woodwind (b.608).

Question 19

What is interesting about the tonality of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?

Answer 19

It moves away from the normal arrangement of keys in sonata form. Main difference is that the first theme is in E minor and we don’t hear the tonic key of E major till the transition section from bar 69 (Theseus’ theme).

Question 20

What is the tonality of the second subject in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?

Answer 20

It starts in the dominant key of B major as expected in sonata form.

Question 21

How does the tonality vary through ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?

Answer 21

There are lots of shifts between major and minor tonality leading to ambiguity.

Question 22

How is the tonality of the Fairies’ theme varied in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?

Answer 22

It repeats in a major key (b.98).

Question 23

How are modulations achieved and keys established in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?

Answer 23

Through standard tonic-dominant relationships.

Question 24

How are melodic themes used in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?

Answer 24

To represent characters from the play.

Question 25

How does the second subject start in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?

Answer 25

A melodic theme representing two pairs of lovers. Another theme represents Peter Quince and the tradesmen.

Question 26

In ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ what is featured in Peter Quince’s theme when it is introduced?

Answer 26

An underlying rustic drone.

Question 27

How is the ambiguous tonality shown through harmony in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?

Answer 27

The opening chord contains two notes: E and G# which could be an implied E major or C#minor chord.

Question 28

In ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ what is surprising given the key signature of four sharps?

Answer 28

The third chord is A minor.

Question 29

How is ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ structured?

Answer 29

It is in sonata form which was popular in the classical period.