A Midsummer Night's Dream Flashcards
Who wrote ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?
Mendelssohn.
When was ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ written?
1826
What kind of programme music is ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?
Concert Overture.
What is the instrumentation of’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?
Small romantic orchestra: pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets in A, bassoons, trumpets in E, horns in E, strings, timpani and an ophicleide or tuba.
What is special about the double bass and cello parts in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?
They are separate.
In ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ when do the cellos and basses not play and why?
When the violins separate. This is to avoid a heavy string texture. Violas are pizzicato at this time as well.
How are horns used with the rest of the orchestra in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?
They are grouped with the woodwind.
In ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ what are the ‘heavy’ instruments and how are they used?
Trumpets, ophicleide and timpani and they are used in music associated with mortal characters.
When do the ‘heavy’ instruments first enter in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?
Theseus’ theme at bar 69.
In ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ what happens in bar 276 with regards to instrumentation?
Solo cello and bass are stipulated to avoid muddiness in the development of fairies’ theme.
How are the timpani used in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?
They create contrast in order to reinforce ‘bigger’ moments, but often a pianissimo roll provides a light bass.
How does ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ end?
A horn pedal note under a soft timpani roll to fill in the dominant of the chord.
How is the division of the strings used in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?
It provides a thicker texture used for the scampering fairies theme in the opening and elsewhere.
In ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ what happens with regards to texture at bar 250?
The fairies’ theme is developed with a light texture.
In ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ what texture leads to a dynamic change being dramatic and in what bars?
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.
What is the overall texture of of the opening of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?
Homophonic.
What is the texture of Theseus’ theme in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?
Homophonic (texture for most of the piece).
What are some examples of antiphony in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?
Strings and brass (b.238), two violin parts and flutes and oboes (b.290), strings and woodwind (b.608).
What is interesting about the tonality of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?
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).
What is the tonality of the second subject in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?
It starts in the dominant key of B major as expected in sonata form.
How does the tonality vary through ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?
There are lots of shifts between major and minor tonality leading to ambiguity.
How is the tonality of the Fairies’ theme varied in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?
It repeats in a major key (b.98).
How are modulations achieved and keys established in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?
Through standard tonic-dominant relationships.
How are melodic themes used in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?
To represent characters from the play.
How does the second subject start in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?
A melodic theme representing two pairs of lovers. Another theme represents Peter Quince and the tradesmen.
In ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ what is featured in Peter Quince’s theme when it is introduced?
An underlying rustic drone.
How is the ambiguous tonality shown through harmony in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?
The opening chord contains two notes: E and G# which could be an implied E major or C#minor chord.
In ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ what is surprising given the key signature of four sharps?
The third chord is A minor.
How is ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ structured?
It is in sonata form which was popular in the classical period.
