Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream (2003)
performed by
Daniel Catalanotti (horn), Joyce DiDonato (mezzo-soprano), Rebecca Evans (soprano), Paris Children's Choir (choir, chorus), Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, John Nelson (conductor)
composed by
Felix Mendelssohn, William Shakespeare
As beautiful and complete a performance of Mendelssohn's incidental music from A Midsummer Night's Dream as there has ever been, this recording comes with all of the fanfares, interludes, dances, songs (exquisitely sung by Rebecca Evans and Joyce DiDonato), choruses, and even the melodramas that other recordings usually omit. As a bonus, it also includes the roughest, brashest, and most brilliant a performance of Mendelssohn's concert Overture for Victor Hugo's Ruy Blas as has ever been recorded. Every intention of the ...
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As beautiful and complete a performance of Mendelssohn's incidental music from A Midsummer Night's Dream as there has ever been, this recording comes with all of the fanfares, interludes, dances, songs (exquisitely sung by Rebecca Evans and Joyce DiDonato), choruses, and even the melodramas that other recordings usually omit. As a bonus, it also includes the roughest, brashest, and most brilliant a performance of Mendelssohn's concert Overture for Victor Hugo's Ruy Blas as has ever been recorded. Every intention of the composer is fulfilled here, from the out-of-the-abyss low brass in the opening through the heroic cello theme that leads to apotheosis. The tone of the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris ranges from the sublime -- its enchanting flute chords that open and close the music -- to the ridiculous -- the braying of Bottom -- to the awesome -- the brass throughout Ruy Blas. John Nelson is a great Mendelssohn conductor: his A Midsummer Night's Dream shimmers and sparkles and his Ruy Blas barks and...
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Show All Tracks
- A Midsummer Night's Dream, overture, Op. 21
- A Midsummer Night's Dream, incidental music, Op. 61: Scerzo. Allegro vivace
- A Midsummer Night's Dream, incidental music, Op. 61: Act 2. Scene 1. How now, spirit (Shakespeare) / L'istesso tempo / Allegro vivace / Ill met by moonl
- A Midsummer Night's Dream, incidental music, Op. 61: Act 2. Scene 2. Come, now a roundel (Shakespeare) / Song with chorus: You spotted snake / Allegro m
- A Midsummer Night's Dream, incidental music, Op. 61: Act 2. Scene 2. What thou seest when thou dost wake (Shakespeare) / Andante
- A Midsummer Night's Dream, incidental music, Op. 61: Intermezzo. Allegro appassionato - Allegro molto comodo
- A Midsummer Night's Dream, incidental music, Op. 61: Act 3. Scene 1. Come, sit down (Shakespeare) / Allegro / What hempen home-spuns (Shakespeare)
- A Midsummer Night's Dream, play: Act 3. Scene 2. I wonder if Titania be awaked
- A Midsummer Night's Dream, incidental music, Op. 61: Act 3. Nocturne. Con moto tranquillo
- A Midsummer Night's Dream, play: Act 4. Scene 1. Welcome, good Robin
- A Midsummer Night's Dream, incidental music, Op. 61: Act 4. Wedding March
- A Midsummer Night's Dream, incidental music, Op. 61: Act 5. Scene 1. Come now, what masques (Shakespeare) / Allegro comodo / Marcia funebre. Andante com
- A Midsummer Night's Dream, incidental music, Op. 61: Act 5. Scene 1. A Dance of the Clowns. Allegro di molto / The iron tongue of midnight (Shakespeare)
- A Midsummer Night's Dream, play: Act 5. Scene 1. Now the hungry lion roars
- A Midsummer Night's Dream, incidental music, Op. 61: Act 5. Finale. Allegro di molto / Through the house (Shakespeare)
- Ruy Blas, overture for orchestra in C minor, Op. 95
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