A Dance of Clowns Cover Image

A Dance of Clowns: Full Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

$65.00 USD
$65.00 USD
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A Dance of Clowns Cover Image
A Dance of Clowns: Full Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

A Dance of Clowns: Full Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

From A Midsummer Night's Dream

By Felix Mendelssohn / arr. Jerry Brubaker

Grade: 3.5

Item: 00-41234
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Description
A fantastic arrangement of music from Shakespeare's play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, that is true to the original but eminently playable, this transcription will fit any concert. (1:45) This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, A Dance of Clowns: Full Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Additional Details
Series: Belwin Concert Full Orchestra
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 106
UPC: 038081472041
SKU: 00-41234

More about this title

About the Composer: Felix Mendelssohn

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) was a Romantic composer whose gift for orchestration and lyrical melody established him as one of the 19th century's most performed musicians. His music for Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream remains among his most celebrated works, blending classical structure with the fantastical, luminous sound world that defined his compositional voice.

As a conductor, pianist, and educator, Mendelssohn understood the orchestra with remarkable clarity. His scores reward ensemble players with gratifying parts while maintaining the architectural integrity of the whole, making him an ideal model for music that sounds sophisticated but remains accessible to developing musicians.

Why we love this

Brubaker's transcription captures the sparkle and humor of Mendelssohn's original while distributing the orchestration smartly across Grade 3.5 instrumentation. You get the theatrical magic without the technical impossibilities, making this an ideal choice for orchestras that want to program Romantic repertoire with confidence.

What to expect

Mischievous and buoyant. The music tumbles forward with the irreverent energy of Shakespeare's bumbling characters, full of quick gestures, unexpected harmonic colors, and moments of lyrical sweetness that emerge like moonlight breaking through clouds. It's music that makes audiences smile.

Who it's for

Orchestra conductors programming Grades 3.5-4 ensembles who need concert and festival repertoire with proven appeal to audiences and adjudicators. This arrangement works equally well for all-state or honor orchestras looking for accessible Romantic literature and solo orchestras wanting a theatrical, character-driven piece.

How to get the most out of it

  • Shape the opening clarinet line with clear articulation and soft dynamic control; the clown characters depend on delicate phrasing to sound intentional rather than tentative.
  • Balance the woodwind commentary against strings in the middle sections so the dialogue feels conversational, not buried.
  • Maintain steady tempo through rhythmic gestures in the first violins; slight tempo flexibility in the melodic passages works, but the dance character requires rhythmic integrity overall.
  • Use the recorded accompaniment (available separately) to lock ensemble synchronization during sectional rehearsals, then pull it away for full-group rehearsals to build independent listening.

How to use it

Open a concert with this piece to establish a lighter tone, or place it strategically after a serious work to give audiences and musicians a moment of orchestral play. Its moderate length (1:45) makes it ideal for festival appearances or as the centerpiece of a string-and-winds concert featuring multiple shorter works.

Skills your students will build

  • Balancing transparent orchestration where multiple lines remain audible
  • Executing articulate, light articulation in sustained passage work
  • Reading and executing rapid woodwind figurations with rhythmic precision
  • Responding to conducting gestures that shape phrase direction and dynamics in lyrical sections
  • Listening across the ensemble to maintain rhythmic coordination without a strong melodic anchor

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