A Dance of Clowns: Full Orchestra Conductor Score

Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream music arrives pre-loaded with recognition and charm; your audience will connect with it immediately. Jerry Brubaker's arrangement preserves the orchestral brilliance of the original while respecting the realities of school ensembles, making this a piece that sounds genuinely accomplished without requiring Olympic-level technique from every section.

Mischievous energy radiates through the shimmering figuration and dancing rhythms. The music evokes the forest scenes of Shakespeare's play: otherworldly, quicksilver, full of motion and moment, never allowing the ear to rest.

This score serves conductors building a balanced concert program at the Grade 3.5 level, particularly those wanting to include a recognized masterwork without sacrificing playability or rehearsal time. Orchestras of mixed ability will find here a piece that sounds larger and more sophisticated than the individual parts might suggest.

• Balance the gossamer upper woodwind lines against the active lower voices; the scherzo's magic depends on clarity, not blending everything into a soft wash.
• Keep the tempo steady and buoyant. This music is inherently playful, and rushing will flatten the humor; a conductor who remains patient with the rhythm will find the humor emerges naturally.
• Attention to articulation across the ensemble will animate the textures. Light tonguing in the woodwinds and precise bow strokes in the strings bring out the character that Mendelssohn embedded in nearly every measure.
• Feature soloists where the arrangement opens space for them; allowing a principal flute, oboe, or clarinet to sing through a phrase maintains the theatrical charm of the original.

Program this as a concert opener or as a transition between heavier works; its bright humor and manageable duration (1:45) make it ideal for resetting the room or showcasing ensemble precision. It pairs naturally with Romantic-era repertoire and works equally well on a concert aimed at family audiences or festival adjudication.

• Executing rapid articulation patterns in woodwinds
• Maintaining ensemble precision in syncopated rhythmic figures
• Balancing inner voices against prominent melodic lines
• Interpreting character-driven expression in orchestral texture
• Reading mixed meters and quick tempo changes within a single movement