A Dance of Clowns (from A Midsummer Night's Dream): Viola

Jerry Brubaker's arrangement preserves Mendelssohn's orchestration while making the piece genuinely accessible to Grade 3.5 ensembles. You get the authoriticity and harmonic sophistication of the original without asking student musicians to stretch beyond their current abilities. The comedy in the piece comes through clearly, and orchestras at this level find it deeply satisfying to play.

Mischief and delight spring from every measure. The music captures the bumbling energy of comic characters without a trace of condescension, instead celebrating their antics with affection and rhythmic wit. Playful gestures in the orchestra create a transparent, joyful soundscape that students immediately connect with.

This arrangement serves orchestras ready to tackle concert repertoire with real musical substance. Directors seeking works that challenge students' ensemble skills while keeping individual part difficulty manageable will find this invaluable for mid-season programming or festival performance.

• Balance the rhythmic figures across the woodwind section so the quick articulations land together without sounding frantic. The clowns' entrance works best when the ensemble feels in control of the tempo rather than chasing it.
• Shape the melodic lines with subtle rubato in the lyrical passages. Allow the music to breathe naturally between phrases instead of maintaining a metronomic pulse throughout.
• Emphasize the pizzicato string figures that underscore the comic action. They define much of the character, so bring them forward slightly in the mix without overwhelming the upper voices.
• Treat the dynamic contrasts as deliberate choices, not sudden shocks. Gradual hairpins into forte moments give the orchestration time to settle and stay balanced.

Program this alongside lighter concert works to create a program with real variety. At 1 minute 45 seconds, it works beautifully as a bridge piece between heavier selections or as an energetic conclusion to a concert segment. Festival adjudicators recognize it immediately, and its reputation as a classroom staple makes it a crowd favorite.

• Maintaining rhythmic precision in fast, syncopated passages
• Balancing independent lines across sectional entrances
• Shaping musical phrases through dynamic control
• Coordinating articulation clarity across mixed woodwind textures
• Responding to a conductor's expressive interpretation in a well-known work