A Midsummer Night's Dream: Complete (Ein Sommernachtstraum): Conductor Score & Parts

This complete score gives you access to one of the Romantic era's most enchanting and frequently programmed orchestral works in its full splendor. The writing is grateful across all sections; violas in particular get real material to play rather than harmonic filler, making this a rewarding experience for mid-range string players. Programming an entire Mendelssohn score elevates any concert and provides your orchestra with a genuine masterwork that audiences know and love.

Mendelssohn's score sparkles with mischief and grace, conjuring the magic of the fairy realm through gossamer orchestration and memorable themes that lodge themselves immediately in the listener's ear. The music shifts effortlessly from delicate, dancing passages to moments of genuine warmth and lyricism, all while maintaining an almost chamber-music-like intimacy despite the full orchestral forces required.

This conductor score and parts edition serves orchestras ranging from advanced high school ensembles to professional and university orchestras. If your viola section is ready for sustained musical responsibility alongside winds and brass, and your singers are prepared for the solo and choral demands, this work rewards committed preparation with performances that resonate deeply with audiences.

• Balance the dialogue between the principal players and the ensemble carefully; Mendelssohn's orchestration thrives on clarity between lines, so resist the urge to over-blend.
• Pay close attention to the character markings and tempo relationships between movements. The Scherzo requires genuine lightness and rhythmic precision, not merely speed.
• Support the soprano soloists and women's chorus entries with warmth from the lower strings; they emerge more naturally when the foundation beneath them is solid and unified.
• Use the Edison F. Kalmus edition's clear part layout to ensure string players can see bowings and articulations distinctly. Mark any shared bowings early in rehearsal so coordination happens organically.

This complete score works beautifully as the centerpiece of a Romantic-era themed concert or as a spring concert finale that leaves audiences in good spirits. It pairs well with other overtures or shorter orchestral works, giving you programming flexibility without requiring an entire evening devoted to a single composer.

• Reading fast-moving rhythmic figurations and scalar passages in high positions
• Balancing part-writing within a large ensemble while maintaining independence
• Responding to tempo and character changes across multiple movements
• Collaborative listening with winds, brass, and percussion in complex harmonic contexts
• Sustaining longer phrases with consistent tone and intonation across extended passages