A Midsummer Night's Dream: Incidental Music, Op. 61; Finale: Oh glimmering light: Full Orchestra, Chorus with Ensemble, Conductor Score

This finale gives orchestras and choruses the chance to perform music that has shaped concert life for nearly two centuries. The Finale sits at the intersection of theatrical magic and symphonic sophistication: it opens with dialogue between the fairy principals, moves into a haunting women's chorus that literally fades into the distance, and closes with Puck's soliloquy before the benedictory four-chord return. Conductors appreciate how Mendelssohn balances orchestral color with ensemble clarity, and singers encounter genuinely rewarding vocal writing that sits well in the voice without sacrificing sophistication.

Luminous and otherworldly, yet grounded in romantic harmony and orchestral warmth. The movement opens with intimate magic—Oberon and Titania in quiet conversation—then expands into a chorus of fairies whose voices seem to shimmer and dissolve like light through leaves. Puck's soliloquy brings a moment of wry humanity before the benedictory chords return, leaving the listener in a state of gentle wonder.

Orchestras with choral forces at the intermediate-to-advanced level and singers experienced enough to sustain ethereal passages without wavering. Conductors seeking a work that demonstrates Mendelssohn's mastery of orchestration and his ability to weave vocal and instrumental forces into a unified theatrical statement will find this finale both musically substantial and genuinely performable by capable ensembles.

• The women's chorus must achieve a sense of spatial recession; work dynamics and balance so the singers sound as though they are genuinely moving away from the audience, not simply getting softer in place.
• The four opening chords and their reprise at the close are the harmonic anchors of the entire work. Conduct them with unhurried deliberation; their power lies in their stillness and resonance.
• Puck's closing lines benefit from clear diction and a conversational tone that contrasts with the ethereal quality of the fairy chorus; the soloist should sound as if speaking directly to the audience.
• Balance the soprano and alto vocal solos against the orchestra carefully in the opening dialogue; these voices need to project over strings and winds without forcing.

This excerpt works beautifully as a closing piece on a concert devoted to Mendelssohn or to romantic orchestral literature; its sense of finale and closure gives a program architectural satisfaction. Alternatively, pair it with the overture (Op. 21 or the version incorporated into Op. 61) to bookend a concert and give audiences the full sweep of Mendelssohn's engagement with Shakespeare. Universities and community orchestras with active choruses often program it as a showpiece that demonstrates both ensemble capabilities and collaborative artistry.

• Conducting transitions between solo vocal passages and choral writing with clear textural hierarchy
• Balancing four orchestral sections (2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons; 2 horns, 2 trumpets; timpani; strings) to achieve shimmer without muddiness
• Sustaining ensemble precision in extended soft passages where intonation vulnerabilities become exposed
• Shaping a multi-section movement with coherent dramatic arc despite the shift from dialogue to chorus to soliloquy to harmonic resolution
• Coordinating vocal and instrumental parts when the chorus enters and recedes while soloists continue to sing