Nocturne from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (Mendelssohn)

Music of calm, romantic beauty. Mendelssohn's incidental music to A Midsummer Night's Dream is both dreamy and haunting. The famous horn solos may also be performed by alto saxophone.

Genre: Solo Alto Saxophone with Band | # of Players: Standard + 1
Level: 3 | Duration: 6:45

Instrumentation
1st Flute/Piccolo
2nd Flute
Oboe*
1st Bb Clarinet
2nd Bb Clarinet
3rd Bb Clarinet
Bb Bass Clarinet
1st Bassoon*
2nd Bassoon*
1st/2nd* Eb Alto Saxophone
Bb Tenor Saxophone*

1st Bb Cornet
2nd Bb Cornet
1st F Horn
2nd F Horn
1st Trombone
2nd Trombone*
Euphonium
(TC Baritone)
Tuba

String Bass*

Parts marked with an asterisk (*) are NOT ESSENTIAL, although their presence will obviously enable a fuller realization of the composer's intention to be achieved.

Program Notes
Mendelssohn's incidental music to Shakespeare's play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, was written in response to a request from the King of Prussia; the first performance was given at Potsdam near Berlin in 1843.

The Nocturne has been described as music of "calm yet romantic beauty." Certainly Mendelssohn's choice of the horn as the solo instrument aptly captures the dreamy nature of this haunting music and has been an important factor in establishing the Nocturne as a favourite concert item in its own right

This arrangement can also be performed with an alto saxophone playing the solo, in which case the 1st horn part should be omitted.