La Folle Journée de Varsovie: A Midsummer Night's Dream (34)

We have always been attracted to the world of fantasy, from ancient myths, Scandinavian sagas and Arthurian legends to today's fantasy films and literature. The idea of a universe in which intrigues are set and solved by magic is still attractive, present in works for children and young people.

William Shakespeare, the brilliant English playwright of the 16th century, also created a fantastic reality, for some fairy-tale and cheerful, for others difficult and ambiguous, in his comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream, a tale of the amorous adventures of several couples in love in the Athenian forest, in the kingdom of Oberon and Titania – king and queen of the elves.

In 1826, 230 years later, the 17-year-old genius Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, fascinated by Shakespeare's work, composed the overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream. Felix had already been hailed as a child prodigy. He composed symphonies, played the piano, organ, violin and viola, studied history, geography and philosophy. Many years later, he composed another 13 movements of the musical setting of Shakespeare's entire comedy, commissioned by the King of Prussia. In today's concert we will hear a selection of 8 movements, including the famous Overture, Scherzo and Wedding March.

PROGRAMME:

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op. 61 (selection) [37’]
Overture: Allegro di molto – Poco ritenuto
I. Scherzo: Allegro vivace
III. Song with Choir: Allegro ma non troppo
V. Intermezzo: Allegro appassionato – Allegro molto comodo
VII. Nocturne: Andante tranquillo
IX. Wedding March: Allegro vivace
X. Funeral March: Andante comodo
Finale: Allegro di molto

PERFORMERS:

Paulina Herman soprano
Zuzanna Nalewajek mezzo-soprano
Symphony Orchestra and Choir of the Karol Szymanowski State Music School Complex No. 4 in Warsaw
Students of the Roman Turczynowicz Secondary Ballet School in Warsaw
Wojciech Pławner conductor
Jakub Kaczmarek chorus master
Dominika Krzysztoforska, Julita Gumulak choreography
Andrzej Ferenc narrator

The revolutionary concept of La Folle Journée consists in a dizzying number of short concerts in the span of a few days with an appealing repertoire and affordable ticket prices. All of that attracts large crowds of new listeners to the concert halls in a spectacular fashion. Every year, thousands of people gather at the Polish National Opera, Teatr Wielki on the last weekend of September to listen to concerts of their choice from dozens of available events.The festival has gained the reputation of the biggest classical music feast in Poland. Many regular and occasional concertgoers spend the whole year waiting for it.

It is the only festival in the country that combines symphonic and chamber concerts performed by the brightest stars of classical music with a broad educational repertoire that gathers together the most gifted young musicians from across Poland. Every year, around 1000 artists perform during the festival and are listened to by nearly 40 000 audience members.

The theme of this year's 13th edition of the festival is Ode to the Night.

FULL LIST OF PARTNERS OF LA FOLLE JOURNÉE DE VARSOVIE