Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

The evening is structured as a chronological journey through three distinct responses to William Shakespeare. You will begin with the modern sounds of Thomas Adès, whose work captures the supernatural elements of The Tempest through fragmented textures and unsettling orchestral colours. Following this, the mood shifts to the psychological intensity of Richard Strauss’s Macbeth. This symphonic poem focuses on the internal struggle of its protagonist, using dense brass writing and dark instrumental layering to evoke a sense of ambition and ruin. The second half of the performance is dedicated to Mendelssohn’s complete incidental music for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Here, you will hear a sharp contrast in character, moving from the ethereal, scurrying strings of the fairy world to the sturdy rhythms of the Wedding March. Listen for the way the woodwinds create a sense of light and space, capturing the lightness of the comedy in a way that balances the weightier tone of the first half.

Ilan Volkov leads the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra for this performance. Volkov is widely recognised for his ability to navigate complex contemporary scores alongside the core romantic repertoire, making him well-suited for a programme that bridges the gap between Adès and Strauss. The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra is the city’s flagship ensemble, based at Symphony Hall. They are known for their technical precision and a discography that covers a vast range of orchestral styles, from large-scale nineteenth-century tone poems to modern commissions.

This performance takes place at Symphony Hall in Birmingham and lasts approximately 120 minutes, including an interval. Because the programme moves from shorter, evocative modern pieces to very familiar melodic themes, it serves as a good entry point if you are new to orchestral music. The venue is purpose-built for acoustics of this scale, which will benefit the dense orchestration of the Strauss. There is no specific dress code for this event, and the programme is entirely instrumental, so no surtitles or translations are required for the audience.