A Midsummer Night's Dream: Shakespeare, Purcell, Mendelssohn and Britten
Please note that this course has started or is now finished and enrolment may no longer be possible.
You can now:
- Explore our courses in the courses pages.
- Look for courses taught by the same tutors by clicking on the tutor links below.
- Contact us to register your interest in future courses of this type.
- Continue your search via the guided search or course search (show all courses).
Shakespeare's comedy has been an inspiration to composers over the centuries. Its colourful variety of fairies, courtiers, lovers and comics appealed to the 17th-century Purcell (his semi-opera The Fairy Queen, 1692), the 19th-century Mendelssohn (his incidental music for the play, 1826) and 20th-century Britten (his opera of 1960), all pure magic!
Course Programme
Friday 3 August 2012
Please plan to arrive between 4:30 and 6:30. You can meet other course members in the bar which opens at 6:15. Tea and Coffee making facilities are available in the study bedrooms.
19:15 Dinner
20:30 Introduction to the weekend followed by the play’s the thing, its musical potentials as realised by Purcell, Mendelssohn and Benjamin Britten.
22:00 Terrace bar open for informal discussion
Saturday 4 August 2012
08:00 Breakfast
09:00 Purcell and Britten: The Fairy Queen 1692 London, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 1960, Aldeburgh, Suffolk.
10:30 Coffee
11:00 Mendelssohn’s Overture, 1826, first performed 1827, and incidental music for the play 1842, first performed 1843
13:00 Lunch
14:00 Free
16:00 Tea
4.30 Music for The Court, The Lovers, The Fairies, The Mechanicals, as presented by the three composers.
19:15 Dinner
20:30 Glyndebourne’s production of Purcell’s semi-opera on DVD (2009) and Britten’s opera on DVD (1981) conducted by Bernard Haitink, directed by Peter Hall.
22:00 Terrace bar open for informal discussion
Sunday 5 August 2012
08:00 Breakfast
09:00 Further opportunities to continue our study of the three composers and Shakespeare, leading to class discussions and group questions
10:30 Coffee
11:00 Class discussion and group questions continued
13:00 Lunch
The course will disperse after lunch
Downloads
Comments
Unless otherwise stated, teaching and assessment for ICE courses is in English. Students for whom English is not their first language should refer to the Competence in the English Language Policy for further guidance.
Printable versions of our brochures are available to download from the Institute Publications page.
Pre-enrolment information
Information about studying with ICE
Register interest
To register your interest in this course please contact us:
Write to us
Registration TeamMadingley Hall
Madingley
Cambridge
Cambridgeshire
United Kingdom
CB23 8AQ
Call us
01223 746262
Email us
Course details
Start date
3 August 2012 (19:15)
End date
5 August 2012 (14:00)
Course code
1213NRX002
Duration
1 weekend
Venue
Institute of Continuing Education
University of Cambridge
Madingley Hall, Madingley
Cambridge
Cambridgeshire
United Kingdom
CB23 8AQ
Accommodation fees
Single room: £110
Double/Twin room (per person, 2 people sharing): £90
Qualifications / Credits
Non-accredited