Mendelssohn - Wedding March in C Major

Felix Mendelssohn composed the overture to Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 1826, at the astonishingly young age of seventeen. Nearly two decades later, in October 1843, he returned to the work, adding a complete set of incidental music for a staged performance in Potsdam, near Berlin. Despite the long interval between the two creative periods, the stylistic unity of the music is remarkable—an eloquent testament to Mendelssohn’s consistency of imagination and refinement of craft.

The full cycle of eleven musical numbers was met with immediate and overwhelming success. Among them, the Wedding March soon emerged as the most celebrated. It appears at the conclusion of Act IV, accompanying the joyful resolution of the drama and the simultaneous marriages of three couples. Over time, the piece transcended its theatrical origins and entered everyday musical life, becoming the near-universal symbol of the wedding ceremony.

The march opens with a brilliant fanfare, instantly commanding attention and establishing a festive yet dignified atmosphere. This leads into a stately procession, noble in character and perfectly balanced in its sense of ceremonial grandeur. Its confidence and clarity have made it an enduring emblem of celebration.

A lighter and less imposing section follows, as though Shakespeare’s fairies themselves were passing through the sacred space. Here, Mendelssohn’s orchestration becomes more delicate, with graceful textures and a sense of playful elegance. The ceremonial theme returns twice, each time subtly varied and interwoven with gentler, lyrical passages that soften the march’s formality.

In its final appearance, the music seems to recede into the distance, gradually fading away. The closing measures dissolve into an ethereal shimmer of woodwind sound, leaving behind an impression of enchantment—an ending that perfectly mirrors the magical world of Shakespeare’s play.

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