TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taipei Philharmonic Youth Ensemble will perform a program centered on Felix Mendelssohn’s "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s "Scheherazade."
The program features Mendelssohn’s work inspired by William Shakespeare’s fairy-filled play. Rimsky-Korsakov’s "Scheherazade" draws on stories from the Middle Eastern folktale collection "Arabian Nights," according to NTT.
The ensemble will perform Tuesday at the National Taichung Theater. Wednesday’s performance will take place at Taipei’s National Concert Hall, according to a TPYE press release.
Mendelssohn’s score evokes the magic and romance of a midsummer dream, while Rimsky-Korsakov’s work builds sweeping, narrative-driven melodies around mythic tales. Presented as a “musical story box,” the concert reimagines the two classics with an emphasis on narrative flow and dramatic pacing.
The concert’s concept was shaped by director and dramaturg Hsiao Tung-yi (蕭東意), who explored the interplay between music and stage. Tenor Chang Yin-chi (張殷齊) serves as the storyteller, guiding the audience through narration, character transformations, and musical cues.
Written at 17, Mendelssohn’s "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" opens with four wind chords that conjure the play’s mythical realm. These give way to delicate violin passages that capture the flutter of fairies’ wings, according to the New York City Ballet.
Rimsky-Korsakov’s "Scheherazade" draws inspiration from "Arabian Nights," also known as "One Thousand and One Nights," which tells of the Sultana Scheherazade. She saves her life by telling Sultan Shahriar a new story each night for 1,001 nights, delaying her execution and eventually winning his heart, according to the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
The composer described the suite not as separate pieces but as an “oriental narrative of fairy-tale wonders,” guided by musical hints rather than strict storytelling. The work is anchored by two recurring motifs.
The sultan’s commanding presence is expressed through low brass and woodwinds, while Scheherazade’s theme is carried chiefly by the solo violin. The suite closes with a gentle violin epilogue.
