Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy was just seventeen when – captivated by A Midsummer Night’s Dream – he composed a concerto overture to Shakespeare’s masterpiece and went on to write an entire ballet, including compositions as well known as Scherzo and The Wedding March.

Mendelssohn’s music – melodic, light, lyrical, romantic and characterised by clearly marked fantasy – became, in turn, an inspiration for choreographers. The spectacle at the Kraków Opera is prepared by the Italian choreographer Giorgio Madia, known to Cracovian audiences from his work on Cinderella and Orpheus and Eurydice, and music director Marcin Nałęcz-Niesiołowski. The authors are proud of their innovative reading of Mendelssohn’s ballet. “The neoclassical Greek staging is turned upside-down to become an Elizabethan forest,” promises Madia.

We can certainly expect a dynamic production with a fascinating play of movement, light and music.

Direction, choreography, light design: Giorgio Madia
Musical direction: Marcin Nałęcz-Niesiołowski
Set design and costumes: Alexander J. Mudlagk
Choir preparation: Jacek Mentel, Joanna Wójtowicz, Janusz Wierzgacz