Mendelssohn's Nuptial Gift: The Story Behind The Wedding March

Despite its name, Felix Mendelssohn's Wedding March was not initially composed for a wedding. Instead, the piece was written in 1842 as incidental music for Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, specifically for a Potsdam production of the play. The Wedding March serves as the musical backdrop for the play's climactic wedding scene. Mendelssohn's piece gained widespread popularity as wedding music after Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, Princess Victoria Adelaide Mary Louise, selected it for her marriage to the Crown Prince of Prussia, Frederick William IV, in 1858.

Mendelssohn's 'Wedding March' was written for a stage production of Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

Felix Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" in C major is one of the best-known pieces from his suite of incidental music for a stage production of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream". It was written in 1842 as part of a commission from King Frederick William IV of Prussia for a Potsdam production of the play. The "Wedding March" serves as the backdrop for the climactic wedding scene in the play.

Mendelssohn had a deep appreciation for Shakespeare's play from a young age. At 17, he composed an orchestral work to illustrate the characters of "A Midsummer Night's Dream", which is known as the "Overture" to the play and is considered a masterwork of 19th-century orchestral literature.

The "Wedding March" was first used as wedding music at the nuptials of Princess Victoria Adelaide Mary Louise, the eldest child of Queen Victoria, when she married Crown Prince Frederick William of Prussia on January 25, 1858. The royal wedding is believed to have started the tradition of playing the "Wedding March" during the recessional, as the newlywed couple walks back up the aisle.

Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert, were admirers of Mendelssohn and often spent time playing the composer's music. Mendelssohn, who was German and Jewish, had a strong attachment to Britain and frequently played for the royal family during his visits. The use of his "Wedding March" at the royal wedding popularized it for weddings, particularly in German- and English-speaking countries.

The piece was first used at the wedding of Princess Victoria Adelaide Mary Louise in 1858

The first time Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" was used at a wedding was for the nuptials of Princess Victoria Adelaide Mary Louise, Queen Victoria's eldest child, when she married Frederick William IV of Prussia on 25 January 1858. The piece was used as a recessional, as it often is today, and was paired with Richard Wagner's "Bridal Chorus" ("Here Comes the Bride"), which was played as the princess processed to the altar.

The royal wedding is thought to have started the practice of a "full choral processional from the church entrance to the altar" and playing music as the bride walked up the aisle. The princess was a patron of opera and a lover of Mendelssohn's and Wagner's music.

The "Wedding March" was composed in 1842 as part of Mendelssohn's incidental music for a production of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream". It was written for a Potsdam production of the play, which the composer had always been fond of, and was commissioned by King Frederick William IV of Prussia.

Mendelssohn was a celebrated figure in Britain, where he had first visited in 1829. He was well-received by Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert, who was also German. Mendelssohn often played for the royal family during his visits to Britain, and his music was a favourite of the Queen's.

Queen Victoria and her husband were fond of Mendelssohn and his music

Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert, were both accomplished pianists and singers. They were also fond admirers of Felix Mendelssohn's music. Mendelssohn first met Prince Albert on 14 June 1842, hand-delivering a letter from Albert's cousin, Frederick William IV of Prussia. The composer was then invited to meet Queen Victoria the following evening.

Queen Victoria wrote about her first encounter with Mendelssohn in her journal:

> After dinner came Mendelssohn, whose acquaintance I was so anxious to make... He is short, dark, and Jewish-looking, delicate, with a fine intellectual forehead. I should say he must be about 35 or 36. He is very pleasing and modest... He played first of all some of his "Lieder ohne Worte."

Mendelssohn, realising how much Victoria and Albert enjoyed playing piano duets, sent them a special arrangement of his 'Scottish' symphony. The royal couple also attended a performance of Mendelssohn's oratorio 'Elijah' at Exeter Hall. After the performance, Prince Albert sent the composer his own copy of the programme with a heartfelt inscription in German.

Mendelssohn's music was selected by Victoria, the Princess Royal, for her marriage to Prince Frederick William of Prussia on 25 January 1858. The bride was the daughter of Queen Victoria, who loved Mendelssohn's music and for whom Mendelssohn often played while visiting Britain. The royal couple's fondness for Mendelssohn and his music helped popularise his 'Wedding March' and cement its association with weddings in the German- and English-speaking worlds.

The 'Wedding March' is often played as a recessional at weddings

The "Wedding March" by Felix Mendelssohn is often played as a recessional at weddings. The piece was originally written in 1842 as incidental music for a production of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream". However, it became widely associated with nuptials when Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, Victoria, The Princess Royal, used it as a recessional at her wedding to the Crown Prince of Prussia (also known as Frederick William IV of Prussia) on January 25, 1858.

The "Wedding March" is particularly popular in Western and English-speaking countries, where it is commonly played on a church pipe organ as the bridal party exits the ceremony. It is frequently paired with Richard Wagner's "Bridal Chorus" ("Here Comes the Bride") or Jeremiah Clarke's "Prince of Denmark's March", which are often played during the entry of the bride.

The first known instance of the "Wedding March" being used at a wedding was at the nuptials of Dorothy Carew and Tom Daniel in Tiverton, Devon, England, on June 2, 1847. However, it was the 1858 royal wedding that truly cemented its place in wedding traditions. Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert, were great admirers of Mendelssohn and often invited him to play for the royal family during his visits to Britain.

The "Wedding March" has since become a staple at weddings, especially in German- and English-speaking countries. Its regal sound and celebratory melody have made it a beloved choice for couples celebrating their special day.

The piece was added to an earlier Overture written for 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

The "Wedding March" by Felix Mendelssohn is one of the most famous pieces from his suite of incidental music for Shakespeare's play, "A Midsummer Night's Dream". The piece was written in 1842 and first performed in Potsdam, Germany, as part of a production of the play.

Mendelssohn had a deep appreciation for Shakespeare, and at the age of 17, he composed an orchestral work to illustrate the characters of his favourite play, "A Midsummer Night's Dream". This earlier work is known as the "Overture" to the play and is considered one of the masterpieces of 19th-century orchestral literature.

The "Wedding March" was added to this earlier Overture, and it was first performed as a wedding song in 1847 for the marriage of Dorothy Carew and Tom Daniel in Tiverton, Devon, England. However, it gained widespread popularity when it was chosen by Queen Victoria's daughter, Princess Victoria Adelaide Mary Louise, for her wedding to Crown Prince Frederick William of Prussia in 1858.

The royal wedding is believed to have started the tradition of playing the "Wedding March" during the recessional, as the newlywed couple walks back up the aisle. The choice of music by the royal family set a standard that was soon emulated by many others, especially in the German- and English-speaking worlds.

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