Playlist

From Page to Stage

The written word has long been an important vehicle for passing down tradition, values, and experiences from one generation to the next. The power of this art form lies in its ability to present worlds and ideas – both real and imaginary – through the eyes of others. From the unique vocabulary and masterful dramatism of Shakespeare to the expressive Sturm und Drang intensity of Goethe, authors and poets throughout the centuries have carefully crafted language and form to captivate readers, transporting them to worlds anew. Music, itself a powerful language of expression with a longer history, has always shared a close relationship with the written word throughout history.

With underlying philosophies of romanticism in the 19th Century in particular – emotion, subjectivity, and imagination amongst others – the two art forms firmly began to merge. Though a precursor to the romantic era, Shakespeare’s plays influenced many romantic composers, from Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn to Rossini and Verdi, each of whom sought to build upon the bard’s gripping narratives with their own musical voices. Take Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Suite for example, whose delicate use of string timbres and choral textures conjure a dream-like woodland world where humans and fairies unite. Or Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet fantasy overture, whose soaring love theme unmistakably captures a sense of tenderness and longing central to the lovers’ ill-fated romance.

Moving beyond Shakespeare, numerous composers throughout the romantic era and into the modern era used musical adaptations of literary texts to communicate broader social and political themes. The agitated rhythms and Moravian folk melodies of Janáček's orchestral rhapsody Taras Bulba speak to the dramatic feudal conflict of Nikolai Gogol’s original novel, combining it with distinct Czech nationalist flair. Kurt Weill’s Beat! Beat! Drums! (taken from his Four Walt Whitman Songs) equally mirrors the relentless motion and emotional intensity of Whitman’s civil war commentary through rousing brass and explosive percussion.

From Page to Stage is a curated collection of works inviting you to listen to some of the most inspiring of these literary adaptations, exploring the boundless connections between music and the written word. Each piece in this collection captures the joint expressive power of music and writing by bringing classic works of literature to life through the power of the symphonic palette.