Shakespeare, Tchaikovsky & Ellington

The Bard's plays have been an inspiration to many musical composers.

Tchaikovsky's overture fantasy "Romeo & Juliet" prompted a Russian critic to write to him saying that due to the excitement on hearing the music, he spent a sleepless night! In the work, French horns represent Romeo & flutes, Juliet.

The symphonic fantasy "The Tempest", depicts the fury of the sea & tone pictures of Ariel, Prospero & Caliban. The love music of Ferdinand & Miranda is reminiscent of that between Romeo & Juliet.

The overture fantasy "Hamlet" was dedicated to Edward Grieg, the Norwegian composer. Death, symbolised by the funeral March is juxtaposed to the tender subject of Ophelia's love, recalled by the oboe solo.

If Tchaikovsky mainly dealt with episodes from the plays, The Jazz Legend Duke Ellington, mostly provides miniature tone pictures of characters in his work, commissioned by the Stratford (Ontario) Shakespeare Festival.

The title track, "Such sweet thunder", was inspired by "Othello". Next was the "Sonnet for Caesar". Next was a tribute to the Bard's history plays. Next comes a picture of "Lady Mac" (Beth). Then comes the "Sonnet in search of a Moor" (Othello again). Next is a composite depiction of the three witches from "Macbeth" & Iago from "Othello". Then comes Puck & others from "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Next is "Sonnet for Sister Kate" (The Taming of the Shrew). Then a piece for "Romeo & Juliet", followed by one for "Hamlet". Next comes Cleopatra in her   barge on the Nile. To end the work, the Duke comes up with a musical tour de force, where his band progresses by the musical interval of a fourth through every musical key, depicting Shakespeare's works in the four forms of comedy, tragedy, history & sonnets. (Condensed from the sleeve notes of "Such sweet thunder" by Irving Townsend.)