The First Walpurgis Night
Arrangement for chamber orchestra (arr. J. Linckelmann) op. 60
Mendelssohn’s Walpurgis Night (Walpurgisnacht) with only seven wind instruments instead of the usual 15? Certainly! – thanks to this arrangement for chamber orchestra: an attractive alternative for ensembles with limited space, a tight budget, or where the size of the choir demands a certain flexibility in the instrumentation. The orchestra is primarily reduced by paring back the wind section while fully preserving the symphonic character and a wide dynamic range.
All vocal parts (soloists and choir) are identical to the original version, thus ensuring full compatibility with the vocal scores, choral scores, and practice aids from the standard Carus edition (Carus 40.138/00).
| Original version | Arrangement for chamber orchestra |
| Soli ATBarB (ATB), Coro SATB, Pic, 2 Fl, 2 Ob, 2 Clt, 2 Fg, 2 Cor, 2 Tr, 3 Trb, Timp, Gran Tamburo e Piatti, 2 Vl, Va, Vc, Cb | Soli ATBarB (ATB), Coro SATB, Fl, Ob, Clt, Fg, Cor, Tr, Trb, Timp, 2 Vl, Va, Vc, Cb |
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Composer
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
| 1809-1847Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809–1847) is regarded as one of the most important composers of the Romantic period. His compositions combine the formal clarity of the Viennese Classical period with the heightened expressiveness of the 19th century. His engagement with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach was particularly influential; he played a key role in its rediscovery through the performance of the St Matthew Passion in 1829.
Among his best-known vocal works are his two oratorios, Paulus and Elias, as well as his chorale cantata Verleih uns Frieden gnädiglich. Furthermore, Mendelssohn worked as a conductor, pianist and music teacher, and made a significant contribution to the professionalisation of the concert scene and to the development of the Leipzig Conservatoire. His work occupies a central position in 19th-century music history and combines a sense of tradition with Romantic sound aesthetics.
Personal details
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Songwriter / Librettist
Johann Wolfgang Goethe
| -1832Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is today a dazzling figure in world literature. He was born in Frankfurt am Main and initially studied law, but then followed his inclination towards poetry. With the drama Götz von Berlechingen and the epistolary novel The Sorrows of Young Werther, he made important contributions to the literary movement of Sturm und Drang.
From 1775 onwards, Goethe was employed at the court of Duke Carl August in Weimar. In addition to his work at court as a minister and director of the Weimar Court Theatre, he wrote his major works here, including the drama Faust, other novels and many poems, which are still a source of inspiration for musical adaptations today. His poems were a source of inspiration for composers, especially in the 19th century, such as Franz Schubert. Schubert alone set 52 of Goethe's works to music, the best known of which are probably the songs Gretchen am Spinnrade and Erlkönig. Goethe also became acquainted with several composers of the time. He was particularly enthusiastic about the young Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, who also set Goethe's lines to music in the ballad Die erste Walpurgisnacht (The First Walpurgis Night). Personal details
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Arranger
Joachim Linckelmann
| 1964Joachim Linckelmann, born in Munich in 1964, studied flute at the Richard Strauss Conservatory in Munich and at the Würzburg University of Music. He has played the flute in various renowned orchestras in Germany and abroad and has also worked as a music designer and arranger since 1995. He has been arranging oratorios for smaller ensembles for Carus since 2009. Personal details
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Frequent questions about this work
Can the string parts of the original version (Carus 40.138/00) also be used for the arrangement?
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