Erich Wolfgang Korngold

Much Ado About Nothing

When Max Reinhardt was engaged to direct a German language production of Shakespeare's MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING at the Vienna Volksbühne in 1918, he asked Korngold to compose the incidental music. The production, under the German title VIEL LÄRMEN UM NICHTS did not open until May 6, 1920 at the Schönbrunn Palace Theater; in the pit the composer led members of the Vienna Philharmonic, performing no less than 18 pieces of music. In the meantime, due to the tardy premiere of the play, Korngold had already extracted this five-movement orchestral suite which garnered much praise when performed three months before the play's opening night.

The five movements included:
• 1. the Overture
• 2. Scene in the Bridal Chamber
• 3. Holzapfel und Schlehwein (a mock-serious scene)
• 4. Intermezzo (Garden Scene)
• 5. Hornpipe

When the play moved to Vienna's Burgtheater (more than 80 performances) and later to the Rezidenz Theater in Munich, the music continued to attract much attention. Demand for the music was such that Korngold arranged the suite into versions for violin and piano (four pieces), and for solo piano (three pieces). German composer-arranger Leo Artok (1885-1935) also arranged the most popular three items (Hornpipe, Garden Scene and In the Bridal Chamber) for small orchestra, which were then published by Schott in 1926. All editions noted above are available from the publisher. This reprint of the original Schott edition is the collection of four pieces for violin with piano accompaniment accessible by any diligent student.