R$50
The Wedding March – Felix Mendelssohn
Work: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 61 – No. 9, Wedding March
Composer: Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847)
Original key: C major
Edition key: G major
Time signature: 4/4
Arrangement: Intermediate Cello + Piano
Arranger / Edition: Maiko Thomé de Araujo
Source basis: prepared with reference to Mendelssohn's original orchestral score
Level: Intermediate
Technique: expanded cello range with position changes, without the extreme upper-register demands of the Advanced edition
Period: Romantic – 19th century
Region / Culture: German
Type: Wedding march / ceremonial classical music
Special features: full-length original-based arrangement, written piano accompaniment, chord symbols, preserved articulations and musical details, separate parts and reference MP3
Format: Digital download (PDF + MP3) — 2 files (1.9MB)
Musical material: 5 useful pages — 2-page full score + 1-page cello part + 2-page piano part
Felix Mendelssohn's “Wedding March” from A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 61 is one of the most recognizable ceremonial works in classical music. The famous march appears as No. 9 of the incidental music and was originally composed in C major.
Its brilliant opening, characteristic triplet figures and festive melodic writing have made it particularly associated with weddings and ceremonial occasions, while the work remains a classic example of 19th-century Romantic orchestral writing.
Many instrumental editions present only the best-known theme or simplify the musical texture considerably. This arrangement follows a different approach, retaining a broader representation of the structure and characteristic musical material of Mendelssohn's score.
This edition by Maiko Thomé de Araujo was developed from the same orchestral-score-based project as the Easy and Advanced cello versions.
Here, the music is presented in G major, creating an intermediate alternative between the two technical extremes.
The cello writing uses a broader register and position changes than the 1st-position edition, allowing a more expansive and brilliant melodic result, while avoiding the very high-register writing and demanding leaps found in the Advanced version.
The result is intended for cellists who are already comfortable moving beyond first position but do not yet need — or do not want — the extreme upper-register demands of the advanced arrangement.
The objective remains to preserve the musical progression and characteristic details of the orchestral source rather than reduce the Wedding March to a short ceremonial excerpt.
The piano accompaniment is fully written and carries important harmonic, rhythmic and complementary material, allowing the cello to function as the principal melodic voice while the overall performance retains substantial musical weight.
Articulations and characteristic details are preserved where practical, while cello and piano players remain free to make subtle adjustments of phrasing, articulation and balance according to their instruments and performance context.
Chord symbols are included as an additional harmonic reference.
They are useful for harmonic analysis, rehearsals, arranging and adapting the material for other accompanying instruments or larger ensembles.
The main challenge at this level is coordinating position changes with a confident, uninterrupted melodic line. Practice shifts according to phrases rather than as isolated technical events, and keep the characteristic triplets light and rhythmically stable. The piano should provide orchestral weight and rhythmic energy while leaving enough space for the cello to project with a clear, singing tone.
Especially suitable for intermediate cellists, students beginning to work comfortably with position changes, cello-and-piano recitals, weddings and ceremonies, music lessons and classical crossover programs. It also provides a natural progression between a first-position arrangement and more advanced upper-register cello repertoire.