What is incidental music?
Q: What is incidental music?
A: Incidental music is music which has been written for a play. It is used between scenes or for particularly important moments in the play or for songs sung by the actors, and it is not as important as the play itself.
Q: When was incidental music first used?
A: Incidental music was first used as far back as Ancient Greece. It was also popular during the 16th and 17th centuries, especially in plays by Shakespeare.
Q: How was incidental music used in comedies versus tragedies?
A: In comedies, incidental music was often used more often than in tragedies. Tragedies were about important people who spoke in verse and were too noble to sing, whereas people thought that comedies were more suitable for including songs which were usually sung by actors playing shepherds, nymphs or clowns.
Q: Who are some famous composers of incidental music?
A: Some famous composers of incidental music include Felix Mendelssohn (for A Midsummer Night's Dream), Beethoven (for Goethe’s Egmont), Schubert (for Die Zauberharfe), Schumann (for Manfred) Sibelius (for Maeterlinck’s Pelléas et Mélisande) and Grieg (for Ibsen’s Peer Gynt).
Q: Is incidental music still being composed today?
A: Yes, although it wasn't so common during the 20th century due to political propaganda plays needing a new kind of popular music. Composers like Weill and Eisler wrote this type of cabaret-style musical accompaniment for Brecht's plays. Nowadays electronic music is often used in plays instead of traditional orchestral pieces.
Q: Are overtures from these compositions typically performed separately at concerts?
A: Yes, many overtures from these compositions are now performed separately at concerts rather than with their original accompanying play.
