Carl Orff's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': An Interdisciplinary Study into a Musical Adaptation of Shakespeare in the Third Reich

Abstract

This BA Thesis studies Carl Orff's musical adaptation of Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream. The piece was composed during the Second World War, and although his Carmina Burana has been subject to several studies, his A Midsummer NIght's Dream has only been examined a little. Orff has been condemned for supporting the Nazi regime, and this Thesis sees if that is justified and if so, whether it translates to his music. The research question is, therefore: to what degree does Carl Orff’s musical adaptations of A Midsummer Night’s Dream written in the Third Reich reflect a Nazi interpretation of Shakespeare’s play? Through musical analysis and an extensive review of academic literature, I found that although Carl Orff's music was appropriated by the Nazi regime, it is hard to condemn Orff for supporting them. It is clear though that Orff gladly accepted the help from the Nazi regime which led to his fame.