We commemorate the birthday of William Shakespeare on this day. His oeuvre has inspired composers and musicians throughout the years. Here is a selected list of musical depictions of his plays:
Berlioz, Hector - Overtures (Beatrice and Benedict & King Lear)
Berlioz, Hector - Romeo et Juliette (Dramatic symphony)
Britten, Benjamin - Britten Conducts Britten Operas. II (A Midsummer Night's Dream)
Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilich - Fantasias after Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest, Hamlet)
Verdi, Giuseppe - Falstaff
"If music be the food of love, play on."
Twelfth Night (I, i,1-3)