A Midsummer Nightís Dream is an opera that features the music done by Benjamin Britten, and composed by Peter Pears based on the Shakespearean play of the same name. The opera was featured for the first time in June 11, 1960 at the Aldeburg Festival, with the characters wearing costumes designed by Carl Toms.
Brittenís work in the opera has been deemed as something typical in comparison with his past work. While the plot of the opera is patterned after the play, the writerís took the liberty of making several alterations. Plus, Britten pays attention to the core theme, which is the madness of love.
As for criticsí reviews, the opera received a mixed reaction from critics. Some praised it highly for the difficulty of the overall production, whereas some have dismissed it for being too varied from the original plot and scenario compared to the original play, so much so that there are parts that have been overly parodied to a certain extent.