Based on William Shakespeare's play of the same name, Mendelssohn composed this music composition at two stages of his life. He composed his overture, Op. 21, in 1826, at the start of his career, and incidental music, Op. 61, 16 years later, which contains his renowned Wedding March. Mendelssohn was a prolific composer who wrote numerous pieces for orchestra, piano, voice, and other instruments. His work spans multiple genres including opera, oratorio, choral music, symphonies, concertos, anthems, and more. He is particularly known for his string quartets, which have been performed and recorded by many famous musicians such as Yehudi Menuhin, Vladimir Horowitz, Paul Kantor, and Isaac Stern. Mendelssohn was born on January 2, 1789, in Leipzig, Germany. He died on April 4, 1847, in Berlin, Germany. Mendelssohn came from a family of prominent musicians: his father, Moses Mendelssohn, was a well-known violinist and composer in his own right while his older brother Daniel was also a notable musician. Mendelssohn first learned to play the piano at the age of six from his father, who was then hired by the director of a local theater to provide musical accompaniment for performances there.