Ratcliff's Dream is the Intermezzo from Act III of Pietro Mascagni's opera Guglielmo Ratcliff. This opera, based on Heinrich Heine's play Wilhelm Ratcliff, is a tragic work that Mascagni himself considered one of his finest compositions, though it remains relatively obscure compared to his famous Cavalleria Rusticana.
The Intermezzo is particularly well-known and has been performed separately as a standalone orchestral piece. It features hauntingly beautiful melodies and dramatic orchestration, reflecting the opera's intense emotional themes.
This work is arranged by Anthony Galla-Rini for symphonic accordion ensemble/orchestra with the instruments labelled as for the symphony orchestra (violin, viola, horn etc.) but arranged for accordion plus Bass accordion, Timpani and Percussion.
