Danse Macabre
In today’s musical note I want to share with you Danse Macabre (“Dance of Death”) by French composer Camille Saint-Saens.
In this symphonic poem (music that literally tells a story) Death summons the dead from their graves to dance at midnight on Halloween. To signify midnight, this piece starts with twelve repeated notes from the harp. A solo violin portrays Death as it plays for the dead to dance for him (or her).
I doubt Disney will be scaring little kids by making another Fantasia based on this story, but the music is so vivid with images, you don’t need Disney’s animators. Just close your eyes and you’ll see a dark red sky, the Devil (Death) playing violin, and dancing skeletons.
Here are several performances. (It has been transcribed to various instruments; the piano transcription is by Franz Liszt.)
Orchestral version
Two pianos by the sisters Gromoglasova
One piano
Electric guitars
Violin and piano