Eerie and playful

Camille Saint-Saëns’ Danse macabre is a thrilling and spooky orchestral piece that brings to life an old legend about Death leading a ghostly dance at midnight. Written in 1874, this tone poem is based on a French superstition that every year on Halloween night, Death appears at the stroke of twelve, playing his violin to summon skeletons from their graves. They dance wildly until dawn, when the rooster’s crow sends them back to their resting places.

Saint-Saëns paints this eerie scene with vivid musical storytelling. The piece begins with a quiet harp playing twelve midnight chimes, followed by a haunting violin solo, representing Death himself. The violin plays in an unusual way—using a special tuning called ‘tritone’, which was once considered mysterious and unsettling. The xylophone mimics the rattling of bones, and the full orchestra builds an energetic, swirling dance.

As the piece unfolds, the music grows wilder, with fast, twisting melodies and dramatic orchestral effects that bring the skeletons’ dance to life. Suddenly, the music softens as the first light of dawn appears. A solo oboe plays a gentle melody, like a rooster crowing to signal the end of the ghostly revelry. The skeletons scurry back to their graves, and the piece fades into a quiet, mysterious ending.

Danse macabre is a perfect example of Saint-Saëns’ ability to tell a story through music. It is both eerie and playful, blending spooky sounds with lively rhythms. This piece remains one of his most famous works, often heard around Halloween and in movies, TV shows, and cartoons.

Recorded on Thursday 13 Mar 2025 6pm

PROGRAM
Danse macabre, Op. 40
Composed by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 - 1921)
8 minutes

MUSICIANS
Conductor Eivind Aadland
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra

Federation Concert Hall, Nipaluna / Hobart