Classics from the Crypt
In honor of Halloween, I am going to post for you my favorite "scary" songs . . . all classics, of course. And all enormous favorites of mine!
First of all, I give you . . . Saint-Saen's "Dance Macabre." Which is just so ridiculously wonderful! I have a particular love of this one because, a few years back now, my roommate Charity and I learned this duet for two pianos version that you see below. Not that we ever got it this polished or performed it on two grand pianos . . . but we had a lot of fun. (I'm pretty sure I played the part of the girl on the left.)
Possibly the most fun I've ever had as a pianist. (And no, I don't play to this level anymore. The "Minerva Louise" song is about where my range cuts off these days! LOL.)
But this song is at its most fabulously unbelievable when played by a whole orchestra, so . . .
I adore this piece soooooo much. I could hear the Dragon Dance in Veiled Rose being something like this . . .
My next scary song directly inspired the entire storyline and mythology of Hri Sora, the Dragonwitch from my series. That's right, dear imps, I am talking about Mussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain."
The Disney animation aside, this song always conjured up images of darkness suddenly erupting in flame. I can almost see those tongues of fire rising into the night, burning the top of the mountain as some powerful conflagration strikes from above. Thus was born the storyline of the Dragonwitch, the powerful dragoness, her assault upon the Moon, the stripping of her wings, and her fall from the heavens. All inspired by this one song.
Mussorgsky is amazing. (We had a very different Mussorgsky piece played at our wedding.) But this might be my favorite of all his works.
My next pick is a song which has been a favorite since childhood. And seriously, what child with an imagination of any kind can help but listen to this mysterious, dangerous, wonderful song without feeling the heart-thudding thrill of those mountain caverns and the beings who dwell therein? Long before creating the goblins featured in Moonblood, I would sit and listen to this song over and over again . . . and later would listen to it with my ten-years-younger-than-me baby brother, Peter (who loved this song so much from the time he was so small, I would play it for him when he was teething to--I kid you not--calm him down. When he got a little older, we would dance to it).
Anyway, I give you--Edvard Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King."
And, because everything by Edvard Grieg is wonderful, here's "March of the Trolls" as well.
Honestly, I don't think I can top Grieg, so I'm going to end here, leaving you with, I think, the perfect soundtrack for a Halloween evening. I hope you enjoy this selection!
What are some of your favorite "scary" songs, classics or otherwise?
First of all, I give you . . . Saint-Saen's "Dance Macabre." Which is just so ridiculously wonderful! I have a particular love of this one because, a few years back now, my roommate Charity and I learned this duet for two pianos version that you see below. Not that we ever got it this polished or performed it on two grand pianos . . . but we had a lot of fun. (I'm pretty sure I played the part of the girl on the left.)
Possibly the most fun I've ever had as a pianist. (And no, I don't play to this level anymore. The "Minerva Louise" song is about where my range cuts off these days! LOL.)
But this song is at its most fabulously unbelievable when played by a whole orchestra, so . . .
I adore this piece soooooo much. I could hear the Dragon Dance in Veiled Rose being something like this . . .
My next scary song directly inspired the entire storyline and mythology of Hri Sora, the Dragonwitch from my series. That's right, dear imps, I am talking about Mussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain."
The Disney animation aside, this song always conjured up images of darkness suddenly erupting in flame. I can almost see those tongues of fire rising into the night, burning the top of the mountain as some powerful conflagration strikes from above. Thus was born the storyline of the Dragonwitch, the powerful dragoness, her assault upon the Moon, the stripping of her wings, and her fall from the heavens. All inspired by this one song.
Mussorgsky is amazing. (We had a very different Mussorgsky piece played at our wedding.) But this might be my favorite of all his works.
My next pick is a song which has been a favorite since childhood. And seriously, what child with an imagination of any kind can help but listen to this mysterious, dangerous, wonderful song without feeling the heart-thudding thrill of those mountain caverns and the beings who dwell therein? Long before creating the goblins featured in Moonblood, I would sit and listen to this song over and over again . . . and later would listen to it with my ten-years-younger-than-me baby brother, Peter (who loved this song so much from the time he was so small, I would play it for him when he was teething to--I kid you not--calm him down. When he got a little older, we would dance to it).
Anyway, I give you--Edvard Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King."
And, because everything by Edvard Grieg is wonderful, here's "March of the Trolls" as well.
Honestly, I don't think I can top Grieg, so I'm going to end here, leaving you with, I think, the perfect soundtrack for a Halloween evening. I hope you enjoy this selection!
What are some of your favorite "scary" songs, classics or otherwise?
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