Monster Music: 5 Petrifying Pieces for Halloween
Fall is finally here, and with it comes a supernatural delight for all things spooky. Fellow Halloween lovers might remember the Monster Music post on our ICAN blog. This year, we wanted to add to the fun with more surprisingly sinister songs to bring the monsters out of hiding. Read on for some ghostly recommendations, and be sure to tune in to All Classical Radio in October for even more mysterious music.
Sonata in G Minor, “Devil’s Trill” by Giuseppe Tartini
To start our list, we have a deceptively beautiful piece, Sonata in G minor “Devil’s Trill.” No one would blame you if you didn’t know the tale behind its creation. Legend tells of a long, restless night, in which Giuseppe Tartini dreamt of the devil himself appearing at his bedside. The devil offered to be his servant and teacher, and Tartini sagely handed the devil a violin to test his skill. Tartini claims that the devil played so passionately and with such intensity that when he awoke, he couldn’t help but rush to the table to try to transcribe it.
It is said that what we’re left with is but a shadow of the devil’s piece, but it’s hard to imagine how it could be improved upon. Each of the sonata’s four movements has a distinct sound, and transitions from long languid lines to fiendishly difficult arpeggiated triads.
“Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath” from Symphonie Fantastique by Hector Berlioz
A superb example of programmatic music , (music used to tell a story or depict an idea) Symphonie Fantastique tells the story of an artist tortured by unrequited love. In the depths of his despair, he attempts to poison himself with opium. What ensues is a transcendental nightmare as the artist journeys through his own drug-fueled hallucinations, coming to an end with this masterful scene. The artist can only watch as his beloved joins the witches in their vulgar display and dances to Berlioz’s parody of the “Dies Irae.” Incandescently beautiful and frighteningly hellish, Berlioz’s final movement is the perfect backdrop for a ghostly October evening.
“Catacombs” from Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky
In 1868, composer Modest Mussorgsky was introduced to Victor Hartmann, a Russian architect and painter. Mussorgsky was inspired by one of his exhibitions to create a piano suite in ten movements, aptly titled Pictures at an Exhibition. The eighth movement, “Catacombs,” had a note scrawled in the margins, “cum mortuis in lingua mortua.” Translated from Latin, it means “With the dead in a dead language.”
A haunting and somber piece, it features a sparse accompaniment, largely alternating between block chords, that help evoke the grand stillness of the Paris catacombs. The striking dynamic contrasts throughout echo with a melancholy that leaves the listener holding their breath, wondering what will come next.
Mephisto Waltz No. 1 by Franz Liszt
The Mephisto Waltzes are four waltzes composed by Franz Liszt. “Waltz No. 1” is the most popular of the four, and it’s not hard to see why. Another wonderful example of programmatic music, it tells of a wedding feast at a village inn. Faust, from Nikolaus Lenau’s 1836 verse drama Faust, is tempted by Mephistopheles to join in the festivities. Throughout the night, Faust gets carried away dancing with the village beauty, and together they dance away into the night. This vibrant piece features dramatic, syncopated lines contrasted with relaxed, sensual passages. For those of us who don’t mind a midnight tryst, this waltz is sure to have you on your feet.
Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach
Of course, no monster music list is ever complete without the addition of Bach’s iconic Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. While its origins may be disputed, the profound cultural effect it has had can’t be argued. Its first use in film was in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931). Since then, it has been played in countless other films, such as Disney’s Fantasia, the 1962 version of The Phantom of the Opera, and even comedies such as Zoolander 2. Long associated with the horror genre, this piece is truly the only way to welcome the Halloween season and invite all the monsters to come and play.
More Spooky Tunes and Tales:
- Monster Music (on icanradio.org)
- The Sounds of Fear: 10 Scary Horror Film Scores
- Boo! A Halloween Special
Read other posts by Natasha Adamson
