Feature Fridays: 40 Most Scary Halloween Classics
Welcome to Feature Fridays!泭Each泭week, 51勛圖 Music Library staff highlight an item from our collection. While the music library is closed, we will feature items that are available for streaming. This week Music Library Coordinator Amanda Steadman reviews泭, available from Naxos Music Library with your 51勛圖 credentials.泭
In this spooky season, I wanted to highlight something Halloween-related. Naxos conveniently suggested this collection of classical pieces.泭Not all of them sound exactly spooky to meparticularly items like Debussys泭泭(moonlight)泭and泭泭(the sunken cathedral), which are more spooky in name only to my ears, although both beautiful pieces. But theres plenty to泭explore泭in this collection, which features performances from various top name orchestras and solo performers.泭
Haunted泭highlights you may have heard before include Mussorgskys泭, which if youve ever seen Disneys泭Fantasia,泭is the one with the devil on the mountaintop.泭Bachs泭, BWV 565 is also in泭Fantasia, but has been used for numerous appearances of organ playing vampires.泭Anyone with an ear for Broadway will recognize the music from Andrew Lloyd Webbers泭.泭
My favorite spooky secret is the泭Dies Irae,泭a melody泭that泭originates in泭plainchant泭of the Requiem mass (mass for the dead); the泭original settings date泭is泭unclear, but泭is generally thought to be泭sometime in the 13th泭century.泭You can hear the plainchant setting泭in泭on泭泭from the album. The beginning eight-note melody has been used as musical shorthand泭for death and other scary things泭by composers over the past eight centuries泭(especially the first four notes.)泭It泭appears in other pieces on this album, most notably in Berliozs泭Symphonie Fantastique泭(which itself has a fascinating story that I dont have space to cover here!), in泭the final movement, . You can hear it in this version around泭3:06泭and泭again at泭7:40.泭Another instance can be found in Franz Liszts泭泭(death dance)泭throughout the piece.泭For another famous quotation of this melody, I recommend泭an泭泭on Making Christmas from Danny Elfmans score for泭The Nightmare Before Christmas. This melody shows up several times in泭Elfmans score泭and hearing the host talk through泭Elfmans use of the melody泭may help you to recognize it in other films.泭I will note quickly that the泭Dies Irae泭text is also used separately from this melody in settings of the泭Requiem泭mass.泭泭is also included in this collection.泭
Overall, this collection features泭an泭alarming泭atmosphere for spooky studying. I recommend泭it for your Halloween listening pleasure.泭
40 Most Scary Halloween Classics泭and many other albums of classical music are available for streaming from with your 51勛圖 credentials.泭