Danse Macabre - Camille Saint-Saens

I think that all of us would agree that Danse Macabre is a wonderful composition, and must rank as one of our favourite pieces, quite possibly ranking as Saint-Saens greatest achievement. Based upon a poem by Henri Cazalis about an old French superstition about Death appearing during Halloween at midnight, bringing forth with him the dead who dance with him while Death fiddles away on the violin. They dance until the break of dawn, when they must return to the grave until the next year. (Talk about planning your calendar around a single day.)

This little tale of the solo violin is at the very heart of Danse Macabre, cutting in with a severe E Flat and A chord on top of the growing music of the harp, before the flute and string section interlock in a growing background, before Death's violin's rather haunting solo enters, playing a delightful little call and respond with the flute, before the rest of the orchestra re-iterates the flute's theme as the violin begins another call and respond with the xylophone, a quaint little choice for the sound of rattling bones.

The orchestra then builds on the themes, creating intricate variations before the violin enters a more sorrowful solo which is echoed by the rest of the string section, before a series of runs by strings signals the orchestra, this time including a more significant part for the horn section to once more build around the main theme with descending runs before the violin once again returns, giving way quickly however to the string section as another series of descending runs coupled with the clash of the symbols and the quickening of the tempo and the introduction of the percussion to compliment the growing strings finish its climax, drifting away into silence, returning to their graves before the solo violin announces its theme once more, before descending into silence as the sun rises.

This is an immensely enjoyable piece, and much to my delight does not rely on the brass section to establish a dramatic, if peculiar musical scene. This is a classic work and one that should appeal to many fans of all the classical style Eras. Well deserved of 10/10.