Danse Macabre

this is my retroactive post for missing Friday's post. [slacker] but since today's earlier post was something i was introduced to by PBS, i went ahead and stayed with that theme too.

this short animation was originally aired in the 1980s on PBS. i don't even know the name of the show, but the poster of this video said it was hosted by some cheap looking vampire.

Danse Macabre



superstitious myths say that Death himself,has the power to call forth the dead from their graves and command them to dance for him while he plays his fiddle, every halloween at midnight. [pretty sure that is what's going on here]

• Death, represented by a solo violin with the E-string tuned to an E-flat. listen to that repetitious violin melody played through out, calling forth the dead. LOVE IT!

the skeletons are said to dance for him until the first break of dawn, when they must return to their graves until the next year.

• their answer back is represented in this piece by the higher pitched flutes, piccolos, strings and the xylophone, until all instruments join in this crescendo of a powerful pulse. we then get a twirl and courtship of strings and wind instruments as the skeletons bust a move. there's some sweetly spinkled soft spots, only to build back up and remind the dancers it's time to go. 

i can see this cartoon in my head even when i close my eyes. this probably would have been my minds interpt without ever having actually seen it. the music sets it up and plays it perfectly. [imo, anyway]

[watch out we got an orch dork and band nerd over here]