With thanks to Edward Johnson, who writes…
I think it would be nice to start with the brief “Incantation” as it is very Halloween-oriented and is sure to be new to many Column viewers.
The Paray / Detroit “Danse Macabre” is a kind of follow-up to the Suppe Overtures the other day and, as Wiki confirms, this is also Halloween related.
The Paul Jacobs / Bolcom “Ghost Rag” already appeared in the Column previously, so I’ll leave it to you to decide whether to add it again.
The Raff “Dance of the Dryads” only has a tenuous connection – they were mythological Tree Nymphs! – but we already plugged some Raff recently, so this is another follow-up. Anyway, it’s delightful music!
The “Devil’s Gallop” is also tenuous but may appeal to Column viewers well struck in years who remember it as the signature tune to a radio series entitled “Dick Barton – Special Agent.”
The Berlioz “Fantastique” finale has a fine performance by Rozhdestvensky where the video is animated by a highly imaginative cartoon.
Finally, Jose Serebrier conducting “Night on Bare Mountain.” I’ve seen him leaving occasional comments in the Column, so I’m sure he’ll be delighted to be included in this Halloween selection.
Here are the links …
“Incantation” for Tapesichord …
“Danse Macabre” – Paray / Detroit …
“Graceful Ghost” – Paul Jacobs, piano
Raff “Dance of the Dryads” … Urs Schneider conducts …
“The Devil’s Gallop” – John Wilson / BBC Concert Orchestra …
Berlioz “Witches Sabbath” – Rozhdestvensky / Moscow Radio SO …
Mussorgsky “Bare Mountain” – Jose Serebrier / National Youth Orchestra Spain …
I was in the congregation/audience for Jose’s Chester Cathedral concert and remember that the young cameraman, far left at the back of the platform, a few feet from the big gong, rejoiced in the name Freddie Christmas!
Happy listening!
Edward
Anderson’s additions:
Edward’s encore:
I collected all of Paray’s Detroit ‘Mercury’ CDs and they’re all splendid. However, listening again to his ‘Danse Macabre’ I do have some reservations. Evidently the engineers strung their stereo mikes a few feet above the conductor’s rostrum and recorded what could be heard from up there. In the case of ‘Danse Macabre’ the important violin solo, depicting Death playing his fiddle, sounds too distant. It was clearly the concert-master/leader playing from his usual position at the first violins front desk.
If you are willing, I’d like to change the Halloween suggestion to a recording where the violin soloist, Rodney Friend, is more prominent. This version will also fit in nicely with the recent discussion on Boult playing what for him was out-of-the-way repertoire. As you’ll hear, he went to town on the piece, so I hope it will be OK to substitute him for the Paray. Have a listen and see what you think! …
The LP it came from also includes Boult conducting Gershwin’s “Cuban” Overture, Falla’s “Ritual Fire Dance,” Stravinsky’s “Circus Polka” and Sir Henry Wood’s orchestration of Clarke’s “Trumpet Voluntary.”
Boult’s Bare Mountain
Thanks for adding the “Psycho” sequence Colin, as that is a video new to me. I’ve just checked the Wiki entry on the movie and it states that it is “is arguably Hitchcock’s most famous and influential work. It has been hailed as a major work of cinematic art by international film critics and scholars who praise its slick direction, tense atmosphere, impressive camerawork, memorable score and iconic performances.”
As to the “memorable score,” there’s an enormous section devoted entirely to Herrmann’s music in the Wiki article. Hitchcock originally didn’t want any music at all for the shower scene but Herrmann went ahead anyway and his biographer wrote that the cue “is probably the most famous and most imitated in film music.”
In fact, Hitchcock is quoted as saying that “33% of the effect of ‘Psycho’ was due to the music.” The opening credits to the film indicate his appreciation because the composer credit isn’t buried with all the other production names in the usual way but is given unique prominence by being the penultimate credit immediately before the director’s. One should also add that Saul Bass’s titles add to the effect and tell viewers that something terrible is going to happen! …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BisSwRC0auM
Incidentally, when John Wilson played some of the “Psycho” music at the Proms a few years ago, there was an audible audience reaction when the “Shower Scene” screaming strings came in …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhIKkRhza4I
Bravo Bernard Herrmann!