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Danse Macabre Program Notes
Danse Macabre Program Notes
Long before Michael Jackson’s Thriller or the zombie craze that is prominent in present
day, legend has it that the dead would dance to the eerie melodies played on the fiddle by
Death himself. Rising from their graves at the stroke of midnight, the dead would shake, clatter
and move their rattily bones through the entire night until the cock’s crow at dawn, sending
The third of Saint-Saën’s symphonic poems, Danse Macabre, was premiered in 1874.
Written in 3/4, the broad legato waltz theme that starts the piece can be identified as an
adaptation of the Dies Irae, the ancient worship chant for the dead. Although Danse Macabre is
typically performed as an orchestral work, it was originally conceived for voice and piano. The
song was set to a verse by French poet Henri Cazalis (song translated in English below):
With vivid imagery and animation, Saint-Saëns illustrates the eccentric legend of Death’s
frenzied dance through the influence of French music. Symbolic elements are seen
throughout the score including the ringing of the midnight bells, exemplified by 12 repeated
half notes on D to open the piece. This is followed by Death (portrayed as a fiddler) tuning
up to the “Devil’s interval” (tritone) and beginning the waltz theme. To contrast the waltz
theme, a xylophone-like staccato theme is apparent in a call and response manner. The
work’s middle section includes fugue-like passages, capturing melodic themes from the
opening. This fugue evokes the awakened as they become increasingly lively and melodic
themes overlap each other leading to a dramatic climax. The piece concludes with the
Saint-Saëns’ Danse Macabre arrangement for two pianos exemplifies the virtuosic
capabilities of the piano. The eerie and unnerving atmosphere is highlighted within the
whirling harmonic figures and grand passages. The image of rattling bones is heard through
the percussive nature of the piano by employing contrasting articulations and rhythms. This
arrangement embodies a speech-like quality, as if Death (the fiddler) is conversing with the
dead, from one piano to the other. Danse Macabre is an intriguing and exciting work that