Why did Saint-Saëns write Danse Macabre?
Danse macabre, as a theme, was meant to represent how death was the great social equalizer — no one escapes the dance with death — and there were a number of paintings and pieces of art inspired by this philosophy. When Saint-Saëns initially wrote his Danse macabre in 1872, it was actually an art song.
What is Danse Macabre in?
dance of death, also called danse macabre, medieval allegorical concept of the all-conquering and equalizing power of death, expressed in the drama, poetry, music, and visual arts of western Europe mainly in the late Middle Ages.
What inspired the danse macabre?
Danse macabre is one of four tone poems Saint-Saëns composed in the 1870s, all inspired to some degree by examples from Franz Liszt (whose own Totentanz dates from 1849) and exploring both Liszt’s thematic transformation concept and novel instrumentation.
What is the 13th and penultimate most well known movement of Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals composed in February 1886?
He relented only for the famous cello solo The Swan, which forms the penultimate movement of the work, and which was published in 1887 in an arrangement by the composer for cello and solo piano (the original uses two pianos).
How does Saint-Saëns evoke the devil in his Danse Macabre?
In Saint-Saëns’ evocative setting, the solo violin represents the devil who is playing his fiddle for the dance. In an inside musical joke, the violin top string is purposely mistuned down a half step to a tritone, also known as the “devil’s interval,” as a part of the soloist’s challenge.
When did Saint-Saëns write Carnival of the Animals?
1886
The Carnival of the Animals/Composed
Which animals are represented in the Carnival of the Animals?
Each of the music’s 14 movements represents a different animal, including a lion, donkey, and elephant, as well as fossils, an aquarium, an aviary and – Saint-Saëns’ little joke – pianists, possibly the most dangerous animal of them all… The music is beautiful, funny, and clever all at once.
How do British pronounce macabre?
The correct pronunciation of macabre in English varies between American and British English. In the US, macabre is pronounced as Muh-kahb, while in Britain it is pronounced as Muh-kahb-ruh.
What was the theme of Camille Saint Saens Danse Macabre?
Saint-Saëns used the xylophone melody from Danse Macabre as a parody in his later work Carnival of the Animals, where the theme is used in the movement ‘Fossils’. The music in Danse Macabre is representative of darkness, skeletons, wind, graves and more, making it a sumptuous Halloween treat!
When did Saint Saens write the Carnival of the animals?
Final (Finale) Following a disastrous concert tour of Germany in 1885–86, Saint-Saëns withdrew to a small Austrian village, where he composed The Carnival of the Animals in February 1886. From the beginning he regarded the work as a piece of fun.
Who is the composer of Danse Macabre?
Published on May 7, 2012. Danse Macabre (first performed in 1875) is the name of opus 40 by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. The composition is based upon a poem by Henri Cazalis, on an old French superstition: Zig, zig, zig, Death in a cadence, Striking with his heel a tomb, Death at midnight plays a dance-tune, Zig, zig, zig, on his violin.