Not-so-Spooky Classics for Halloween
The soundtrack of Halloween is full of classics. Think about it: classic songs like “Monster Mash,” theme music of classic horror films, the quintessential soundtrack that is “Nightmare Before Christmas,” and even the Wilhelm Scream.
In the spirit of classics, here are some staples from the realm of classical music that are also perfect for Halloween - without being super spooky - to share with your kids. How many do you recognize? Do your kiddos have a favorite?
"Danse Macabre – Camille Saint-Saëns (1874). A short orchestral piece often heard this time of year, Danse Maabre is based on a French legend in which Death appears at midnight on Halloween and plays his fiddle while skeletons rise from their graves to dance. The story is easy to hear: the harp strikes twelve times for midnight, and a solo violin enters as Death's fiddle. The xylophone imitates rattling bones, and near the end an oboe crows like a rooster at dawn, sending the skeletons back to their graves. If your kiddo is learning about instruments in school or getting ready to choose one to play in school, this is a great piece to point out the different timbres of the strings, winds, and percussion!
Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 – Johann Sebastian Bach (early 1700s). The opening flourish on the pipe organ is probably the most recognizable "haunted house" sound in all of music, thanks to decades of horror movies and Halloween soundtracks. We love how this piece illustrates how single just a single instrument can create huge, dramatic effects through silence, sudden runs, and thundering low notes.
The Sorcerer's Apprentice – Paul Dukas (1897). This piece is based on a poem by Goethe about a young magician’s apprentice who uses his master's magic to make a broom carry water, then can't stop the spell as the brooms multiply and flood the workshop. And if that sounds familiar, it’s likely because you saw this exact scene in Disney’s Fantasia! This piece is playfully spooky, so even young kiddos will enjoy listening for the sound of the marching brooms, as played by the bassoon.
"In the Hall of the Mountain King" from Peer Gynt – Edvard Grieg (1875). This is another recognizable tune, and one you may have listened to yourself back in elementary music class. In it, a single sneaky, creepy theme starts quietly in the low instruments and keeps getting faster and louder until it erupts into chaos as trolls chase the hero of the story. If you need to help your toddler or preschooler burn off some energy, invite them to creep, sneak, and run with you in response to the changing tempo (speed) and dynamics (volume) of the piece.
