Creepy Classics

Description

Violin 1, Violin 2, Violin 3, Viola, Cello, Contrabass, Piano — Creepy Classicsxa0is a medley of themes from the "dark side" of classical music. I hope it offers a little something different to your concert programming. Dynamics and articulations are always important but especially so in this arrangement, where the contrasts are particularly dramatic.We begin withxa0Danse Macabrexa0by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921). Staying faithful to the original orchestration, the introduction is performed by a solo violin with its E-string tuned down a half step. This necessitates the soloist having a second violin with normal tuning at hand so as to join the section after the solo. If this is not practical, divide the parts between two players or the section. The melody is passed among sections and the Danse ends in m. 41. At this point, we begin our second theme, the famousxa0Funeral March of a Marionettexa0by Charles Gounod (1818-1893). Many in your audience will recognize this as the theme from the Alfred Hitchcock television series.It begins quietly and crescendos as the piece intensifies. The dynamics are very important in m. 59, where we have a forte accent on the first beat, dropping to piano on the second beat. The same occurs in m. 61. We are back toxa0mezzo fortexa0in m.67. A crescendo begins in m.70, concluding the March in m.74. At m.75 we have a slow transition section leading to the final selection, inxa0The Hall of the Mountain Kingxa0by Edvard Grieg (1843-1907). The tempo picks up in m.79 with pizzicato in the cello and basses. At m. 81 the melody begins in the celli with half the players playing pizzicato, and the other half arco. The violins and violas join in the melody and by m. 93 everyone is playingxa0forte. Axa0crescendo gradually begins building intoxa0fortissimoxa0and merges with anxa0accelerando in m.97 taking us to the finalxa0Presto at m. 104, where the piece ends with dramatic, accented chords.I hope you and your orchestra enjoy performingxa0Creepy Classics.- Roy PhillippeSpring 2003