Review
Composed in 1874 and published in 1875, Danse macabre is the third of Saint-Saëns' four orchestral tone poems and is easily his most popular work in that medium. In his Le carnaval des animaux (The Carnival of the Animals), composed in 1886, Saint-Saëns parodies the Danse macabre, as well as works by other composers.
The title of Danse macabre is usually translated as Dance of Death, but Ghoulish Dance or Dance of Grim Humor might better communicate the character of the piece. Saint-Saëns did not originally write the Danse macabre as a work for orchestra. It was first a song for voice and piano that the composer later transcribed and modified for orchestra. A few lines from the song's text will aid in understanding the symphonic poem: "Death at midnight plays a dance-tune/Zig, zig, zig on his violin....Through the gloom, white skeletons pass/Running and leaping in their shrouds....The bones of the dancers are heard to crack." Once the cock crows, signaling the approach of morning, the fun ends. It is possible that this is the first instance of Death being portrayed as a violinist, an instrument generally associated with the devil.
After the orchestra strikes midnight, depicted by horns and pizzicato strings, the violin soloist plays as if he/she is tuning his/her instrument before a solo flute performs a bouncy melody, which is answered by the strings. The violin soloist then enters with a lilting waltz tune, played twice and answered first by a brief return of the flute theme, with added percussion, and then the entire orchestra with the waltz theme. The piece thus far has behaved like an exposition, presenting the principal material, while what follows consists of variations on that material. Xylophones playing the flute melody depict skeletons dancing just before a fugal presentation of the waltz begins. A new melody in the woodwinds is based on the Dies irae, a chant melody setting the text of the Judgment Day and often invoked by Romantic-era composers when the subject is death. Eventually, both the flute and waltz tune sound at once in the entire orchestra, just before the violin again begins "tuning." After a huge reprise of the combined melodies, a "cock crow" sounds in the oboe and rapid scales depict the scurrying off of the creatures of the night. ~ John Palmer, All Music Guide
Albums with Complete Performances of the Work
100% Classics: The Cream of the Classics 1994
20th Century Romantic Music for Two Pianos 1990
25 Golden Classics 2003
A Horowitz Recital 2001
A L'Orgue De Cinema (Wurlitzer) du College Claparede a Geneve 1996
A Portrait of Constantin Silvestri 1999
Afternoon of a Faun
Arthur Fiedler Legacy: Symphonic Spectacular 2007
Arturo Toscanini & NBC Orchestra Vol. 9 1999
Arturo Toscanini Collection, Volume 39 1992
Arturo Toscanini Rarities (1936-1943)
Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique Op14; Saint-Saens: Danse macabre Op40
Bernstein Conducts Mussorgsky, Dukas, Prokofiev, Saint-Saëns 1993
Bernstein Favorites: Orchestral Dances 1991
Best Loved Classics, Vol. 11 1991
Best Of Saint-Saëns 1987
Best of Ravel and His Time 2004
Best-Loved Classics 11 1997
Bizet: Carmen Suite; L'Arlésienne Suite; Jeux d'Enfants 1994
Bolero & Other Great Dance Hits 1992
Bolero; Sorcerer's Apprentice
Camille Saint-Saens: Organ Symphony/Tone Poems 1996
Camille Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 "Organ Symphony"; Danse Macabre; Bacchanale; Trois Rhapsodies 1992
Camille Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 "Organ"
Camille Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 "Organ" 1992
Camille Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 "Organ"; Le Rouet d'Omphale, Op. 31; Phaëton, Op. 39; Danse Macabre, Op. 40 1992
Catch a Falling Star: A New Generation of Classical Artists 2003
Chiller 1989
Cinema 2009
Clair de Lune: Music of France 1992
Classic CD No. 109 (Extra CD)
Classical Journey (Box Set)
Classical Journey (Box Set) 2001
Classical Journey (Box Set)
Classical Journey: France
Classical Terror, Vol. 1 2000
Classical Treasures: The Good Life [Box Set] 2004
Classics from the Crypt 1992
Constantin Silvestri: The Collection, Vol. 6 2001
Creepy Classics [Sony] 2003
Dancing Flutes: Amusing Arrangements of Well-Known Classics 2002
Devil's Dance 2000
Double Forte! 1996
Dukas: I L'Apprenti Sorcier/Debussy: Prelude/Satie: Gymnopedies Nos. 1 & 2/Saint-Saëns: Danse Macabre/Ravel: Pavane/L 1997
Dukas: The Sorcerer's Apprentice; Saint-Saëns: Danse macabre; Rossini - Respighi: La Boutique fantasque 2003
Dvorak: Symphony No.9/Weber: Invitation To The Dance/Saint-Saëns: Danse Macabre/Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody/Musorgsky:
Dvorák, Janácek, Smetana: Romantic Pieces (Includes Bonus CD)
Electronic Symphonica 2006
Famous Classical Waltzes, Overtures, Dance 2004
Fantastic Philadelphians 1999
Fire & Passion in the Classics 1999
French Festival 1988
French Orchestral Favorites 1999
French Symphonic Poems 1996
Fright Classics 1995
Fright Night: Music that Goes Bump in the Night 1989
Great French Classics
Great Pianists of the Golden Era 1990
High Fidelity Pipe Organ Favorites
Historic Organs of Philadelphia 2000
Horowitz Encores 1990
Ian Tracey Plays Organ Transcriptions and French Romantic Music on the Henry Willis III Grand Organ of Liverpool Cath
Ibert: Divertissement; Saint-Saëns: Danse Macabre; Le Rouet D'Omphale 1995
In Classical Mood: Myth & Magic 1998
Infernal Violins 2001
Instrument of the Devil 1998
Italian Oratorios: Tafelmusik & Matthew White
Jura Margulis plays Piano Transcriptions 2006
Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole; Saint-Saëns: Violin Concerto No. 3
Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole; Saint-Saëns: Violin Concerto No. 3
Las Rarissimes de Louis Fourestier: Saint-Saëns, Chabrier, Lalo 2004
Laurent Korcia: Cinema 2009
Le Boeuf sur le toit: French Works for Violin & Orchestra 2001
Leopold Stokowski Conducts French Music (Vol. 2) 1994
Leopold Stokowski conducts Stravinsky, Dukas, Mussorgsky, Bach & Saint-Saëns
Leopold Stokowski: Great Recordings with the Philadelphia Orchestra
Les Rarissimes de Pierre Dervaux 2004
Liszt-Wagner; Berlioz-Bach
M. Welte & Söhne Pneumatic Orchestrations 1991
Maestro Celebre: Leopold Stokowski [Box Set]
Maestro Celebre: Leopold Stokowski, CD 4
Mahler's Disciple 2007
Manuel De Falla: Liebeszauber; Tänze aus Der Dreispitz 2005
Masters of the Piano Roll: Saint-Saëns Plays Saint-Saëns
Mephisto & Co. 1998
Music of The Seasons 1997
Music of the Seasons 1999
Musik...Sprache der Welt: Selected Orchestral Recordings II [Box Set]
My Figure Skating Album 2004
Neville Marriner conducts Debussy, Ravel, Dukas & Saint-Saëns
Now This Is Classic!, Vol. 2 1992
Oeuvres pour 2 Pianos
Orford Six Pianos 2008
Out Classics, Vol. 2: Stepping Out 1996
Panorama: À la française 2000
Paul Paray Conducts Dances of Death 1994
Pictures at an Exhibition and Other Favourites 2006
Pieces a Deux Pianos: Saint-Saens, Franck, Infante, Poulenc
Pops Concert 1959
Portrait of France 1991
Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances 2008
Romantic Piano Favourites (Box Set) 1994
Romantic Piano Favourites, Vol. 10
Saint-Saens: Carnaval des animaux, zoological fantasy No1-14; Samson et Dalila
Saint-Saens: Carnaval des animaux; Symphony No. 3 1991
Saint-Saens: Carnival of the Animals 1986
Saint-Saens: Organ Symphony
Saint-Saens: Symphony No. 3; Danse macabre; Poulenc: Organ Concerto
Saint-Saens: Symphony No3; Samson et Dalila 1994
Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals; Organ Symphony 2003
Saint-Saëns: Carnival/Piano Duets 1996
Saint-Saëns: Danse Macabre 1991
Saint-Saëns: Danse macabre; Phaéton; "Organ" Symphony; etc. 2004
Saint-Saëns: Great Orchestral Showpieces 1984
Saint-Saëns: Greatest Hits 1995
Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 "Organ"; Danse Macabre; Bacchanale; Le Déluge
Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 "Organ"; Danse Macabre; Carnival of Animals
Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 "Organ"; Piano Concerto No. 2; Violin Concerto No. 3; Carnival of the Animals; etc. 1997
Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 'Organ'; Poulenc: Organ Concerto 2001
Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3; The Carnival of the Animals 2007
Scherchen conducts Rimskij-Korsakov:Shéhérazade/Saint-Saëns: Danse macabre
Seduction Of Violin
Signature Series: Fright Night 2004
Silvestri: The Collection (Box Set) 2001
Soundscapes 2002
Spectacular Dances 1996
Stokowsky Conducts Favourites
Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture; Caprice Italien; Polonaise from "Eugen Onegin"
The Best Of Saint-Saëns 1994
The Best of Saint-Saëns 1997
The Classical Collection: 50 of the World's Musical Masterpieces, Vol. 2 1991
The Devil's Music 2009
The Essential Saint-Saens 1995
The Essential Vladimir Horowitz 2009
The General Motors Concert, March 1936
The Good Life: The Greatest Classical Symphonies of All Time, Vol. 4
The Good Life: The Greatest Overtures and Symphonies (Box Set) 2004
The Great French Classics 1997
The Hindsley Legacy
The Legend of the Orchestra 2009
The Most Unforgettable Organ Classics Ever 1998
The Orchestral Fireworks Collection 1987
The Piano as Orchestra 2006
The Royal Treasury of Classical Music [Box Set]
The Royal Treasury of Classical Music [Box Set] 2005
The Royal Treasury of Classical Music, Vol. 6
The Sorcerer's Apprentice 1987
The Sorcerer's Apprentice 1996
The Sorceror's Apprentice: French Symphonic Poems 1996
The Wonderful World of Classical Music (Box Set)
This is Full Frequency Range Recording, the Classic 'K' Series 1944 Recordings 1995
Toon Time: Classical Music from Classic Cartoons 2008
Toscanini Conducts Light Classics 1987
Toscanini: Maestro Furioso (Box Set)
Toscanini: Maestro Furioso, Disc 5
Transcriptions Live 2004
Twilight's Moon
Ultimate Classical Spectacular [Box Set] 2009
Variations on America: Organ Spectacular 1990
Virtusos Organ Music 1997
Winchester Cathedral Organs 1997
Witches' Brew
Witches' Brew 1993
Albums with Excerpt Performances of the Work
