Saint-Sa

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Saint-Saënss Danse Macabre

• A presentation by Amelia Duarte, Josh Lovell, and
  Sarah Miller

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What inspired this piece?
Based on a poem written by Henri Cazalis
The poem is about an old French superstition
According to the ancient superstition, "Death"
appears at midnight every year on Halloween.
Death has the power to call forth the dead from
their graves to dance for him while he plays his
fiddle. His skeletons dance for him until the
first break of dawn, when they must return to
their graves until the next year.
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Read the poem while listening and see if you can
imagine what happens
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. The
winter wind blows and the night is dark Moans
are heard in the linden trees.
Through the gloom, white skeletons pass, Running
and leaping in their shrouds. Zig, zig, zig,
each one is frisking, The bones of the dancers
are heard to crack But hist! of a sudden they
quit the round, They push forward, they fly
The rooster has crowed.
http//www.youtube.com/watch?vYyknBTm_YyM
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Musical Themes
There are three main themes throughout the piece
Deaths Dance (or waltz)
Skeleton Dance
The use of the Tritone, which is also known as
Deaths chord
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Activity Time!
Now that you know a bit about the themes, raise
your hand every time you hear one of them!
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And now, for a bit of a challenge
Can you act out the STYLE of the piece?
Be sure to include the length , shortness,
loudness and softness of the notes in your acting!
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Resources

• http//imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/AQUA/
  24-645Alchemy-Danse-Macabre-Posters.jpg
• http//atickettohell.com/home/uploads/images/GrimR
  eaperMoon.jpg
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vYyknBTm_YyM (all
  background information, including poem)
• http//www.dornai.com/images/danza_macabra/Michael
  _Wolgemut_THE_20DANCE_OF_SKELETONS_Dornai.jpg
• http//www.wmlair.com/Pumpkins2004/Grim_Reaper.JPG
  
• http//www.musiceducationmadness.com/images/danse_
  macabre.jpg (information on themes)
• http//www.cksinfo.com/clipart/holidays/halloween/
  skeletons/dancing-skeleton.png
• http//www.kreativeannouncements.com/sitebuilderco
  ntent/sitebuilderpictures/grimreaper.jpg
• http//www.kennymester.com/tombstone20006.jpg