Danse Macabre: Bacchanal for Two Pianos, Percussion & Violin

Details

Danse Macabre: Bacchanal for Two Pianos, Percussion, and Violin by Greg Anderson, based on Camille Saint-Saëns’ Danse macabre, Op. 40 / Instrumentation: two pianos, solo violin, four timpani, bass drum, side drum with and without snares, wood blocks, suspended cymbal, crash cymbals, wind machine, xylophone, tubular bells, tambourine, castanets, guiro, slapstick, triangle, tam-tam / Includes full score and complete parts / Difficulty: Advanced / Duration: 11 minutes / Pages: 53 / Copyright: 2008 / Work number: 031.5

Variants available for five pianos and two pianos.

Program Notes

In medieval times, “Danse Macabre” was an allegory emphasizing the universality of death. No matter one’s station in life—emperor, beggar, monk, mother, or musicians—the dance of death unites us all.

In 1874, Camille Saint-Saëns composed his Danse macabre, the third of his four symphonic poems, drawing upon a tradition that once captivated medieval painters and artists. Although it is his most frequently performed orchestral work, its origins lie in an art song for voice and piano set to a poem by Henri Cazalis, an excerpt of which is translated into English below:

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 cock has crowed.

Saint-Saëns paints this nocturnal vision with eerie charm and precision. The clock strikes midnight. Death tunes his violin. And the skeletal revelers emerge, joining in a raucous waltz whose sinuous theme is a sly nod to the Dies Irae, the ancient chant for the dead, spinning and cavorting until dawn drives them back to their graves.

The musical material of Danse macabre lends itself uncannily well to multiple pianos. In seven distinct reimaginings—ranging from literal transcriptions to audacious mashups, including one for five pianos and full orchestra—I explore the piano’s capacity for both spectral textures and rhythmic violence. Swirling figurations evoke the fog and frenzy, while crisp attacks mimic the clatter of bones.

Among these are several “bacchanal” versions that culminate in an extended hootenanny—an unbridled romp in which the musicians trade solos and flaunt their virtuosity. In the Bacchanal for two pianos, percussion, and violin, the musicians adopt shifting theatrical roles, from the living to the dead. The violinist assumes the role of “Death” and must execute rapid-fire instrument changes, while the percussionists command an arsenal of eighteen instruments. In crafting this version, I found inspiration in Bartók’s Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion, whose night music, funky rhythms, and folkloric mischief can be found throughout.

— Greg Anderson

Hootenanny:
1. a social gathering or informal concert featuring folk singing and, sometimes, dancing.
2. an informal session at which folk singers and instrumentalists perform for their own enjoyment.

— Random House Dictionary

Performance Notes

In this funkified, bacchanalian take on Saint-Saëns’ Danse macabre, musicians take on a variety of theatrical roles, from the living to the dead. Don't miss the hootenanny from rehearsal letters S to X in which all characters are invited to the center of the circle to strut their stuff.

Notes for the violin

You will need two violins to perform this work; one violin with the E string tuned approximately to E-flat (it should sound fairly sour) and another violin tuned regularly. As the resident “Death” in the ensemble, the part should be performed with a generous dose of flair.

Staging

Ideally, the pianos and percussion instruments should be positioned similarly to performances of Bartok's Sonata f or Two Pianos and Percussion, with the violinist standing on stage right (near Percussion II). Alternatively, if the pianos are dovetailed, each percussionist should position his or her instruments to the side of the stage: Percussion I (timpani +) on stage left, Percussion II (xylophone +) on stage right.

Variants Available