V.com weekend vote: Trick, or Treat?

October 29, 2010 at 6:14 PM

It's Halloween this Sunday in the United States, followed by All Saints Day and Mexico's Day of the Dead.

These holidays aren't celebrated by all, but I find them a nice excuse to listen to scary dark music, dress up, or at least pig out on candy. Traditionally children go door-to-door and say, "Trick or Treat?"

So let's share Halloween-ish music and stories, and please, what is your preference, trick, or treat?

For your All Hallow's Eve enjoyment, "Le Streghe" (Witches' Dance) by that fiendish devil, Nicolo Paganini, played by German violinist Wolfgang Marschner. (BTW all Suzuki Book 2 students ought to hear this version, from which the abbreviated Suzuki-book version comes!)

From Kathryn Woodby
Posted on October 29, 2010 at 7:46 PM

Great piece! I've actually been looking for a recording for a while for my kids. Maybe someone here can answer a question for me:I have heard that this piece was written about the fairies or "good witches" in a sleeping beauty suite, but have not been able to verify. Anybody know? Thanks!

From Mendy Smith
Posted on October 30, 2010 at 12:53 AM

equally scary.... two violists playing Viola Zombies:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIMqH_vVlpY

From Deborah McCann
Posted on October 30, 2010 at 5:11 AM

It is always a good excuse to listen to Symphonie Fantastic-especially the Witches Sabbath. Love the use of col legno and other sound devices.

From Bill Busen
Posted on October 30, 2010 at 5:34 AM

Well, tonight I heard a fiery Ysaye sonata plus Wieniewski #1, after which they had Halloween candy for the audience. So TREAT!! (A student of Sibbi Bernhardsson)

From David Light
Posted on October 30, 2010 at 12:50 PM

Good responses, all. In my case, my daughter's been attending Hallowe'en dances (4 in all!) in full Devil's costume (although, frankly, she looks more like the Human Torch...sorta) I got a strong hankering to play Gounod's Funeral Theme for a Marionette (you remember the old Alfred Hitchcock theme from the '60's?), but it's in D Minor and doesn't sit very well on the violin (no low D). So I wrote my own transcription, keyed up to G Minor. Works wonderfully well! Happy Hallowe'en to one and all!

From Jason Hurwitz
Posted on October 30, 2010 at 3:05 PM

My Halloween playlist this year includes:

"Into the Well" (from Enchanted) by Alan Menken
The Halloween movie theme song
"Nightmare" by Ronan Hardiman
"The Nightmare" (from Woman In White) by Andrew Lloyd Webber
"Night on The Bare Mountain" by Mussorgsky
"Black Angels" (all 3 movements) by Crumb (played by the Kronos Quartet)
"Night Prayers" by Giya Kancheli
"Quartet No. 4" by Sofiya Gubaydulina
"Lacrymosa" by Dmitri Yanov-Yanovsy
"Mugam Sayagi" by Franguiz Ali-Zadeh
"Into the Fog" (from Master and Commander) by Iva Davies, Christopher Gordon & Richard Tognetti
"The Moth" (from The Silence of the Lambs) by Howard Shore

From Laurie Niles
Posted on October 31, 2010 at 12:22 AM

I later thought of the Symphony Fantastique because I heard it on the radio. I agree, Deborah! Great list, Jason!

From Anne-Marie Proulx
Posted on October 31, 2010 at 1:38 PM

Wow thanks Laurie and also good excuse to go listen to devil trill sonata...

Anne-Marie

ps: the way we crave a pumpkin surely tells a lot about the way we approach violin...

fast and easy? Just for fun? Long and with many details? Fast and well? (lucky those who can do this one!)

However, this year I only had time to empty the pumpkins and my father craved them... In fact this year, when I don't have time to play myself, I often listen 5 min of music played by others... seems I can see a pattern here ; ) But not the one I want to keep forever!

From Jim Hastings
Posted on November 1, 2010 at 2:11 AM

I voted TRICK -- but mine was a harmless trick I played on the spooky visitors who came around this evening -- ranging from preschoolers to teens. I posted a sign on the front door that said: KNOCK ON GARAGE DOOR. DOORBELL WON'T CARRY OVER MUSIC.

And that's just what they did. I've been taking advantage of the prolonged mild weather here to test out the garage acoustics for playing -- it will be ideal for recording when I can get to that. With each knock on the garage door, I would say, "Hey -- I'll meet you at the front door." Didn't like to make them trot back and forth so much, but I didn't want to let the night air into the garage, either.

I enjoy their visits. The comparative innocence and freshness of a child -- the lack of worldly sophistication -- I find this highly therapeutic, a good reminder not to lose sight of the child in me.

The Paganini piece is great fun -- thanks.

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V.com weekend vote: Trick, or Treat?

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