Smithsonian Associates: Fairy Tales in Classical Music, Lecture 1 – Six of the Scariest

Ever since early humans began to gather, they attempted to understand the inexplicable universe by telling tales. While composers have frequently enjoyed exploring the macabre and Gothic horror, classical repertory is equally graced with gentler stories, some of which end happily ever after.

In the perfect follow-up to Halloween, speaker and concert pianist Rachel Franklin revisits her seasonal tour through the most mysterious corners of classical music as well as illustrates how fantasy and folklore have inspired some of history’s greatest composers.

British-born Franklin has been a featured speaker for organizations including the Library of Congress and NPR, exploring intersections among classical and jazz music, film scores, and the fine arts.

———————————————————————————————————————————————

Fresh from Halloween, as the days draw darker and strange spirits linger, Liszt’s Totentanz, Saint-Saëns’ Danse Macabre, Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain, and other bone-chillers set the tone for an atmosphere of sorcery and witchcraft.