SCARY WEEK - October 26, 2020 - Monday

 SCARY WEEK - October 26, 2020

(Dedicated to my classical music friends - Rita and Kristof!!)

This is the week before Halloween (Saturday, October 31st).  Let’s do a theme this week:

Monday - Classical Scary Pieces

Tuesday - Rock / other Halloween Music

Wednesday - Phantom of the Opera / more

Thursday - Scary literature, poetry, more

Friday - LOVE WINS - Good versus Evil stories

Saturday - A Special Halloween Story

Sunday - Funday- November 

Today.

(You might need to follow the links for some music)

Musically Piece #1: Night on Bald Mountain - Modest Mussorgsky

The music has what could be spooks, goblins, witches, and others dancing around.  The link here is to Walt Disney’s Fantastic  - if you have time watch this to see the horror, scary nature of this music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLCuL-K39eQ 

Maybe better here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5pnoSgIuVo 

In this second version, the dawn comes and the spooks disappear.  I like this version (completed).  

I picture some sort of “rite of passage”.  The teenage boy is required by his group to spend a night on Bald Mountain.  Some others have done it - and are part of the group; and some others have tried to spend the night there - and haven’t made it through the whole night.

There on the mountain - where the mind and the imagination go wild - seeing the horrors - the goblins, the witches, the ugly, - one must survive - and eventually - if we wait for it - the dawn comes - even with a church bell from the village below the mountain.

For this musical piece.  I am trying to apply it to myself.  I suggest (think) that all must go through that ‘night on the bald mountain’.  It might be like my days “hating” myself - and wanting to quit working on a doctorate (I thought “I’m okay with just a masters degree”; “I don’t need a doctorate”).  Maybe it is “hating” something else.  I was listening to a book from a lady who thought she was too fat and became bulimic - denying herself the food and nutrition she needed - to reach the unattainable goal of being “the perfect girl”.  Maybe it is fighting that blackness that comes from a spouse who died way-too-young, maybe it is fighting a job that confines their spirit.

What is your “bald mountain”?  Can you survive a night - fighting through our fears, the “reality” that isn’t really real?  Can you survive a night - fighting the loss of a child, loss of a job, loss of the love of your husband or wife?  

“For the darkest night comes before dawn”.

*****

Piece #2: In The Hall of the Mountain King

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLp_Hh6DKWc 

According to sources:

“Grieg's 'Peer Gynt Suite' tells the story of a young boy – Peer Gynt, who falls in love with a girl but is not allowed to marry her. He runs away into the mountains but is captured by trolls who take him to their King. Peer Gynt tries to escape but is chased by the trolls and runs into the troll King but eventually gets away.”

Peer Gynt tried to elude the trolls the music gets faster (more frantic) - will Peer Gynt be caught?  Will the troll eat him alive?  

*****

Piece #3 Chopin’s Funeral March

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpuPP1YUYHs 

You can hear the footsteps going to the grave - the despair of death and dying.

*****

Piece #4 Saint-Saens’ Danse Macabre 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytpqcJ1IfoA 

A dance of death.

*****

Piece #5 Dukas - Sorcerer’s Apprentice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4yH4B9deok 

Okay, I can only picture Mickey Mouse as the Apprentice to the Sorcerer - putting a curse on the broom to bring more water to the room.   The apprentice screws up!!!

*****

Piece #6 - Carmina Burana - FInale

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MAZdxjzcBM 

Skip to the last minute on this.

*****

Final notes  comments

I have embraced classical (romantic) music in my adult years.  I can tell you more about Anton Bruckner or Dmitri Shostakovich than the pop singers of the past ten years.  

I note “romantic” classical over more ‘traditional’ classical.  Most of the pieces I illustrated today are in minor keys (more traditional classical music tends to use major keys).  Some pieces get names - like Mahler’s Sixth Symphony “The Tragic”; or themes - Tschaikowsky’s Romeo and Juliet (hey - the two lovers kill themselves).  Here we had a night on a supposedly cursed mountain, funeral marches, trolls, and more.

Life isn’t always pretty - but classical music isn’t always pretty either.

Tomorrow - so more contemporary Spooky / Halloween music!!!  Stay tuned!!

LOVE DOES WIN!!!

Hugs!!

Karen