#Saëns

[opera-ghosts]

On May 28, 1916 Camille Saint-Saëns conducted his own opera "Samson and Dalila" at the age of 81.

On the old postcard we see scene from the opera.

#Samson et Dalila #Samson and Delilah #Camille Saint-Saëns #Saëns #opera #classical music #music history #bel canto #composer #classical composer #classical studies #classical musician #classical musicians #classical history #classical #musician #musicians #aria #maestro #poscard #historian of music #Teatro Colón #music #Libretto #antique #antique postcard

[greenthena]

The Eldritch Ball or Aziraphale's Macabre Danse

I'm a huge sucker for dark classical music (I'm using the term "classical" broadly, not referring to the specific period. Music-y folks, please forgive.) As such, Saint-Saëns's "Danse Macabre" is one of my all time favorite pieces. It's spooky. It's intentionally dissonant. It's even got a jump scare! Like, literally, the perfect piece of music.

The story behind "Danse Macabre" goes like this: Each Halloween at midnight, Death enters the graveyard with a fiddle. As he plays, the skeletons rise from the ground and dance through the cemetery, resurrected by Death's power and possessed by his instrument.

In S2 E3, the Bentley plays "Danse Macabre" as Aziraphale drives up to Edinburgh. "What do we do? We play classical music that stays classical music." (And the Bentley listens to him! Because the Bentley is an expression of Crowley's subconscious and wants to please him and make him happy...and I'm sure you can find lots of excellent metas to that end. Or maybe you have another theory about why the Bentley is so pliant toward the angel? I'd love to hear it. But that's not what I'm talking about right now. I'm just getting distracted.)

Why is this song so perfect for a bit of subtle foreshadowing and repeated metaphor? So glad you asked. I have reasons. And evidence. Please, peruse my wares.

In the A Plot of this episode, Aziraphale travels to Scotland to visit a pub called The Resurrectionist. (Ya know, like Death? Like how Death resurrects people in the song? Okay, just wanted to really hit that nail into the coffin.) The pub is, of course, named for a certain Mr. (not Dr., he's a surgeon) Dalrymple, whom Crowley and Aziraphale meet in the accompanying flashback minisode entitled (you'll never guess) "The Resurrectionist." The minisode plot involves Crowley and his the angel encountering young Elspeth, a grave robber who, like Death, releases the bodies of the deceased from their earthly bonds of soil and stone. My interpretation is that Elspeth becomes Death incarnate, first in the process of using her instrument (her shovel) to resurrect the dead, and later when she inadvertently brings about the literal death of her partner, Wee Morag. Rather than allow Wee Morag's body to turn to dust in the ground, Elspeth "resurrects" her, selling her body to Dr. Dalrymple (sorry, Mr. Dalrymple, he's a surgeon, not a doctor), who will use Wee Morag's body for research, which will in turn save the lives of countless others by furthering the field of medicine. A form of resurrection, indeed. There's also the plot thread of Crowley and Aziraphale providing Elspeth with a nest egg to escape the cycle of poverty into which she has been born. This, too, is another form of re-birth. Or, say it with me, resurrection. Alright, you're getting it now.

Okay, now I get to delve into the fun stuff. Let's talk about that cotillion ball, shall we? You know, that danse party where Aziraphale persuades all the shopkeepers on Whickber street to attend a Jane Austen-style ball?

I personally refer to this whole fiasco experience as the Eldritch Ball. On the surface, it seems fairly innocent. The shopkeepers need a little bit of encouragement to attend the Whickber Street monthly meeting, but the angel manages to convince everyone to join with the help of some coercion-via-bribery. When they show up, they're transmuted into Austen-esque characters, from their clothes, to their speech patterns, even to some extent, their perception of reality. This is where it starts to get a little uncomfortable if you peel back the layers. Mrs. Sandwich can't talk about what she does for a living, which is a great comedy bit, but also demonstrates that her speech is being significantly censored and altered by an outside force. With the exception of Mr. Brown (hidden agendas here, Neil? I honestly don't know), all the shopkeepers find themselves in new, slightly-period-appropriate garments. What's really weird, though, is that no one notices the changes. When the dancing begins, to the music of Mr. Anderson's piano and an accompanying string quartet (strings...as in violins...as in fiddles. Remember Death's fiddle?), Nina appears to be the only one who realizes that something is off.

Maggie: This is something new.

Nina: This is something completely bonkers. Are we...? Why is everyone talking like they've escaped from Pride and Prejudice?

Maggie: Just getting into the spirit of things, I suppose.

Nina: The spirit of what things? This is meant to be the shopkeeper association monthly meeting.

Maggie: Hmm. Yes. Now that you put it like that...

Nina: Are we dancing?

Maggie: Yes.

Nina: Did you ever learn the steps to this dance?

Maggie: It's just what we do, isn't it?

Nina: No. No, it isn't. This is something mad. This is their [Crowley & Azirapahle's] fault. They're doing this.

Something is definitely mad. One might even say it's macabre. Aziraphale has become Death the Resurrectionist. He has lured the shopkeepers of Whickber Street through a portal (as Death leads his flock from the world of the dead to the world of the living.) Aziraphale's instrument is his clipboard and pen, held almost as one might hold a fiddle and bow, as he invites the various shopkeepers to the monthly meeting. Once they all arrive, he miraculously gives them new clothes (as Death knits together the bones of the dead), and then proceeds to control their bodies and minds, as though they are merely marionettes. They dance and speak in the way Aziraphale imagines, fulfilling his fantasy of a perfect Jane Austen-style ball (quite literally, the Danse Macabre.)

The shopkeepers have become the dead and Aziraphale controls them until the spell is broken--or rather until the window is broken.

To be honest, I don't think Aziraphale is really aware of how much he is able to transfigure his environment, including the humans who happen to be close by. Or, at least, I don't believe he does any of this with ill intent. He's just a bit blind to anything outside his fixation of wooing Crowley, at the moment. As a result, he creates a situation that is profoundly problematic and unnatural. Just like the dead in the graveyard have no agency when Death plays his fiddle, the Whickber Street shopkeepers are possessed by Aziraphale's intricate romantic fantasy and must dance as long as the music plays.

It is, in fact, only when the music stops, that the shopkeepers begin to realize that something is most certainly weird. The diagetic music (Mr. Anderson & Co.) abruptly cuts off when an approaching demon horde tosses a brick through the bookshop window. Now the spell, or in this case, miracle, begins to break down. While the shopkeepers still appear to be somewhat under the influence of Aziraphale's persuasive aura, a few of them glance down at their clothes in confusion and look around the bookshop, as though waking from a dream. And at this point, after a little finagling, Crowley escorts the humans out of the bookshop and out of Aziraphale's Danse Macabre.

Once the demons attack the bookshop Aziraphale's influence on his surroundings really starts to deteriorate. Throughout the season, he's been able to structure and manipulate reality (sometimes with Crowley's help) to suit his needs: protecting Gabriel, altering the Bentley, organizing the Ball, etc. But once the bookshop, his safe space, has been breached, he loses control of the situation. From this point in the narrative, nothing goes according to Aziraphale's plan. Aziraphale wants to protect Jimbriel, but the former archangel insists on giving himself over to the demons. Crowley leaves and Aziraphale has to defend the bookshop on his own, when he'd expected Crowley to come right back and save him. While defending the bookshop, Aziraphale reaches his "last" resort not once, but twice: first allowing Nina and Maggie to use his books (!!!) as weapons and then blowing up his halo in a last ditch effort to fend off the invaders. This was not on the agenda for today!

Things just continue to go downhill from there, Aziraphale losing all control of the situation. And by the time the Final Fifteen wraps up, the angel has lost his bookshop and possibly his most important relationship. By the end of the season, Aziraphale is no longer Death the Resurrectionist, the manipulator and puppeteer. Now the angel has become the puppet, dancing to Heaven's music.

#good omens #aziraphale #aziracrow #crowley #go metas #good omens meta #danse macabre #camille saint saëns #the bentley #nina and maggie #eldritch ball #elspeth #wee morag #dark music #Youtube

[bussyplease]

I made this a while ago on paint at midnight in a fever like state and needed to post it here

#classical music #classical composer #composer memes #classical memes #benjamin britten #shostakovich #johann sebastian bach #schubert #clara schumann #robert schumann #gustav mahler #johannes brahms #stravinsky #prokofiev #vivaldi #saint saëns #tchaikovsky #rachmaninoff #beethoven #lili boulanger #chopin #bartok #richard wagner #franz liszt #mozart #claude debussy #mendelssohn #joseph haydn #maurice ravel #leonard bernstein

[claypigeonpottery]

sold

lmao why did I take a picture of this upside down?

this piece is really ancient, you can tell because I was still making very flat ‘plates’ with no feet (it’s just a tile, Pigeon, it’s not a plate)

this carving was inspired by a piece written for cello and piano, The Swan Sees His Reflection, by Forsyth, which is sort of a reflection of a well known Saint-Saëns piece, The Swan. I played both pieces growing up and I always loved Forsyth's version best.

#swan #swans #swan art #bird art #water birds #pottery #ceramics #sgraffito #ceramic #ceramic art #ceramic tile #cello #Malcolm Forsyth #Saint-Saëns #the swan #glazeware

[creechurrr]

Swan song:

The final act someone does before they die; the final performance of an actor. According to folk lore, swans sing most beautifully and mournfully before they die.

#badboyhalo #qsmp #I got very inspired to draw this after playing “The Swan” by Camille Saint-Saëns and watching its first ever ballet performance #Unlike the performance often done now #the dance was originally that of a wounded Swan fighting against death #(side note I probably won't post art outside of this; I rarely ever draw xD) #creechur art

[thebarroomortheboy]

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

SPOOK SPORT (1940) | dir. Norman McLaren, Mary Ellen Bute and Ted Nemeth

#1940's cinema #1940 #1940's animation #norman mclaren #mary ellen bute #ted nemeth #animation #animationedit #avant garde #horror #horroredit #short #spook sport #song: danse macabre #camille saint saëns #filmblr #filmedit #classicfilmsource #ghosts #bats #bells #sun

[jedimandalorian]

Ahsoka Episode 8 “The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord”: The Story, the Symbolism, and the Score Part Two

If you missed Part One of this analysis, it can be found here:

After Enoch gives his report on the failed TIE fighter attack, Thrawn tells him to prepare for a ground assault. Sinister drumming accompanies Thrawn’s exit.

The scene changes to Ahsoka, riding Baylan’s howler, and Ezra and Sabine riding double on her mount, Tota.

“May the Force be with you,” says Huyang as he stays behind with the Noti to repair the ship.

Back at the henge atop the tower, Morgan addresses the stormtroopers who volunteered to stay on Peridea to fight the Jedi.

Ahsoka, Ezra, and Sabine arrive to see that the Chimaera is ready to dock with the Eye of Sion. Courageous sounding music plays as Ahsoka says, “Let’s try the front door.”

Thrawn, who has been tracking them, commands his men to “Rain hellfire on them.” He believes that there will be no negotiating with the apprentice of Anakin Skywalker.

Ahsoka’s Theme plays as the heroes ride toward the confrontation. They guide their mounts to dodge laser blasts from the belly of the Chimaera in a scene that reminded me of the orbital bombardment of Lothal’s capitol city in the series finale of Rebels.

Thrawn’s ship itself is a mythological reference, being named after the legendary Greek chimaera, a terrifying fire-breathing monster that is part lion, part goat, and part snake.

The Chimaera, with its enhanced firepower, rains hellfire upon the heroes who race towards the tower’s triangular gate. Ezra and Sabine are shown to be using the Force in tandem push open the gate with Ahsoka. It opens just wide enough for them to ride through before it slams shut again.

The three heroes engage in battle with the Nighttroopers, using lightsabers to deflect the blasts. Sabine uses her blasters to go on the offensive, doing the classic “sword and shield” maneuver from the Clone Wars, providing firepower against the enemy as Ahsoka deflects the blasts. The trio defeats all of their opponents.

In another callback to The Clone Wars animated series, the Nightmothers recite the resurrection chant from Season 4, episode 19, “Massacre,” which was written by Katie Lucas (George’s daughter). This is a clue to what the secret cargo aboard Thrawn’s ship might be: dead Nightsisters who will be returned to Dathomir for resurrection. The chant revives the dead troopers, who rise to continue their assault on our heroes. The creepy violin music that is heard during this scene sounds as if it was inspired by Danse Macabre, a popular orchestral work composed by Camille Saint-Saëns in 1874.

Here’s a recording of Danse Macabre (Dance of Death) being used to accompany a very spooky animated short that terrified me as a child. (I became a classical musician anyway.) Listen to the violin about 0:20 into the video and compare it to the music for the resurrection of the Nighttroopers scene.

Intense music plays as the zombie troopers assault the trio of protagonists. Sabine saves Ezra from a trooper who sneaks up on him.

“Nice moves,” Ezra says with genuine admiration.

“She’s been training,” Ahsoka explains.

“What’s your excuse?” Sabine asks, not missing an opportunity to tease Ezra.

“I missed you,” Ezra replies in a hoarse whisper, uttering that heartfelt admission like a spontaneous love confession.

*******

End of Part 2.

To be continued.

What are your thoughts? Please leave a comment

#sabine wren #ezra bridger #star wars #ahsoka series #sabezra #ezrabine #ahsoka tano #star wars rebels #Thrawn #morgan elsbeth #huyang #kevin kiner #camille saint saëns #danse macabre

[recapitulation]

me when i suddenly hear an organ in the second movement of saint-saëns 3 which is literally titled . "organ"

[ID: Spatula, a brown tabby cat, looking frightened close to the camera /end ID]

#also i had my windows all the way down and my volume all the way up for the loud as fuck organ chord that opens mvmt 4 #jumpscaring me but also everyone else in my employers parking lot #saint saëns

[symphonybracket]

YouTube Links: Saint-Saëns 3, Mendelssohn 4

Comments:

Saint-Saëns 3

the use of the pipe organ is exceptional

Mendelssohn 4

The last movement is just so good, the vibes are so fun

Thank you to @nastywizard for alerting me to the fact they used Mendelssohn 4 in the 12 Dancing Princesses Barbie movie:

[Video Description: clip from the movie The 12 Dancing Princesses showing a dance number to Mendelssohn 4 /end VD]

#Saint-Saëns #Mendelssohn #round 2 #Spotify

[ninadove]

I'm honestly shocked that since Emotion/Representation aired I've yet to see anyone do anything at all with Felix and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein??? I think about it every day it's literally THE Felix piece of media. It's his entire character thesis. What are we doing guys

I KNOW I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT IT THE OTHER DAY

To be fair I have seen a few people headcanoning it as one of Felix’s favourite books (Which yes. Absolutely. 1,000,000%) but there hasn’t been any fics/art/edits/etc. about it yet to my knowledge. My copy is at my parents’ and in French but I am tempted to find an English PDF since it’s been public domain for a good while now. The web weave potential is insane.

I have many thoughts about Felix and literature in general… I have him quote Cyrano de Bergerac all the time in my fics, for example. I was thinking of starting a list of works of art and literature he’d enjoy, so I’ll take this as a sign to get writing! I can get my fandom friends to make some suggestions as well! 📝

Edit: @bittersweetresilience got us covered, our honour is safe 💜🦚

#For now I really need to go to bed but here’s an overview: #Frankenstein and Cyrano of course #The portrait of Dorian Gray for Emilie #Ovid’s Metamorphoses (my sister and I actually wrote a fic about it!) #L’Albatros by Charles Baudelaire (see: web weave) #Psychopompe by Amélie Nothomb (see: other web weave) #J’aime l’araignée et j’aime l’ortie by Victor Hugo #She walks in beauty by Byron for Kagami #East of Eden (I’ve yet to read it but the movie is one of my favourites to this day) #Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux #The Odyssey and EPIC #All of Magritte’s art but especially La Grande Famille & L’Empire des Lumières & La Trahison des Images #Stuart Semple’s entire vibe #I wonder what he’d think of Bauhaus art actually. The entire philosophy would create conflicting feelings I’m sure #Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saëns #Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor #He’d also prefer Salieri to Mozart while also detailing how Salieri actually made a name for himself every time the topic comes up #OH and he has the biggest crush on Milady de Winter #And Zagreus from Hades #miraculous ladybug #felix graham de vanily #tumblr asks

[figureskatingcostumes]

Koshiro Shimada's Danse Macabre costume at the 2023 Grand Prix de France, 2023 Grand Prix of Espoo and 2023 Nebelhorn Trophy. It was created by Mu-Costume design.

(Sources: 1, 2 and 3)

#Koshiro Shimada #Japan #Figure skating #Saint Saëns #Danse Macabre #Men #2023–2024 #2023 Grand Prix de France #2023 Grand Prix of Espoo #2023 Nebelhorn Trophy #Mu Costume design

[nana-doodles]

I drew my favorite composer of all time as a ghastly phantom!! Tell me what you think of him in the comments and/or reblogs!!! 🫠

#my art #art #my artwork #horror art #horror #phantom composers #composer fanart #camille saint saëns #camille saint saens fanart #camille saint saens as a ghost #hope you like it 🫠 #digital fanart #digital artwork #digital artist #digital drawing #digital art #digital illustration

[age-of-moonknight]

“Danse Macabre,” Moon Knight (Vol. 9/2021), #25.

Writer: Jed MacKay; Pencilers and Inkers: Alessandro Cappuccio, Alessandro Vitti, and Partha Pratim; Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg; Letterer: Cory Petit

#Marvel #Marvel comics #616 #Moon Knight vol. 9 #Moon Knight 2021 #Moon Knight comics #latest release #Moon Knight #Marc Spector #8-Ball #Jeff Hagees #don’t mind me #just getting emotional over this very sweet example of how whenever Marc starts getting bogged down by the #(sometimes self-made via choices of questionable morality) demons of his past #he’s got buddies to help pull him out #and they’re each helping each other grow to be the better people they want to be #gosh call me a cornball but the very simple but nonetheless effective message throughout this volume of how important good friends are #means so much to me #anyway sorry for the flood of posts I’m going to go pass out and have Saint-Saëns’ ‘Danse Macabre’ stuck in my head for the next couple day

[heaveninawildflower]

Camille Saint-Saëns - Danse Macabre

#youtube #Camille Saint-Saëns #Danse Macabre #classical music #music

[lesser-known-composers]

Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) - Le Timbre d'argent, Acte IV: IX. Deuxième tableau. Scène. Mais non · Les Siècles ·

François-Xavier Roth · Accentus · Edgaras Montvidas · Hélène Guilmette · Yu Shao

#Camille Saint-Saëns #opera #classical music #Le Timbre d'argent #Youtube

[inniave]

are you sure about that spotify?

#music #camille saint saëns #classical music