Happy Hallowe'en!

It's Hallowe'en, when things go bump in the night and 'trick or treaters' are out in force. We've put together a few musical tricks and treats to help mark the day in style. Pull the curtains, lock the door... and enjoy the ride!

The final movement of Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique is the “Songe d'une nuit de sabbat” (Dream of a Witches' Sabbath). Witches, ghosts and ghouls have assembled for our artist's funeral, at which his beloved also appears, in a frantic dance. Bells toll, the Dies irae theme sounds and the wild dancing builds to a climax... spooky stuff!

Saint-Saëns' Danse macabre is a popular concert favourite... but did you know the chanson version, as death strikes the tomb with his heel and strikes up a tune on the violin? 

Zig et zig et zig, la mort en cadence
Frappant une tombe avec son talon,
La mort à minuit joue un air de danse,
Zig et zig et zag, sur son violon

Baba-Yaga, the witch of Russian legend, is said to ride around in a mortar, scooting through the skies with a pestle. She appears towards the end of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, but Anatol Liadov's miniature tone poem is deliciously wicked:

It's often said that the Devil gets all the best tunes... and I think there's some truth in that. Méphistophélès takes a starring role in operatic versions of the Faust legend, promising to serve the aged scholar in return for his soul. 

Berlioz's Méphistophélès from La damnation de Faust summons spirits to enchant and deceive Marguerite and sings a sarcastic serenade outside her window, predicting her loss of innocence.

Boito's Mefistofele is sadly neglected – it's a terrific opera. In the Epilogue, Faust – an old man once again and back in his study – is tempted one last time by the Devil. Faust, however, sees a heavenly vision and seizes the Bible, crying out for forgiveness. Mefistofele is defeated, whistling his rage as the celestial choir sings out. 

Perhaps the most famous version of the Faust legend is Gounod's opera. In Act II, Méphistophélès provides the crowd with wine and sings a rousing song about the Golden Calf (Le veau d'or): 

Mussorgsky's Night on a Bare Mountain will be familiar to generations through its use in Disney's film Fantasia and is a staple of concert programmes. The work had a number of incarnations, including one which includes chorus and bass soloist, which appears in the opera Sorochyntsi Fair:

In Weber's opera Der Freischütz, the Wolf's Glen scene summons up the supernatural. Caspar calls upon Samiel, the Black Huntsman, for assistance, and prepares the casting of the magic bullets, luring in the unsuspecting Max:

 Sleep well...