Camille Saint-Saens – Danse Macabre
Trotting from lingering clouds of dire intent to the thrill of impish orchestration to the base of chill, and then a free-fall orgy of all elements as a crashing force; ‘Danse Macabre’ – starting with the innocent beat of a single piano note, used so often now by Dario Marianelli – is at its core a grandiose orchestrated riff that bows out to serenading trickles of dancing rhythmic beat and prancing viola. It is a coupling of sheer joy and utter torment that brings the listener to complete enslavement of the sound. It is a song whose month is forever confused. I need to make more time for classical music. [Illustration by David Foldvari. Seek.]