Classical music for Halloween

The Halloween surprise of “Carmina Burana”

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I have a new classical-music Halloween fave this year: Carmina Burana. The irony is that it’s been on my Top 10 Halloween classical list for a dozen years, hiding in plain sight. The truth is, I never listened to the whole shebang, only the first four minutes. (I know. Some classical-music expert I am, huh?) … Read more

The Halloween-ness of Berlioz’s “Symphonie fantastique”

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It’s October, Halloween is here and I am obsessed with Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique. Blame it on the title and mood of the symphony’s fifth movement: “Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath.” Could any title be more deliciously spooky? It’s this movement, and this symphony, that make classical music people nod in recognition at the sound of … Read more