Danse Macabre: Concert Band Conductor Score

$10.00 USD

Danse Macabre: Concert Band Conductor Score

Name: Danse Macabre: Concert Band Conductor Score
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-43101S
Price: 10.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Camille Saint-Saëns / arr. Michael Story

Grade: 2 (Easy)

Item: 00-43101S

$10.00

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This work was originally scored as a tone poem that was written in 1874 by well-known French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. The basis of the piece is an old French superstition where at the stroke of midnight on Halloween, Death appears and summons the dead to dance while he plays his music for them. In a familiar 3/4, it's spooky enough for a Halloween performance and classical enough for any program or contest all year long! (3:15)

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Series: Belwin Young Band

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 32

UPC: 038081504469

SKU: 00-43101S

More about this title

About the Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns

Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) was a French composer, organist, and pianist whose technical mastery and melodic gift made him one of the most performed classical composers of his era. His output spanned symphonies, concertos, operas, and orchestral works, all marked by brilliant orchestration and memorable themes that have secured his place in the standard concert repertoire.

Saint-Saëns understood how to write for instruments with both clarity and color. Danse Macabre, composed in 1874, showcases his gift for narrative storytelling through music; the piece became one of his most famous works and remains a favorite for both concert halls and educational ensembles seeking to balance accessibility with musical substance.

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Why we love this

This arrangement gives young bands immediate access to a piece that sounds far more sophisticated than its Grade 2 reading level suggests. The iconic violin solo (here adapted for your available instrumentation), the xylophone's rattling bones, and the relentless rhythmic drive make rehearsals engaging while the piece's literary foundation sparks genuine musical conversations about program music and storytelling.

What to expect

Danse Macabre conjures midnight through relentless rhythmic momentum, eerie orchestral colors, and a melody that dances between elegant and grotesque. Your students will feel the tension between the familiar 3/4 waltz pattern and the unsettling orchestration, creating a piece that's genuinely theatrical without requiring a stage.

Who it's for

Conductors of Grade 2 concert bands who want repertoire with real musical substance and a clear narrative arc. This arrangement is ideal for students encountering a canonical masterwork for the first time while still managing straightforward technical demands.

How to get the most out of it

Establish a steady, unhurried pulse in the opening sections. The spookiness emerges from precise articulation and rhythmic clarity, not from rushing the tempo.
Balance the melodic lines across your instrumentation so the main theme doesn't disappear into the accompaniment texture. Young bands often layer too thickly here.
Shape the dynamic arch across each phrase rather than playing at one volume level. The piece's momentum depends on small, purposeful crescendos and releases.
Bring out the percussion writing (especially xylophone and timpani) without letting it overpower the ensemble. These colors define the character.

How to use it

Program this in October for Halloween concerts and fall festivals, or save it for a winter concert's lighter moment when you want to shift the mood and energy. It pairs naturally with other narrative tone poems or spooky arrangements, and its three-minute length makes it an excellent standalone number for contest play.