Danse macabre Op. 40 (Arranged for Piano Duet) Cover Image

Danse macabre Op. 40 (Arranged for Piano Duet): Piano Duet

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Danse macabre Op. 40 (Arranged for Piano Duet) Cover Image
Danse macabre Op. 40 (Arranged for Piano Duet): Piano Duet

Danse macabre Op. 40 (Arranged for Piano Duet): Piano Duet

By Camille Saint-Saëns / arr. Wendy Hiscocks

Item: 98-EP7955
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Description

Saint-Saëns' Danse macabre has long been available in the composer's own sizzling transcription for two pianos.

By contrast, the standard piano duet arrangement of the piece (by Ernest Guiraud) appears to have been derived from the orchestral score and is often disappointingly thin. An obvious solution was to make the present new duet arrangement, following the composer's two-piano version as closely as possible.

As a symphonic poem Danse macabre was elaborated (in 1874) from Saint-Saëns' earlier song-setting of a poem by Henri Cazalis - a sort of French Tom O'Shanter without the chase, in which the devil, playing a mistuned fiddle, conjures skeletons from their graves at midnight into a macabre dance (Cazalis' profession as a doctor doubtless fed his imagination).

Saint-Saëns' orchestral version was the first orchestral score to use a xylophone, in a tune that he later recycled for "Fossils" in Carnaval des animaux.

Roy Howat

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Additional Details
Series: Edition Peters
Publisher: Edition Peters
Page Count: 28
ISBN10: 0-577-08637-5
ISBN13: 979-0-577-08637-8
UPC: 9790577086378
SKU: 98-EP7955

More about this title

About the Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns

Camille Saint-Saëns (1835, 1921) was a French composer of extraordinary technical facility and classical discipline. His mastery of orchestration and gift for memorable melody made him one of the most performed composers of the 19th century, and his influence on French music education and concert life remains profound.

Saint-Saëns understood the practical demands of performers across different settings. He wrote extensively for piano, both solo and in ensemble formats, and often created his own arrangements to ensure his works reached the widest possible audience without sacrificing musical integrity.

Why we love this

This arrangement honors the composer's own two-piano version rather than defaulting to the thinned-out Guiraud standard, which means you're getting Danse macabre as Saint-Saëns himself heard it. The 28-page score delivers the orchestral richness and dramatic sweep that makes this piece so thrilling to perform, while remaining entirely manageable for accomplished duet partners.

What to expect

Eerie, propulsive, darkly theatrical. The piece rides a steady rhythmic momentum while spinning out melodies that veer between languid and frenetic, all underpinned by harmonies that feel slightly off-kilter. It's a macabre waltz with theatrical flair and genuine musical substance.

Who it's for

Advanced piano duet students and early-advanced pianists seeking substantial repertoire with genuine orchestral sweep. Teachers looking for a showpiece that develops ensemble listening, interpretive maturity, and the confidence to handle a symphonic narrative at the keyboard.

How to get the most out of it

  • Coordinate the rhythmic precision between parts from the start; the driving pulse that carries the skeletal imagery demands locked ensemble work, especially in the faster sections.
  • Attend carefully to the dynamic contrasts. Saint-Saëns' orchestration translates to the keyboard through sharp terraced shifts in volume, and these moments define the piece's theatrical character.
  • Balance the xylophone figures (which appear in the upper part) so they cut through without overshadowing the harmonic movement underneath.
  • The famous tritone sonority that evokes the devil's mistuned fiddle needs clarity; resist the temptation to blur these dissonances with the pedal.

How to use it

Danse macabre makes an ideal centerpiece for a piano duet recital, particularly in October or as part of a program exploring French Romantic orchestral reduction. It also works beautifully alongside other Saint-Saëns works or as a dramatic foil to lighter duet selections, since its sophistication and narrative intensity separate it immediately from standard educational repertoire.

Skills your students will build

  • Coordinating complex rhythmic figures between two players
  • Balancing multiple lines and translating orchestral texture to the keyboard
  • Sustaining musical momentum through an extended single-movement form
  • Executing rapid dynamic shifts and theatrical interpretation
  • Reading and realizing the dissonant harmonic language of 19th-century program music

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