Terrifying Tarantella Sheet Music Preview

Terrifying Tarantella: Piano

Name: Terrifying Tarantella: Piano
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 98-DP2006
Price: 3.95 USD
Availability: InStock

By Mary K. Sallee

Item: 98-DP2006

Digital Download

$3.95

Eerily dramatic and great fun to play, this piece opens with root position triads and then uses scale passages, arpeggios and chromaticism to create a haunting effect. In D minor, this piece is great for Halloween or any other time of year.

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Series: FJH Performance Solos

Publisher: The FJH Music Company, Inc.

SKU: 98-DP2006

More about this title

About the Composer: Mary K. Sallee

Mary K. Sallee holds degrees in both piano and voice from the University of Oklahoma, with a master's degree in piano performance and pedagogy. Her postgraduate studies took her to Vienna, where she was a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar at the Hochschule für Musik.

Since 1986, Sallee has maintained a private piano studio in Norman, Oklahoma, where she specializes in teaching adult students. Her compositional output spans over 60 published works, many written directly for her students and several recognized by the National Federation of Music Clubs. Beyond solo piano, she arranges vocal and choral music through her publishing imprint, Acoustic Press. Sallee remains deeply engaged in music education as an adjudicator, clinician, and conductor; she has served as OMTA state president and completed a term as MTNA Director in 2014.

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Why we love this

Sallee crafts a piece that actually sounds more sophisticated than its technical demands suggest. The combination of root position triads, scale passages, and strategic chromaticism builds a genuinely creepy atmosphere without requiring virtuosity, making it ideal for students ready to explore mood and texture rather than speed.

What to expect

A theatrical shiver runs through the opening with those stark triads, then the piece unfolds into something restless and slightly sinister as chromatic runs weave through faster passages. It's spooky without being juvenile, dramatic without being heavy.

Who it's for

Intermediate pianists who want to move beyond technical exercises into character pieces with real personality. This solo works well for students developing their interpretive voice and exploring how harmony and figuration can create mood.

How to get the most out of it

Establish the root position triads with a clean, unhurried touch in the opening; their simplicity is what makes them unsettling, so avoid rushing for effect.
Shape the scale passages and arpeggios with slight dynamic swells to emphasize their ascending motion, letting the chromaticism stand out without muddying the texture.
Experiment with tempo flexibility in the more dramatic sections; the tarantella rhythm invites some rubato, but keep it intentional and musical rather than erratic.

How to use it

Program this as a recital opener to immediately engage your audience, or pair it with lighter repertoire for tonal contrast in a student showcase. Outside of Halloween concerts, it works equally well in a contemporary or character piece set.