Witches Are Real (from The Witches): Piano

Silvestri's orchestral writing distills beautifully to the piano, preserving the eerie, playful menace of the original score while creating a piece that's genuinely rewarding to perform. The arrangement captures the darkly whimsical tone of the film without requiring a full ensemble, making it ideal for pianists who want to tackle film music with real substance. It's the kind of piece that engages audiences immediately because the thematic material is inherently engaging.

Wickedly playful and darkly magical. The piece dances between moments of mischievous humor and genuine creepiness, with a propulsive rhythm that keeps the listener slightly off-balance in exactly the right way. Silvestri's harmonic choices create an unsettled, otherworldly atmosphere that's cinematic in scope but intimate when played on piano alone.

Pianists at the intermediate level who enjoy film music and want a piece with genuine narrative depth and character. This works equally well for students building their solo recital repertoire or as performance material for someone exploring contemporary film scoring. The arrangement assumes solid sight-reading and technical facility but remains accessible without being simplistic.

• Balance the melodic line against the accompaniment so the haunting theme remains audible even when the left hand becomes rhythmically active
• Vary the tone color between passages; sections that feel mischievous benefit from a lighter touch than moments that should feel genuinely unsettling
• Pay attention to the rhythmic precision of repeated figures in the accompaniment; they're what drive the propulsive energy forward
• Use tempo flexibility sparingly to emphasize dramatic moments, but maintain a steady pulse overall to preserve the mechanical, otherworldly quality

Program this as a standalone concert piece for a contemporary or film music themed recital, or pair it with other movie scores arranged for solo piano to create a cohesive set. It also works well as a showpiece within a larger recital where you want a brief moment of theatrical character and mood shift. The relatively compact form makes it a strong closer for a shorter program.

• Balancing a lyrical melody against rhythmically complex accompaniment patterns
• Creating tonal variety and character development within a single-instrument arrangement
• Maintaining rhythmic precision during repeated accompaniment figures
• Interpreting film music idiomatic phrasing and dramatic timing on the piano