1. How can music tell a story?

2. Camille Saint–Saens

3. Camille Saint–Saens was born in Paris, France on October, 9, 1835.
He began taking piano lessons when he was just two years old. He wrote his first piece of music at age three.
For many years he played the organ at a famous church in Paris. He was known as one of the best organist and pianist of his time.
By the time he was 22, he was a famous composer.

4. Power Listening = Active Listening
Listen to one of Camille’s most famous pieces “Danse Macbre” and complete your power listening worksheet.
Power Listening = Active Listening
Do not write anything
until your teacher asks
you to begin.
Just listen for a bit.
Remember not talk, use only your ears.

5. What are some Expressive Tools the COMPOSER uses to help his music tell a story or create a feeling or mood?

6. “Danse Macabre”
One of Camille Saint Saens most popular pieces is a spooky piece called “Danse Macabre” .
He uses music to tell a story of an old
French poem that was written in 1875.
On Halloween night, skeletons rise from their graves and dance to the music of the violin. Saint-Saens uses the xylophone to imitate the sound of their rattling bones! The skeletons dance all night until dawn;
when they must return to their graves until
next year.

7. What is a theme?
A theme is a main idea.

8. Camille Saint-Saens creates a story by giving a theme to two main characters.
Listen to the themes (main idea) of the skeletons and ghosts.

9. Listen Up! Saint-Saens uses Staccato and Legato to help tell the story.
This is the Ghost “theme”.
Legato sounds are smooth and connected.
Sometimes, the notes are marked with long curved lines over or under them.
This is the Skeleton “theme”.
Notes in music that are short and detached are called staccato.
They are sometimes marked with dots over or under them.

10. DANSE MACABRE
SAINT-SAËNS

11. The clock strikes 12. It is midnight.
Played by the harp.

12. Death tunes its violin

13. Skeleton Theme The Dance Begins
Flute

14. GHOST THEME GHOST DANCE
SOLO VIOLIN

15. SKELETON THEME CONTINUES
Flute
TRIANGLE

16. GHOST THEME CONTINUES

17. THE DANCE CONTINUES SKELETONS RATTLE
Xylophones

18. GHOST THEME
GHOSTS FORM PATTERNS IN THE NIGHT
PLAYED BY STRINGS

19. SONG OF THE WITCHES
WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS

20. DEATH PLAYS A MELANCHOLY SOLO
VIOLIN WITH HARP ACCOMPIANMENT

21. SKELETONS LAUGH EXUBERANTLY
VARIATION ON SKELETON THEME
PLAYED BY LOW STRINGS

22. THE DANCE BECOMES WILD GHOST THEME
TROMBONE + STRING INSTRUMENTS

23. WITCHES FLY HIGH ABOVE THE GRUESOME SCENE
STRING INSTRUMENTS

24. Death tunes it’s violin again and plays a solo

25. THEN THE WIND BEGINS TO HOWL

26. SKELETONS AND GHOSTS DANCE TOGETHER
SKELETON THEME: STRINGS
GHOST THEME: BRASS

27. THE EERIE SCENE BECOMES DEMENTED

28. SUDDENLY THE ROOSTER CROWS
OBOE

29. Death tunes its violin

30. THE DANCERS SLIP QUICKLY BACK INTO THEIR GRAVES

31. DAYBREAK……EVERYTHING RETURNS TO REALITY
VIOLIN PLAYS A NEW THEME

32. How does Camille Saint-Saens use music to tell a spooky story?