Our staff-curated halloween playlist is guaranteed to give you goosebumps
Who among you remembers ducking behind the couch at the sound of the eerie, high-pitched strains of Ron Grainer's original Doctor Who theme after school? Or the first time the sharp, anxiety-inducing notes of Wendy Carlos's theme tune to The Shining pierced your consciousness?
Music can express the spectrum of human emotions: love, sorrow, fury, and why not terror, too? Maybe it offers us a cathartic release, or perhaps it sharpens our primal instincts, testing our fight-or-flight responses. Either way, we humans relish an occasional fright and the heart-pumping adrenaline rush that comes with it.
We've compiled a list of our favourite spooky tunes. First up, Noa Wildschut & Elisabeth Brauss, who arrive in a matter of weeks for their debut Australian tour with Musica Viva Australia, have recorded an old favourite, Saint-Saens Dance Macabre.
Next, Musica Viva Australia FutureMakers from 2020-22, the Partridge String Quartet, have launched an eerie take on George Crumb's Black Angels, complete with a wall of wine glasses!
Finally, take comfort in William Bolcom's Graceful Ghost Rag, and get a taste of this wonderful songwriter whose work is showcased next year in Long Lost Loves (and Grey Suede Gloves).
This Halloween, immerse yourself in a celebration of the macabre with Musica Viva Australia’s staff-curated playlist of delightfully terrifying tunes. Listen with the lights on or, if you dare, shrouded in darkness.