Top Ten Classical Songs for Halloween

Halloween is a 20^th Century holiday, an amalgamation of from Celtic, pagan and Christian traditions, morphed into the present day dress up and trick or treat. As a result, the music of Halloween tends to be for the most part modern. Think "Monster Mash," Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and other novelty songs which are typically used during Halloween as "mood" music.

However, for true thrills, spills and chills, some dating back centuries, one should take a look at the classics.

Classical music was used in early horror films to set the tone for stories of ghosts, goblins, vampires and other other-worldly entities.

Many classical pieces were originally commissioned by the wealthy who wanted distinctive requiems to use for funeral masses. Pieces were often penned for other church services, which is why there is a wealth of good material to choose from.

The following are my top ten classical Halloween pieces:

One of the best known classics often used for Halloween is the Toccata and Fugue by Johann Sebastian Bach. A scary and distinctive organ piece, it has long been associated with many horror films. Listening to it conjures up images of dark castles with Frankenstein lurking around the corner. (YouTube)

For those who need the ringing peals of death in the background, Chopin Funeral March Opus 35, No. 2 is also readily recognizable. The droning "dum, dum, da, dum" is hard to miss. Think of a processional heading out to a rural cemetery. (YouTube)

Richard Wagner's Siegfried Funeral March is another devilishly ominous piece. It's theme evolves slowly from measured strains into a loud, raucous emission. Think the awakened dead slowly rising from the grave in thunderous jubilation. (YouTube)

Purcell's Music for the funeral of Queen Mary is somber, bleak and gloomy. Go for it to set the proper mournful Halloween mood. (YouTube)

Beethoven's Funeral March (Marcia Funebre sulla Morte d'un Eroe - Funeral March on the Death of a Hero), from Piano Sonata Opus 26, No.12 is also a somber piece worthy of the scariest haunted house. (YouTube)

Requiems fulfill the need for a grim accompaniment. One of Mozart's final compositions was his requiem, and the listener can feel his angst and depression in the Requiem Introitus. (YouTube) Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem also fills the bill. Just make sure you have an antidepressant handy after listening to these two weighty pieces. (YouTube)

Listening to Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, I immediately think of such movies as the Amityville Horror or the Exorcist. This piece features vocals which are chant-like in nature, adding to the mystique. I've seen the entire piece performed by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and it took my breath away. (YouTube)

Liszt's Totentanz is also one spooky piece of music. As a pianist, Liszt was off the charts when it came to technical difficulty, and this piece showcases difficult piano passages along with bouts of pounding background and frenzied orchestration juxtaposed against more quiet themes. (YouTube)

Saint-Saens Danse Macabre is another wonderfully wicked piece to use for Halloween. As the violin scratches out a fiendish melody, be prepared to be barraged with images of devils dancing on grave stones - scary stuff. (YouTube)