# Help needed - suggestions please!



## boojum (Sep 12, 2008)

Hi folks

I'm soon to take part in a drama production (amateur) which requires the scene setting with some gloomy, spooky music - haunted house type stuff. My repertoire only extends to bright, lively pieces, so I'm looking for any suggestions. It would be good if it lasted 10 minutes or longer.

thanks in advance
Boojum


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## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

_Night on Bald Mountain_ of Mussorgsky is first on my mind. Not particularly fond of labeling Mussorgsky's work as "haunted house stuff" though.

Some of the organ compositions of Messiaen are very "dark" pieces.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

When you say repertoire, are you playing the music like on a piano, or having a recording?

If a recording you can't get much creepier than Krzysztof Penderecki, though I'm not sure that is the intent of the music. I recommend some parts of the Polish Requiem:






People who liked the movie The Shining will be familar with his music. His "Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima" would have your audience running out the doors though . . .


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## Matthew (Sep 6, 2008)

Mozart's Requiem ? Perhaps....maybe the lacrimosa?


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## Nathan_Luis_Steinke (Sep 10, 2008)

Hey Boojum, If you want some creepy sounds...just make it off key at moments. Use lots of distrubing violins, slow during suspense until the climax...high notes usually work good at those scary climaxs. 
Are you writing the music yourself? or looking to just add someone else's. If your looking for music I actually write much darker stuff. I could have some spooky music in about a week that would last 10 minutes...
Anyway that's my suggestion...


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## Mark Harwood (Mar 5, 2007)

Some Charles Ives might fit the bill.


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## BAWIG05 (May 14, 2008)

*Ideas*

20 Ideas

20. Any of the 3 arrangements of Night on Bald Mountain (Original, Ravel, Stokowski)

A great Piece in any of the versions, Stoki's is the darkest, a truimphant finish.

19. The Toccata and Fugue in D Minor

Spookier on organ

18. The Rachmoninov C-Minor Prelude arr. for Orchestra

Dark and crushing

17. Bach: The "Little Fugue"

Relentless counterpoint....

16. This CD:
http://www.amazon.com/Classics-from...=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1222214068&sr=8-6
15. "The Fantastic Stokowski" (which has pieces 20-17)
14. "The Old Castle" and "Baba Yaga" from Pictures at an Exhibition"
13. Parts of Bartok's Music for Percussion, Strings, and Celesta (movement 3 is terrifying) 
12. Dukas: The Sorcerers Apprentice
11. John Williams: Scores to Harry Potter and Jaws (I'm dead serious)
10. Liadov: Baba Yaga
9. Stravinsky: Parts of Rite of Spring
8. Franck: Organ Chorale No. 3 (The Opening parts anyways are wicked)
7. Bernstein's Three Meditations for Cello and Orchestra are spooky in places
6. Greig: March of the Trolls
5. Honegger: Symphony No. 3
4. Dies Irae's: Mozart and Verdi Requiems
3. Berlioz: March of the Scaffold
2. Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky
1. Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1 (First Movement)


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