And scary they are! Kwangchul Youn as the Devil bargains for Piotr Beczala’s soul in Faust. José van Dam sings the ‘Danse macabre’ of Saint-Saëns. René Pape is both seductive and evil as Rubinstein’s The Demon. There is more to hear…but only if you dare.
Devils and Demons For Halloween
The Dance of Death (Photo: Anonymous, German, 16th century. Purchase, Harry G. Sperling Fund, James A. and Maria R. Warth Gift, in memory of Anne and Peter Warth, and Bequest of Clifford A. Furst, by exchange, 1996.)
Playlist
“Ecco il Mondo” from Mefistofele by Arrigo Boito
Boris Christoff, bass; Chorus and Orchestra of the Rome; Vittorio Gui, conductor
(Rome 1955. EMI 5 65857 2)
“On the Oceans of the Air” from The Demon by Anton Rubinstein
René Pape, bass; Dresden Staatskapelle; Sebastian Weigle, conductor
(Dresden 2008. DGG 00289 477 6408)
“I am he whom you heard in the midnight silence” from The Demon by Anton Rubinstein
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, baritone; Kirov Orchestra of St. Petersburg; Valery Gergiev, conductor
(St. Petersburg 1991. PHILIPS 438 872‐2)
“Danse Macabre” by Camille Saint‐Saëns
José van Dam, bass-baritone; Jean-Phillippe Collard, piano
(Avignon 1992. ERATO 0825646 190492)
“Act I, Duet” from Faust by Charles Gounod
Piotr Beczała, tenor; Kwangchul Youn, baritone; Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera;
Bertrand de Billy, conductor
(Vienna 2009. ORFEO C 805 103)
