Macabre Masterworks

Atmospheric and spooky classics for Halloween season.

Sounds Spooooky!

On this episode of Sounds Classical, Kristina and LaRob explore their favorite classical pieces that sound spooky and why this music gives them the chills! Join in for a frightening conversation about dissonance, instrumentation, and storytelling featuring works by Saint-Saens, Berlioz, and Schubert.

Dies irae: How a 13th-Century Chant Became Synonymous with Scary

What is it about this music that is so hair-raising?

Chicago Halloween Arts Events 2024

Concerts, festivals, and more to celebrate Halloween in Chicago.

How Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor became Halloween’s theme song

The music of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue owes much of its spookiness to the drama it employs.

Playlist: 13 Horror Movie Soundtracks You Should Know

It’s hard to pinpoint a single genre for which music is more indispensable than horror. Here are 13 horror movie soundtracks to give you thrills and chills.

Halloweek Arts and Music Events in Chicago

A bounty of performances, events, and parties that will have you ready to celebrate spooky season in the Second City!

The Film Score: Music for Halloween

Music from movies that explore the supernatural, the science-fictional, and the demonic (with a few laughs along the way)

10 Chicago Musical Events for Halloween 2022

Some of the most intriguing, spine-curdling, and spirited musical events all around the Chicago area.

Chilling Concerts: 4 Performance Hall Hauntings In and Around Chicago

As Halloween creeps closer and closer… so do the ghosts. Let’s take a look at some haunted music venues that you can visit in and around Chicago.

Quiz: How Spine-Tingling Is Your Taste in Classical Music?

Is your taste in classical music scary enough for the upcoming holiday? Find out with our quick, 13-question quiz.

Killer Chops: Some Scary Celluloid Pianists for Halloween

As Halloween approaches, let’s look at a few horror films in which pianists, or at least the hands they are attached to, are the stars.

Edgar Allan Poe, Leonard Slatkin, Vincent Price Team Up for an Orchestral Take on ‘The Raven’

As an outsized figure in literature and poetry, Poe has inspired composers like Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Philip Glass, and composer-conductor Leonard Slatkin, who set Poe’s “The Raven” to music in 1971.

Get Into the Halloween Swing With This Jazzy, Vocalese Tune by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross

From the 1961 album High Flying, enjoy “Halloween Spooks,” Dave Lambert’s whimsical, bebop-infused tune delivered with the characteristic vocalese and giddily blended harmonies of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross.

Still in Search of a Halloween Costume? Here are 10 Easy, Classical Music-Themed DIY Ideas

Halloween is almost here, which means that it might time to start thinking about a costume. If you’ve been putting off that task, here are some easy, clever classical music-themed costume ideas to get you in the spooky spirit!

Get in the Halloween Spirit With These 7 Charming Classical Jack-O’-Lanterns!

Need some classical inspiration for your pumpkin carving this Halloween? Look no further, WFMT has found some of the most creative and spooky carvings across the internet!

The Film Score: Music for Halloween

Hosted by Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips, the program presents music from movies that explore the supernatural, the science-fictional, and the demonic (with a few laughs along the way).

13 Chicago Area Arts and Music Events for a Frightening and Fun Halloween

Whether you’re looking for a hardcore horror flick or a family-friendly outing, this list has you covered for some of the Chicago area’s Halloween highlights!

The Film Score: Music for Halloween

Playlist: Opera’s Most Ghastly Ghouls, Ghosts, and Goblins

The opera house can be a scary place – and we’re not talking about all those crazy singers and their shenanigans backstage! Many operas contain ghastly ghouls, ghosts, goblins, witches, dragons, and all kinds of crazy creatures. Here are some of the most frightening pieces from the history of opera.

Playlist: 31 Freaky and Frightening Classical Works to Haunt Your Halloween

Whether you’re looking for spooky music as you wait for trick-or-treaters, or you need some music to accompany your own “danse macabre,” we have your perfect Halloween soundtrack.

How Stephen King’s ‘The Shining’ Became an Opera

Pulitzer-winning composer Paul Moravec: “A supernatural story makes total sense for an opera…”