Saint-Saëns' tone poem begins at midnight on Halloween. Death plays the fiddle to summon the dead from their graves; the music builds as more and more skeletons join in, eventually reaching a fortissimo climax with the two main themes playing together in counterpoint. At the height of the frenzy, a rooster crows. The dance ceases and the skeletons slink away to their graves. This arrangement features challenging sections for all the clarinets, and is essential for spooky-themed or Halloween concerts.
