Scary season is upon us. I've written several Hallowe'en pieces, but this one is perhaps the most successful.
Phantasmagoria means....
1. A shifting series of phantasms, illusions, or deceptive appearances, as in a dream or as created by the imagination.
2. A changing scene made up of many elements.
3. An optical illusion produced by a magic lantern or the like in which figures increase or diminish in size, pass into each other, dissolve, etc.
Besides traditional orchestral sounds and textures, there's a wind machine, wine glasses and a thunder sheet in the mix. A musical saw provides the 'scream' sound, and a lion's roar makes that 'groan' sound. The wine glasses (or glass harp) sound, near the end, like a theremin (the ultimate Hallowe'en instrument).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion's_roar_(instrument)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theremin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_saw
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_harp
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_machine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunder_sheet
These are all members of an orchestra, but are rather uncommon. Also novel, is the use of two Bass Clarinets... they add to the 'goblinesque spookiness'. LOL
Instrumentation: Piccolo, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, E-Flat Clarinet, 2 Clarinets in A, 2 B-Flat Bass Clarinets, 2 Bassoons, Contrabassoon, 4 French Horns in F, 2 Trombones, Bass Trombone, Wine Glasses, Timpani(4), Tam Tam, Gong, Musical Saw, Bass Drum, Guiro, Ratchet, Thunder Sheet, Wind Machine, Lion's Roar, Xylophone, Glockenspiel, Piano, Celeste, 2 Solo Violins, Violin I, Violin II, Violas, Celli I, Celli II, Double Bass I, Double Bass II
