How to Create Music with Virtual Voices and Instruments: Danse Macabre

One of Camille Saint-Saens' most famous orchestral works, Danse Macabre, actually started out as a song for voice and piano! I've always loved the song version, but thought it was missing the necessary epicness of a full orchestra and choir, so I decided to make my own arrangement for voice and orchestra and choir.

Except for one problem...

I didn't happen to have a choir and orchestra handy to record it! So I delved into the world of Virtual Instruments to create this arrangement.

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Danse Macabre (Dance of Death)

Zig and zig and zig, Death rhythmically

Taps upon a tomb with his heel;

Death at midnight plays a dance air,

Zig and zig and zig on his violin.

The winter wind blows and the night is gloomy,

Groaning comes from the lime trees;

White skeletons move through the shadows,

Running and jumping under their large shrouds.

Zig and zig and zig, everyone is moving,

We hear the bones of the dancers banging,

A lascivious couple sits upon the moss

As if to taste ancient pleasures again.

Zig and zig and zag, Death continues,

Scraping without end his harsh-sounding violin.

A veil has fallen! The dancer is nude!

Her partner squeezes her amorously.

The lady is said to be a marchioness or baroness,

And the crude gallant a poor cartwright --

Horrors! And look, she gives herself to him

As though the churl were a baron!

Zig and zig and zig, what a saraband!

What circles of the dead, all holding hands!

Zig and zig and zag, we see in the crowd

King frolicking with peasant!

But shh! Suddenly the dance is over,

one pushes, one takes flight: the rooster has crowed;

Oh! A beautiful night for the poor world!

And long live Death and Equality!

Note: this poem is originally in French, and that is the language I sing in for the recording. Here is the link for the French text if you prefer:

Poem Source and English Translation

The Process

First, I had to make the arrangement work. There is the orchestral version, of course, which has the score available for free on IMSLP.org. But that does not quite match the song version which is much shorter. So my first task was to take the orchestral version and make it about as long as the song version

I used Finale to create all of the parts.

Once I was satisfied with that, I created in the vocal line and decided which soloist would sing which part, and when they would sing together. I used most of the piano part from the song version, with a little bit of added stuff from the orchestral version. So in the end, I had two scores: a 22-page orchestral score, and a 9-page voice and piano score.

Then I put the two together, making adjustments in the orchestral score to match what the voices were doing. I then added the choir, reusing some of the previous words to sing over the orchestra.

Once completed, I printed out each part individually - 1st violins, 2nd violins, etc. - and recorded each instrument into my Digital Audio Software (Logic Pro X), using my virtual instruments (EW Hollywood Orchestra, Harp, and Gypsy for the solo violin).

Then began the long, arduous task of recording the choir. I used EW Symphonic Choirs, but that lacks a smooth sound in spite of all it can do, so I overdubbed each part (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass), about 3-4 times per part, to give it a more realistic sound. The bass I had to record it about a 4th higher so I could sing it, and then tune it down a 4th so it sounded like a better bass sound. Nothing I’d ever so totally by itself, but it works when it’s covered by the Symphonic Choirs and orchestra!

I enlisted my friend, Jessica, to sing the other part with me, and we recorded ourselves singing to the track. Once I got those placed where I wanted them within the track, I added reverb and did a little bit of mixing.

All in all, this took probably 50+ hours of work, but I think it was worth it. Hope you like the end result!

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