Halloween is on the way, and that means it's time for ghosts, pumpkins, costumes, and being scared. What better time to check out the performing arts library's collection of mysterious, scary material? PAL student worker Danielle Nelson has done a fabulous job of creating a display of mystery and magic in the performing arts. Come to the PAL to check out her display, which includes some of the items below:
Music Items
Instrument of the Devil. Includes pieces such as Tartini's Sonata in G Minor: "The Devil's Trill", Bazzini's Round of the Goblins: op. 25, and Stravinsky's The Devil's Dance: from L'historie du soldat (trio version). Call number: CD 2109.
Camille Saint-Saens's Symphony No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 78; Omphale's Spinning Wheel, Op. 31; Danse Macabre, Op. 40. Call number: ST12 4787.
Dance of the Love Ghosts by John Carter. Third in a series of "Roots in Folklore: Episodes in the Development of American Folk Music." Includes pieces Dance of the Love Ghosts, The Silent Drum, Journey, The Captain's Dilemma, and Moon Waltz. Call number: CD 413.
The Crucible: an Opera in Four Acts, based on the play by Arthur Miller, libretto by Bernard Stambler, music by Robert Ward. Call number: M1503.W259 C8 1963.
Theater Items
The Skriker, by Caryl Churchill (this item not on display).
The Skriker is described as "a shapeshifter and death portent, ancient and damged." The play tells the story of two young women in London as they are pursued by the Skriker and their encounters with creatures such as the Black Dog and Rawheadandbloodybones. Call number: PR6053.H786 M33 1993.
The Ghosts in Shakespeare: a Study of the Occultism in Shakespeare Plays, by L.W. Rogers. Shakespeare's plays are full of supernatural elements--witches, fairies, soothsayers, etc. This book examines Shaakespeare's use of these elements in plays such as Hamlet, Macbeth, and The Tragedy of King Richard III. Call number: PR3004 .R63 1966.
Haunted Lives: Three Short Plays, by John Pielmier. Graveyards, ghost stories, and an old-fashioned gothic horror tale take center stage in Pielmier's collection. Includes Witch's Brew, Ghost Story, and Gothic Tale. Call number: PS3566.I3815 H3 1984.
Grand-Guignol: the French Theatre of Horror, by Richard J. Hand (this item not on display). From 1897-1962, The Theatre du Grand-Guignol in Paris was considered the "Theater of Horror," scaring people so much that it caused some audience members to faint. Hand discusses the history of the Grand-Guignol, its effect on theater, and provides new translations to several Grand-Guignol plays. Call number: PN2636.P4 H36 2002.
All of the above items can be found on display or, where noted, on the shelves in the performing arts library. Happy Halloween!
