Danse Macabre

Danse Macabre is the sixteenth studio album by the British band Duran Duran. It was released on 27 October 2023 through BMG and Tape Modern. A Halloween-themed album, the record includes three new tracks, covers and reimagined versions of older Duran Duran material. Former guitarists Andy Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo appear, making their first appearances on a Duran Duran LP since 2004's Astronaut and 2000's Pop Trash, respectively. Nile Rodgers and Victoria De Angelis of Måneskin also feature as guest artists. Exquisitely packaged the record features images adapted from a collection of authentic vintage séance photos that band member Nick Rhodes sourced at auction.

This Belgo-English band of the same name at the beginning of the 70s had a short but intense career and produced an extremely varied musical repertoire thanks to the many different nationalities, origins and outlooks of its members.
"Danse Macabre" (1974) is a natural evolution from the first album "Esperanto Rock Orchestra" (1973). The dramatic theme running though this second album reflects all aspects of Esperanto and shows a willingness to look for a definitive approach to contemporary music. Much of this direction has come from Peter Sinfield, who has produced this album following work with King Crimson, ELP and PFM and his influence can be clearly heard throughout.

When Camille Saint-Saëns passed away, he left an impressive musical legacy. A child prodigy, virtuoso pianist and accomplished travel writer, the prolific French composer came to embody the spirit of Classicism in an era of high Romantic creativity. Yet the elegance and formality of his music never overwhelm the unstoppable verve and spontaneity that make it so irresistible.

The Danse macabre the idea that Death comes for everyone regardless of status or importance has fascinated musicians for centuries. In 2011, inspired by a vast 16th c. painting by Bernt Notke in St Nicholas Church in Tallinn, the English composer Gregory Rose (b. 1948) set the mediaeval German texts which sit below each panel, turning Notkes terrifying vision into a bleak but grimly humorous ritual. The recording features the world-renowned Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. It was recorded in the very church that houses Notkes paintings and is conducted by the composer.