From Midnight to Dawn

Instagram post for Tanglin's Nov 2025 Concert

Color Palette: Blue-grey (#8B9D9B) for Danse macabre, Purple (#5D3FD3) for transitions, Warm brown (#8B7355) for Mother Goose, Golden (#C9A86A) for Franck

Slide 1: Cover

From midnight to dawn A French orchestral journey Saint-Saëns • Ravel • Franck The Houses of Parliament, 1903–1904, Metropolitan Museum of Art

Slide 2: Danse macabre - Introduction

At the stroke of midnight, Death tunes his fiddle Saint-Saëns' Danse macabre depicts skeletons dancing until the rooster's crow sends them fleeing.

Slide 3: Dance of Death

The dance of death. Detail from an unidentified 18th-century oil painting 18th century German painting, Public Domain

Slide 4: Mother Goose - Introduction

Moving from medieval death dance to childhood fairy tales Ravel's Mother Goose Suite brings fairy tales to life with delicate orchestral magic.

Slide 5: Mother Goose - "I am an assassin!"

At the premiere, a difficult glissando tore young Jeanne Leleu's finger. She showed Ravel her bleeding finger, hoping he'd allow her to play it normally. His response: "I am an assassin!" He did not change the glissando.

Slide 6: Jeanne Leleu

Jeanne Leleu Premiere pianist Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Slide 7: Franck - Introduction

From darkness to triumphant dawn Franck's Symphony in D minor climbs from D minor struggle to D major triumph.

Slide 8: César Franck

César Franck at the console of the organ at St. Clotilde Basilica, Paris Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Slide 9: Franck - Challenge

Can you spot the English horn? A Paris professor once scoffed: "Who ever heard of writing for English horn in a symphony?" Listen for its plaintive melody in the second movement!

Slide 10: Call to Action

Join us for this journey from midnight to dawn 30 November 2025, 6:00 PM Lee Foundation Theatre Featuring Rob Hall and soloist Zhao Tian

Slide 11: Alternative last slide

A French orchestral journey featuring Saint-Saëns, Ravel, and Franck.

Published November 30, 2025