The symphonic suite Cantabile consists of three movements of dark classical music about love and death: 'Souffle le vent'(Cry of the Winds) is about lost love, with a tone of despair and melancholy.
'Cortège & Danse Macabre'(Funeral Procession & Dance of Death) depicts a procession of the dead dancing towards their grave and the eternal. Dark and ominous music but also with a touch of black humor.
'Cortège & Danse Macabre' is one of the only - if not the only - symphonic works ever to use a real thigh bone as an instrument together with the symphony orchestra! (Can be heard at 0:34 in the YouTube-video, or 1:27 in the MP3):
(Left-click the above link to play audio or right-click to download mp3-file)
The Third and final movement 'Carillon - Finale' is based on a poem called 'Lacrymae Mundi' (Tears of the World). The part available for free download starts out with an eerie and mournful flowing choir and then builds up to a triumphant finale with the full power of the symphony orchestra, large choir, and pipe organ. Dark classical music in full force.
"...you are alternately shaken and
stirred by dark, DARK, images
which fill you with dread"
"...Listen to it carefully - just in
small chunks if you're a person of
nervous disposition and certainly not
as something to lull you off to sleep.
It could give you NIGHTMARES."
"Gothic fantasy"
"...a strange, sick, fascinating,
and ghostly universe"
Frederik Magle has also composed and performed many works for the pipe organ, including the following dark pieces:
»Gothic« organ music: "Origin" for organ, a thunderous piece played on a new pipe organ in a 1000-year old gothic church. The organ is built with a tonal design by Frederik Magle himself. Origin is part of the album "Like a Flame".
"Awakening" for organ. Also from "Like a Flame", Awakening may be the darkest music listed on this page, but be warned; it is also the least accessible and thus certainly not for every taste. A slow awakening building up to a scream of pain. (Buy Awakening on Amazon.com and iTunes).
(Left-click the above link to play audio or right-click to download mp3-file)
Please credit Frederik Magle (e.g.: "J.S.Bach: Toccata and Fugue in D-minor, BWV 565, performed by Frederik Magle http://www.magle.dk") if you use this recording in your own videos, webpages, etc. For commercial use, please contact Frederik Magle.
Ragnarok March for piano is a dark piano piece, despicting a march towards the end of the world; 'ragnarok', 'armageddon', the apocalypse - and the rise of the dead....
The following work depicts the battle of Copenhagen in 1801. It was commissioned by the Royal Danish Navy for the 200th anniversary to commemorate the losses and lament the horrors of the gruesome battle:
and all other "frightening" occasions, inspired by tales of vampires, werewolves, ghouls, zombies, monsters, evil scientists, and other creatures of the dark – with a touch of humor. The music was composed right before Halloween, but is meant for the whole year; the ghosts and the undead never rest...
(Right-click the above link to download the uncompressed WAV-file, 27 MB)
Create your own scary video
Create your own scary, grotesque and/or dark-humored video with "The Halloween Present" as soundtrack (feel free to upload it to your YouTube channel, etc.) and send the link to Frederik Magle (contact). The best videos will be shared with Frederik Magle's 11,000+ fans on his facebook page and here on this page (below). All other videos will receive honorable mention. Just remember to credit Frederik Magle as the composer.
Featured video: "The Shower" by Janet Spiegal
Polyphony is a fusion of rock/metal and contemporary classical music.
More dark classical music and Halloween music by Frederik Magle will be added to this page when new recordings are released. Subscribe to Frederik Magle's Newsletter to get updates and more free music.
The 
"Cortege & Danse Macabre" (large excerpt) MP3
"Carillon" - Lacrymae mundi (excerpt) MP3
"Origin" (whole piece) MP3
, and 
and 
, 
, 
"Bach: Toccata & Fugue in D-minor" (whole piece) MP3
"Impromptu for piano No. 5 (excerpt) MP3
"The Hope" (whole piece) MP3
"Loneliness" (whole piece) MP3
"The Halloween Present" (whole piece) .MP3
"Polyphony" (excerpt) MP3
, or Frederik Magle's 