George Crumb, b. 1929

"Danse Macabre"

"Rhythmic energy picks up again, as the players tap on the wood of their instruments and jiggle maracas. . . . Isolated phrases of this plainchant appear high in the violin; they are vaguely reminiscent of the 'flute' . . . The players end up with some mysterious chanting (actually, they count from one to seven in Hungarian).