Composer Franz Liszt was a bit obsessed with death and the afterlife, allegedly going so far as to visit prison dungeons to see first-hand people sentenced to death. His interest in the macabre is often found in his work, with one of the most famous being the Totentanz (Dance of Death) for piano and orchestra. It's based on the "Dies Irae" Gregorian chant, but Liszt spins the centuries-old melody into a virtuosic and percussive piece that was modern for its time. Scott Drayco, the protagonist of my Scott Drayco crime series, and a pianist, himself, would undoubtedly have picked this as a perfect Halloween treat. Here's Alfred Brendel as soloist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Bernard Haitink: