May 1st

The first of May is endowed with myriad connotations, both pagan and political. From the otherworldly bonfires of Walpurgisnacht that harken the arrival of Spring to the impassioned marches of Labour Day that attempt to engender solidarity amongst Leftists, Socialists, Anarchists, etc., this date is ripe for inspiring dark art.

Two sonic paeans to these disparate festivities can be enjoyed here: Mendelssohn's Die erste Walpurgisnacht and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 3. The former is based on a Goethe text detailing arcane druidic rituals, while the latter is based on a rousing May Day poem by Russian writer Semyon Kirsanov.