Classical music lends itself well to fantasy. And fantasy lends itself very well to October, the month of Halloween.

Take the case of Paul Dukas, born on this date in 1865. Dukas composed an opera about Bluebeard and his sixth wife, and a so-called dance poem, “La Péri,” about a fatal encounter with a Persian fairy.

But far and away his most famous work is “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” after Goethe, who based it on an ancient tale. It was that old wizard, Walt Disney, who did more for the piece than anyone else.

The music is fantastic in more ways than one. Happy birthday, Paul Dukas!

“La Péri”

A production of “Ariane et Barbe-Bleue” from Lyon Opera

https://www.arte.tv/en/videos/102815-000-A/dukas-ariane-et-barbe-bleue/

The world’s most beloved vermin as “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”

https://video.disney.com/watch/sorcerer-s-apprentice-fantasia-4ea9ebc01a74ea59a5867853?fbclid=IwAR1YWAfXrDpearLdzRlxlpKC1Phe9aCh8D-Mxcz0sPkMP4rKPyEr2bTG_zs