Week 20, Night on the Bare Mountain

The seminal classic satanic piece of music could arguably be said to be Modest Mussorgsky´s 'Night on the Bare Mountain'. This Russian composers life was no picknick. Living a highly erratic and miserable life filled with alcoholism and deep depressions he found composing loathsome and tedious, resulting in a lot of unfinished works. In a sudden ray of sunshine in 1867 he envisioned a Sabbath upon a mountain, where the devil was called upon by the witches, who surround and glorify him on his throne ´til he gives to signal for the Sabbath to begin. A piece which was later used by Hollywoods dark prince Walt Disney in the satanic sequence in Fantasia. Suffering from narcotic epilepsy Modest fell into depression in late february 1881, he was hospitalised, dying a month later haunted by a life of despair.

Mussorgsky's portrait by Ilya Repin, painted only a few days before the composer's death in 1881.

So, where to end this two month descent into Christianity and Satanism but with a few words of wisdom from Mr. Crowley: There is No god but Man. Every Man and every Woman is a morning star.

Go in peace, brothers and sisters!

20 Night on the Bare Mountain – Modest Mussorgsky (10 MB)

Earlier posts 'Christianity Vs. Satanism', (Christianity:) Week 13 - Week 14 - Week 15 - Week 16 (Satanism:) Week 17 - Week 18 - Week 19