The Devil has all the best tunes…
This story appears in the collection, The Gothic Tales of HP Lovecraft. Lovecraft is known for his long, verbose, weird fiction but he could do short, Gothic and scary with the best of them when he tried. This little story seems perfect to wake the fretful porpentine from hibernation…
The Music of Erich Zann
by HP Lovecraft

I have examined maps of the city with the greatest care, yet have never again found the Rue d’Auseil.
Our unnamed narrator was a student at the time of which he tells, in a city which is probably Paris although it isn’t named. His straitened finances force him to take a room in a ramshackle house in the Rue d’Auseil. Most of the other rooms are empty, but on his first night in the house, he hears strange music being played in the garret room above his own. On enquiring from the landlord, he learns the tenant of that room is Erich Zann, a strange, old, dumb viol-player.
Thereafter I heard Zann every night, and although he kept me awake, I was haunted by the weirdness of his music. Knowing little of the art myself, I was yet certain that none of his harmonies had any relation to music I had heard before; and concluded that he was a composer of highly original genius.
Resolving to make Zann’s acquaintance, the student stops him in the corridor and asks if he may listen while Zann plays. Grudgingly the old man agrees and takes the student to this room.
Its size was very great, and seemed the greater because of its extraordinary bareness and neglect. Of furniture there was only a narrow iron bedstead, a dingy washstand, a small table, a large bookcase, an iron music-rack, and three old-fashioned chairs. Sheets of music were piled in disorder about the floor. The walls were of bare boards, and had probably never known plaster; whilst the abundance of dust and cobwebs made the place seem more deserted than inhabited. Evidently Erich Zann’s world of beauty lay in some far cosmos of the imagination.

But as time passes, the student comes to realise that there’s something very strange about Zann’s playing. When the student is in the room with him, he plays well but conventionally. However, when he’s alone and the student is hearing him from outside the room, the music becomes wild, with weird harmonies such as the student has never before imagined…
There in the narrow hall, outside the bolted door with the covered keyhole, I often heard sounds which filled me with an indefinable dread—the dread of vague wonder and brooding mystery. It was not that the sounds were hideous, for they were not; but that they held vibrations suggesting nothing on this globe of earth, and that at certain intervals they assumed a symphonic quality which I could hardly conceive as produced by one player.
Then one night, the music grows so wild that the student is drawn to the old man’s door…
I heard the shrieking viol swell into a chaotic babel of sound; a pandemonium which would have led me to doubt my own shaking sanity had there not come from behind that barred portal a piteous proof that the horror was real—the awful, inarticulate cry which only a mute can utter, and which rises only in moments of the most terrible fear or anguish.
He finds the old man unconscious, and when he comes to, he agrees to tell the student the secret of the music. He sits at the table to write out his story, when suddenly the student becomes aware of music, but it’s coming from outside the window!
Zann leaps to his feet, grabs his viol and starts playing for all he’s worth…
It would be useless to describe the playing of Erich Zann on that dreadful night. It was more horrible than anything I had ever overheard, because I could now see the expression of his face, and could realise that this time the motive was stark fear…
* * * * * * *
Gosh! This woke the porpentine with a shriek! It has touches of Lovecraft’s famed weird tales, but mostly it’s a fairly traditional Gothic-style horror story. It’s brilliantly told, with the descriptive writing gradually bringing it up to a pitch of perfect terror. The old viol-player being dumb adds to the tension since he can’t quickly explain what’s going on, and the narrator’s inability to ever find the Rue d’Auseil again leaves the reader wondering if it was all his imagination; or is the street somehow part of another world hidden within this one into which the narrator had somehow strayed? As it reaches its crescendo, I swear to you that I actually gasped out loud!
So far I’ve read about half the tales in this collection and each one has been superb. I wish HPL had stuck to Gothic rather than creating his weird Cthulhu Mythos – for my taste, these short tales of sheer horror have far more impact. If you’d like to read this one online, here’s a link. But I think it’s safe to say already that I’ll be recommending the whole collection when I finish it.
* * * * * * *
Fretful Porpentine rating: 😱 😱 😱 😱 😱
Overall story rating: 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀

NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
* * * * * * *
NB For the benefit of new readers since it’s the porpy’s first appearance for the season, the fretful porpentine reference comes from Shakespeare’s Hamlet:
I could a tale unfold whose lightest word
Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood,
Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres,
Thy knotted and combined locks to part
And each particular hair to stand on end,
Like quills upon the fretful porpentine
So the Fretful Porpentine rating is for the scariness factor, whereas the Overall Rating is for the story’s quality.
* * * * * * *
This sounds brilliant!! I’ve bookmarked the link to have a look at later, your review has me as fretful as the porpentine (who is certainly looking very fretful today). That strange wee beastie on Lovecraft’s lap also looks a bit put out, if you ask me… 😉
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I do love these short HPL stories – deliciously scary! Poor old porpy – what a way to start the year! Haha – I always think that cat looks as if it’s been at the taxidermist…
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To be honest, I wasn’t sure if it was a cat or a small dog! It’s face certainly looks very peculiar. Almost like it is dead, but I didn’t really want to say such a thing!
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But then I think Lovecraft looks as if he’s returned from the dead in that picture too. It’s like a blurry still from Psycho!
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Oh, I love the word porpentine! Well, you have certainly enticed me to read these at some point, FF! Terrific review!
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The porpentine has become a fixture around here! 😂Thank you! I started out with very mixed feelings about Lovecraft but he’s now become an essential part of the spooky season for me. Hope you enjoy him if you get a chance to read these… 😀
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Oh, all right! I’m going to read these!
Another excellent review and the pictures are perfect!
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I must say I think he’s so much better when he’s writing stories like this – perfect for the spooky season! Thank you – I love all the brilliant illustrations people have done for these old horror classics – looking for them is nearly as much fun as reading the stories… 😀
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Your themes are as enjoyable as your book reviews, but I get caught up with the book and forget to mention how much I appreciate the pictures, photos etc (especially any of Darcy)
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Aw, thank you, Rose! 😀 I’ll need to find an excuse to include Darcy soon just for you – though keep your hands off him, he’s mine!!!
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It’s fine, I’m just looking at him…
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That’s fine then… *narrows eyes suspiciously*
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Oh, I remember this one, FictionFan! It is deliciously scary, isn’t it? For me, anyway, the music tie-in was really appealing, as I’ve always loved music, and remember taking lessons as a child. And it’s a perfect choice to bring the porpy back! I like Lovecraft’s style in it, too.
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Gave me proper shivers at the end, and the poor porpy is still quivering! Yes, I much prefer Lovecraft’s style in these stories than in his rambling weird fiction. And it’s so good to know he could actually do short when he chose! 😉
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Great review. You know, I’ve never read even one of his books. Not sure why.
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Thank you! I hadn’t either till three or four years ago, but he’s become a fixture in my spooky season reading now. And his Gothic stories are so much better (and shorter) than his weird fiction!
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Welcome back, Porpy! I remember being quite unnerved by this story when I read it.
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It made each particular hair on my head stand on end, to say nothing of the quills upon the fretful porpentine… 😉
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How delighted I am to see the wee porpentine back again!! This tale sounds like one to be read with ALL the lights on, ha! I’ll have to come back and read it later, though, because I really must do a few things this morning. And if it made you gasp out loud, why, that’s a good enough recommendation for me!
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I’m in major spooky reading mode this year, maybe because I didn’t read much horror last year. And the porpy is glad to be out of hibernation. This story is great – scary without gore, and short! Enjoy! 😀
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So glad the fretful porcupine is back and with such a great sounding tale too. As you say the lack of speech on the part of the viol player just adds to the tension and intrigue here. Sounds like one scary story indeed.
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The poor porpy feels he needs a bit more hibernation after this one! But I’ve told him I’ve got loads of goodies in my TBR so he’ll just have to suffer… 😱😈
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Fretful Porpentine – I love it! I’m reading Slade House by David Mitchell at the moment and I can assure you, my porpentine is definitely fretful!
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Haha – I’m not sure why my porpy hasn’t left home – maybe he hasn’t seen the piles of horror anthologies I’ve acquired for him… 😱😈
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I love the return of the Fretful Porpentine… like the return of pumpkin spice lattes to signal Fall’s arrival, only much better and fewer calories. 😉
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Haha – thank you! I love to think I’m part of a tradition… the porpy will be so proud! 😉
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Fretful may soon reach the dizzy highs of stardom enjoyed by Punxsutawney Phil – may be they are related?
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Shhh! Don’t mention Phil!! They’re deadly rivals – I have to put the porpy into hibernation in February before Phil comes out or there would be carnage!!!
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Oh, man, I’ve been following you for years but never knew where the “fretful porpentine” came from! What a great bit of writing–thanks for adding it to this season opener. More scares to come; I can’t wait!
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Ha – I have a tendency to forget that not everyone was around when I started doing these back in the dark ages, and won’t get the porpy reference. I have loads of great looking horror anthologies this year – should be fun! 😱😈
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Great to see the return of the fretful porpentine 😀 I’ve never read Lovecraft, isn’t that awful? His Gothic tales definitely appeal to me more than weird ones.
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I hadn’t either till a few years ago and now he’s a fixture with me and the porpy! I do find these much better than the weird stuff – it’s all too long and every noun has at least four dramatic, hideous, overblown, blasphemous adjectives. The Gothic ones are short! 😀
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Oh that violin story is deliciously creepy! Perfect for reading around Halloween too…
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It’s delightfully scary, isn’t it? Just the right amount! I’m going to be so steeped in horror by Hallowe’en I’ll be immune to even the worst ghostliness… 😀
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[…] Music of Erich Zann – I used this for a Tuesday Terror! post. Great […]
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This was a really interesting read 🙂
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Thank you – glad you enjoyed it!
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