Dark Shadows Episode 2 Piano Music

[Cousin_Barnabas]

I just watched the second episode, and I was wondering if the piece Elizabeth began to play on the piano in the final scene was an actual musical composition or just a bit of an improvisation.  If it's a composition, can anyone identify it?  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  It definitely intrigues me. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Rather than the actual answer, how about a clue. Think Barry Manilow's 1975 hit "Could It Be Magic." 

[Cousin_Barnabas]

MB, you are amazing!  Chopin's Prelude in C Minor!  Simply wonderful.  I have been wondering about this for a long time.  Thanks for the mysterious answer. 

[Gothick]

LOL.  I think Carolyn plays some Chopin at one point in a 1966 or 1967 episode but the details are eluding what's left of my memory.

I've wondered if Liz's playing of Chopin is a kind of remnant of Art Wallace's earlier teleplay THE HOUSE, in which if I remember correctly the Liz character is a village piano teacher--it's been said that Art Wallace's original DS treatment owed something to THE HOUSE, but I've never seen a copy of the teleplay (either the script or a video recording).

G.

[DarkLady]

MB is correct! And it's Melanie, not Carolyn, who a long time from now will play part of Chopin's Ballade no. 4 in F minor.

I've always enjoyed all the music and portraits on the show.

[Gothick]

Thanks, Dark Lady.  If I remember correctly there's a wonderful long closeup of Grayson as a concerned Aunt Julia while the music plays... I love looking at Grayson by Chopin...

G.

[Cousin_Barnabas]

And that answers my other question.  Thanks, DarkLady!

I obviously need to listen to more Chopin!

[Gothick]

I think Chopin's Nocturnes have very much a brooding, DS-suggestive atmosphere.  One of the Nocturnes shows up in the classic film DRACULA'S DAUGHTER (1936) so the associations between this music and understated Gothic horror goes back a ways.

G.

[DarkLady]

One can never listen to too much Chopin! If you can still find them, Arthur Rubenstein's recordings were second to none (and still are, IMHO).