# The Rachmaninov song in "A Secret Garden" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 20, 2010, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rachmaninov-song-in-a-secret-garden/554426 "2010-09-20T16:27:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![QuarkChild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c5a1d2/32.png) [@QuarkChild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuarkChild)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rachmaninov-song-in-a-secret-garden/554426/1 "2010-09-20T16:27:10Z")
This is a long shot, but I’m wondering if anyone can help me ID a song. In 1987, Hallmark produced a made-for-TV version of the Secret Garden. There’s a scene in which Mr. Craven is in his library, and a haunting piano piece plays in the background. I’m 90% sure it’s by Sergei Rachmaninov (or Rachmaninoff), but I don’t know the title of the piece. It’s probably a sonata or a prelude. I’m not even sure what key it’s in (probably G minor or C minor.) I’ve tried searching through YouTube videos of Rachmaninov pieces, but I can’t find it. I realize that not many people may have seen this version of the Secret Garden, but I figure it couldn’t hurt to ask. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rachmaninov-song-in-a-secret-garden/554426/2 "2010-09-20T17:45:24Z")
Rachmaninoff wrote hundreds of short pieces . . . and of course excerpts from his longer works. And a whole lot of it can be described as “haunting.” And if you’re 90% sure it’s by Rachmaninoff, would the other 10% be Scriabin? Or maybe even . . . [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xLQW5rm92s)? ---
**Author:** ![QuarkChild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c5a1d2/32.png) [@QuarkChild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuarkChild)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rachmaninov-song-in-a-secret-garden/554426/3 "2010-09-20T18:42:51Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Rachmaninoff wrote hundreds of short pieces . . . and of course excerpts from his longer works. And a whole lot of it can be described as “haunting.” > > And if you’re 90% sure it’s by Rachmaninoff, would the other 10% be Scriabin? > > Or maybe even . . . [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xLQW5rm92s)? I’m quite sure it wasn’t Tchaikovsky. I know it would be impossible to guess which of Rachmaninov’s hundreds of pieces it was; I was hoping someone had seen the movie and would remember which song it was. But probably it’s too obscure ☹ ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rachmaninov-song-in-a-secret-garden/554426/4 "2010-09-20T20:41:51Z")
Can you give us some more info about the scene? Is someone playing the song on the piano, or is it just background music? Is it source music, coming from a radio? Which library scene is it; towards the beginning or end of the movie? If it’s in the movie, there’s a chance (albeit a slight one) that it’s in the original stage production as well, and I have the score to that. I can check it, with more information. ---
**Author:** ![QuarkChild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c5a1d2/32.png) [@QuarkChild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuarkChild)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rachmaninov-song-in-a-secret-garden/554426/5 "2010-09-20T22:35:40Z")
> [@DooWahDiddy](#): > > Can you give us some more info about the scene? Is someone playing the song on the piano, or is it just background music? Is it source music, coming from a radio? Which library scene is it; towards the beginning or end of the movie? > > If it’s in the movie, there’s a chance (albeit a slight one) that it’s in the original stage production as well, and I have the score to that. I can check it, with more information. It’s background music, so I would be shocked if it were in the original stage production. It’s not part of the story at all; no one’s playing the piano. I only have the vaguest recollection of the scene; I think it’s more towards the beginning. (Could I get any more vague? Sorry.) By the way, you’re probably wondering why I didn’t just look up the soundtrack for the movie. The problem is, I can’t find a soundtrack for it–there’s one for the 1993 (?) version, but no soundtrack is listed online for the 1987 made-for-TV version, as far as I can tell. I spent hours searching ☹ ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rachmaninov-song-in-a-secret-garden/554426/6 "2010-09-21T01:57:54Z")
If you can detect where the melody goes up or down, try this site: > **[by Melodic Contour: Musipedia Melody Search Engine](https://www.musipedia.org/melodic_contour.html)** > > A search engine for tunes and musical themes and a collaborative music encyclopedia. Only the melody needs to be known to search Musipedia or the Web. The melody can be played on a keyboard or whistled or sung to the computer. The Musipedia... But if the melody isn’t in their database, you’re out of luck. Heck, just post in this thread the contour or a reasonable facsimile of the melody itself if you can. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rachmaninov-song-in-a-secret-garden/554426/7 "2010-09-21T02:35:33Z")
Now I’m confused. IMDb doesn’t show any “Secret Garden” in 1987. The closest match to that date is 1988, but IMDb says it’s a “short”. ---
**Author:** ![Margot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/91b2a8/32.png) [@Margot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Margot)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rachmaninov-song-in-a-secret-garden/554426/8 "2010-09-21T09:57:50Z")
The Wikipedia entry under “The Secret Garden” is a good place to start. The score according to Wiki is by Zbigniew Preisner and the soundtrack was released by Varèse Sarabande and contains the original score. ---
**Author:** ![QuarkChild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c5a1d2/32.png) [@QuarkChild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuarkChild)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rachmaninov-song-in-a-secret-garden/554426/9 "2010-09-21T21:53:47Z")
> [@Margot](#): > > The Wikipedia entry under “The Secret Garden” is a good place to start. > > The score according to Wiki is by Zbigniew Preisner and the soundtrack was released by Varèse Sarabande and contains the original score. The problem is, that’s the OTHER Secret Garden–the one from 1993. I think that one had totally different music than the 1987 production. ---
**Author:** ![QuarkChild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c5a1d2/32.png) [@QuarkChild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuarkChild)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rachmaninov-song-in-a-secret-garden/554426/10 "2010-09-21T21:54:50Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > Now I’m confused. IMDb doesn’t show any “Secret Garden” in 1987. The closest match to that date is 1988, but IMDb says it’s a “short”. Maybe IMDB doesn’t list TV productions? Wikipedia shows it, but doesn’t have an entry for it. ---
**Author:** ![QuarkChild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c5a1d2/32.png) [@QuarkChild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuarkChild)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rachmaninov-song-in-a-secret-garden/554426/11 "2010-09-21T21:56:04Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > If you can detect where the melody goes up or down, try this site: > > [http://www.musipedia.org/melodic\_contour.html](http://www.musipedia.org/melodic_contour.html) > > But if the melody isn’t in their database, you’re out of luck. > > Heck, just post in this thread the contour or a reasonable facsimile of the melody itself if you can. Wow…I don’t think that will help me in this case, since I can’t hum the tune, but that’s good to know for the future. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![QuarkChild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c5a1d2/32.png) [@QuarkChild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuarkChild)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rachmaninov-song-in-a-secret-garden/554426/12 "2010-09-21T21:57:06Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > Now I’m confused. IMDb doesn’t show any “Secret Garden” in 1987. The closest match to that date is 1988, but IMDb says it’s a “short”. Found it: > **[The Secret Garden (TV Movie 1987) ⭐ 7.1 | Family, Drama](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093935/)** > > 1h 40m | PG ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rachmaninov-song-in-a-secret-garden/554426/13 "2010-09-22T06:02:43Z")
Looks like pretty much the whole thing is on YouTube. Just go there and search for “Hallmark Secret Garden”. Find the scene, link it here, find answer. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![QuarkChild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c5a1d2/32.png) [@QuarkChild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuarkChild)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rachmaninov-song-in-a-secret-garden/554426/14 "2010-09-22T18:47:12Z")
> [@DooWahDiddy](#): > > Looks like pretty much the whole thing is on YouTube. Just go there and search for “Hallmark Secret Garden”. Find the scene, link it here, find answer. 🙂 Sorry to be so dense, but I tried that, and all I can find (except for a 2-minute clip) is the 1993 version. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rachmaninov-song-in-a-secret-garden/554426/15 "2010-09-22T21:09:39Z")
Ah, sorry, I assumed the other “Suggestions” were all from the same movie. I don’t know, man… I guess you could email the guy who put the 2-minute thing on there and see if he has the whole thing, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rachmaninov-song-in-a-secret-garden/554426/16 "2010-09-22T22:01:31Z")
WAG this page lists Sergei Rachmaninov [The Song from A Secret Garden](http://www.mrtzcmp3.net/Sergei_Rachmaninoff_1s.html) ---
**Author:** ![torie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@torie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/torie)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rachmaninov-song-in-a-secret-garden/554426/17 "2010-09-23T00:27:28Z")
> [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > WAG this page lists Sergei Rachmaninov [The Song from A Secret Garden](http://www.mrtzcmp3.net/Sergei_Rachmaninoff_1s.html) Oh, I love that. Can anyone tell me what it’s called, other than “Song From A Secret Garden”? ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rachmaninov-song-in-a-secret-garden/554426/18 "2010-09-23T00:44:34Z")
> [@torie](#): > > > [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > > > WAG this page lists Sergei Rachmaninov [The Song from A Secret Garden](http://www.mrtzcmp3.net/Sergei_Rachmaninoff_1s.html) > > Oh, I love that. Can anyone tell me what it’s called, other than “Song From A Secret Garden”? That’s not Rachmaninoff, it’s by the Irish/Norwegian duo “Secret Garden,” and its full title is indeed “Song from a Secret Garden,” off their album, [Songs from a Secret Garden.](http://www.secretgarden.no/lowband/sight_sound/music_songsfrom.html) Personally I preferred it when it was called [Faure’s Pavane No. 50](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqrwbBVtW0o&feature=related), but hey. 😉 (Actually the _Secret Garden_ song is very pretty. It’s just I’m more familiar with the Faure, and that one really grabs me – and I wouldn’t be surprised if the duo heard the Faure and were influenced in some way.) ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rachmaninov-song-in-a-secret-garden/554426/19 "2010-09-23T01:02:01Z")
I have a VHS tape of that version of The Secret Garden and I was all set to pull it out and help you but I just realized I have no VCR. I’m glad you found the answer, anyway! ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rachmaninov-song-in-a-secret-garden/554426/20 "2010-09-23T01:19:06Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > I have a VHS tape of that version of The Secret Garden and I was all set to pull it out and help you but I just realized I have no VCR. I’m glad you found the answer, anyway! Huh? S/he didn’t find the answer yet, I’m afraid. The _Song from a Secret Garden_ song mentioned above is from 1996. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rachmaninov-song-in-a-secret-garden/554426.md?page=2)