Some music on the dark and dramatic side opens the Halloween edition of Performance Today. We hear the Prelude from Cesar Franck's Prelude, Chorale and Fugue, played by pianist Murray Perahia.

What Happened to One of Classical Music’s Most Popular Pieces? César Franck’s only symphony was a pillar of the repertory for decades. But it’s now a rarity.

From the title you wouldn't know this is a beautiful, dreamy, melodic piece. Cesar Franck's Prelude, Fugue, and Variation, op. 18 started out as a duet for organ and piano. He then made solo ...