HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

César Franck

Source: NAXOS

Born in Liège (then Netherlands, now in Belgium) on 10 September 1822, César Franck was the son of a bank clerk. Though the majority of Franck's work was for piano or organ, he wrote a couple of operas as well. Franck's influence on later music was substantial, especially of an academic nature, they largely composers and professionals who've studied his work keeping him relevant more so than audience recognition. His (want of) fame incommensurate with his abilities, many of Franck's works employed cyclic movements of variation upon their themes.

Before progressing any further we should address the cataloging of Franck. Wikipedia lists juvenile works assigned Opus numbers by Franck, all but one of which he later disowned and are not included in directories of his mature works. Juvenile Op numbers are not the same as for mature works and are rarely seen. His mature works were numbered by publishers to Op 21 before that system became unclear. In 1969 Wilhem Mohr published his "FWV" system ('Franck Werke Verzeichnis' sometimes written 'M") categorizing mature works under "M" for genres. For example, Franck's FWV 1 or Op 1 No.1 is categorized with 9 further works under M1 for chamber music. M2 is works for piano, M3 for organ, and so forth. The "CFF" numbering system is per Joël-Marie Fauquet in 1999. In that directory FWV 1 is CFF 111. It includes juvenile works with "0" inserted. For example, Op 13 is a mature work while Op 013 is juvenile.

Rune J. Andersen at Store norske leksikon divides Franck's career into four major periods. He begins the first in 1834 with a piano trio and other works for that instrument. Franck's second period commences in 1858, the year before becoming organist at the Sainte-Clotilde church in Paris. This overlaps his third period commencing in 1872 upon becoming professor of organ at the Paris Conservatoire. Anderson begins Frank's late period in 1876 with further works for piano.

Franck studied such as harmony, solfège, piano and organ at the Royal Conservatory before performing his first concerts in 1834, one for Leopold I, first King of Belgium upon its independence from Netherlands in 1831. In 1835 Cesar's father took him and his younger brother, Johann, to Paris to study counterpoint with Anton Reicha and piano with Pierre Zimmermann. He entered the Paris Conservatoire in 1837. His (M1) FWV 1 (Op 1 No.1 or CFF 111) was 'Piano Trio' in f sharp minor first performed in 1840 in Paris.

'Grand Trio' CFF 108 Op 6 C minor / C major Piano trio by César Franck

Composed 1834

Violin: Tatiana Samouil Piano: David Lively Cello: Justus Grimm

IMSLP

'Piano Trio' CFF 111 FWV 1 Op 1 No.1 F-sharp minor César Franck

Premiere 1840 Paris Pub 1843 in Hamburg by Schuberth & Co

Violin: Oleg Kagan Piano: Sviatoslav Richter Cello: Natalia Gutman

IMSLP Score

Frank had difficulty catching big fish during his earlier career. In 1843 he switched from writing chamber music to a greater Biblical oratorio, 'Ruth' (Op 10; CFF 179; FWV 51), which wasn't well received. Franck would premiere a revised version in 1872 to considerably greater fanfare. But presently discouraged, he pursued the living of an accompanist and teacher in Belgium.

In 1847 Franck was made second organist at Notre-Dame-de-Lorette. As a Roman Catholic he found that position to his taste until switching to Saint-Jean-Saint-François-au-Marais in 1851, there to be appointed primary organist in 1853. Franck continued focusing on organ upon appointment as maître de chapelle at the Basilica of Saint Clotilde in Paris in 1858. Perhaps a year later he was made titulaire, setting him perfectly into his element, his sacred compositions beginning to shine and his virtuosity coming into demand. Franck's oratorio, 'Messe à Trois Voix' (Op 12; CFF 203, FWV 61), saw performance in Paris on 2 April 1861. In 1865 he inserted a fifth movement containing 'O salutaris' for voice to make six movements. in 1872 he exchanged 'O salutaris' for 'Panis angelicus'. That was a setting to a text by Saint Thomas Aquinas written perhaps as early as 1264.

'Panis Angelicus' from 'Messe à Trois Voix' CFF 203 FWV 61 Op 12 No.5 of 6 A major

César Franck

'Messe à Trois Voix': 1860 in 5 movements O Salutaris' added as No.5 of 6 in 1865

'Panis Angelicus' replaces 'O Salutaris' 1872

Harp: Margit-Anna Süβ Cello: Matthias Michael Beckmann Soprano: Julia Arsentjeva

IMSLP LiveAbout Mattijs Louwye Lyrics Lyrics Score

Franck had begun to work on 'Les Béatitudes' in 1869 with a text by Joséphine-Blanche Colomb from the Gospel of 'Matthew'. That didn't see performance with piano, however, until 20 February 1879 at Frank's own residence in Paris. After ten years of interruptions while scratching it out, even his students questioned if it worked as a whole, its parts greater than its sum. The whole orchestral oratorio (Op 25; CFF 185; FWV 53) wasn't performed until after his death, premiering according to most sources in Colonne on 19 March 1891. IMSLP appears to differ with a date of 15 June 1891 in Dijon. In the meantime, it had been 1872 when Franck accepted a position as a professor at his old haunt back in the latter thirties, the Paris Conservatoire.

'Les Beatitudes' CFF 185 FWV 53 Op 25 César Franck

Composed 1869-79 Premiere w piano at Franck's apartment in Paris 20 Feb 1879

Premiere w orchestra posthumous in 1891

C & O della RAI di Milano led by Mino Bordignon & Gianandrea Gavazzeni

Christus: William Stones Satan: Mario Chiappi

Adrian Corleonis IMSLP Score Thomas Lloyd Music Wikipedia Wikisource

Revue by Paul Dukas in 'La Revue Hebdomadaire' 8 April 1893

Franck began composing some of his more interesting work in the early eighties. The symphonic poem, 'Le Chasseur Maudit' ('The Accursed Huntsman'), of 1882 saw premiere on 31 March 1883 at the Salle Érard in Paris. This was inspired by Gottfried August Bürger's 'Der wilde Jäger' ('The Wild Hunter') which tells the fate of a Count of Rhine who dares defy the Sabbath by hunting on Sunday. Chased by demons, even when galloping off a cliff the hunter must forever flee through the air something in the manner of the Germanic myth of the Wild Hunt.

'Le Chasseur Maudit' ('The Accursed Huntsman') CFF 128 FWV 44

Symphonic poem by César Franck

Premiere 31 March 1883 at the Salle Érard in Paris

L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande Ernest Ansermet Geneva 1961

IMSLP Wikipedia

Franck's 'Hulda' was authored between 1879 and sometime 1885, but didn't see a premiere, yet incomplete, until March 4 1894 in Monte Carlo after his death. That was based on the 1858 play, 'Lame Hulda', by Norwegian author, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson. 'Hulda' is the realization of the curse of a young woman by that name who is kidnapped as her family is murdered by the Aslak clan. After the deaths of several Aslaks unhappy Hulda leaps from a ledge into a fjord to join her family in death, as tragic as you could like in the operatic fashion.

Finale to Act 1 of 'Hulda' CFF 231 FWV 49 Opera by César Franck

Composed 1879-85

Premiere of first full version posthumous at The Hague in Netherlands in March 1895

Libretto: Charles Grandmougin

Chœur de Chambre de Namur

Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège Gergely Madaras 2002

Adrian Corleonis IMSLP Wikipedia

Frank's symphonic poem, 'Les Djinns' ('The Genies'), in F-sharp minor had been completed in 1884 prior to his incomplete 'Hulda' above. It premiered on 15 March 1885. Come the premiere of 'Variations Symphoniques' (CFF 137; FWV 46) on 1 May 1886, composition finished in December 1885. Frank's 'Violin Sonata in A major' (CFF 123; FWV 8) arrived on 16 December 1886. That had been a wedding gift to Belgian violinist, Eugène Ysaÿe [IMSLP].

'Les Djinns' CFF 136 FWV 45 Symphonic poem by César Franck

Composed 1884 Premiere 15 March 1885 at the Société Nationale

Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine Francisco Varela Nov 2021

Piano: Fabio Banegas

IMSLP Wikipedia

'Variations Symphoniques' CFF 137 FWV 46 Symphonic poem by César Franck

Completed Dec 1885 Premiere 1 May 1886 in Paris

Orchestra sinfonica Toscanini ORER Antonio de Lorenzi Parma 2016

Piano: Riccardo Ronda

Adrian Corleonis IMSLP Score Wikipedia

'Violin Sonata in A major' CFF 123 FWV 8 César Franck

Premiere 16 Dec 1886 in Brussels Dedicated to Eugène Ysaÿe

Performed by Eugène Ysaÿe (violin) w Marie-Léontine Bordes-Pène (piano)

This performance above in 1981: Violin: Kaja Danczowska Piano: Krystian Zimerman

earsense Blair Johnston IMSLP Wikipedia

Come Franck's symphonic poem, 'Psyche', to Paris on 10 March 1888. Many are acquainted with the tale of Psyche (Roman Anima) put to trial by jealous Aphrodite (Roman Venus), only to be foiled by her son, Eros (Roman Cupid), upon the latter accidentally shooting himself with an arrow and falling in love with her. Psyche earns divinity in eternal marriage to Eros which bears forth their child, Hedone (Roman Volupta: Pleasure).

'Psyche' CFF 137 FWV 46 Symphonic poem by César Franck

Premiere 10 March 1888 in Paris Dedicated to Vincent d'Indy [IMSLP]

Opera Orchestra of Paris Felix Krieger Ballet of the Paris Opera

Musical direction: Philippe Jordan Choreography: Alexei Ratmansky

Psyche: Laetita Pujal Eros: Marc Moreau

Elizabeth & Joseph Kahn IMSLP Marianne Williams Tobias Dominic Wells

Frank's only symphony was 'Symphony in D minor' completed on 22 August 1888 toward its premiere on 17 February of 1889, that to a less than enthusiastic reception. He worked on 'Ghiselle' with libretto by Gilbert Augustin-Thierry from autumn of 1888 to 21 September 1889, though that didn't see performance in Monte Carlo until 30 March 1896 after his passing [IMSLP / Wikipedia]. Like 'Hulda' and many an other Romantic opera, 'Ghiselle' ends not only in suicide, but doubles the drama with two.

'Symphony' CFF 130 FWV 48 D minor César Franck

Premiere 17 Feb 1889 at the Paris Conservatoire Dedicated to Henri Duparc

Frankfurt Radio Symphony Marc Minkowski Alte Oper 23 Oct 2015

Peter Gutmann Hollywood Bowl IMSLP Terez Mertes Rose

As we near the end of Franck's career we finally lend example of one of his numerous works for organ, this his Choral(e) No.2 in B minor, FWV 39, completed in the summer of 1890, that one of his 'Three Chorales for Organ' (FWV 38-40; CFF 105-107). Those were his last compositions excepting nine pieces for harmonium in 1890 catalogued as FWV 41; CFF 40-48.