Essential Franck
Born in the Belgian town of Liège in 1822, César Franck was a piano prodigy before turning to composition after moving to Paris in 1835. He later became celebrated largely as an organist, but his works, composed for much of his life away from the limelight, proved influential to the next generation of French composers and beyond.
Read more…- Franck • Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major FWV 8 • I. Allegretto ben moderatoSonata for Violin and Piano in A major FWV 8
I. Allegretto ben moderatoKaja Danczowska (Violin), Krystian Zimerman (Piano)℗ 1981 - Franck • Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major FWV 8 • II. AllegroSonata for Violin and Piano in A major FWV 8
II. AllegroKaja Danczowska (Violin), Krystian Zimerman (Piano)℗ 1981 - Franck • Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major FWV 8 • III. Recitativo-Fantasia. Ben moderatoSonata for Violin and Piano in A major FWV 8
III. Recitativo-Fantasia. Ben moderatoKaja Danczowska (Violin), Krystian Zimerman (Piano)℗ 1981 - Franck • Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major FWV 8 • IV. Allegretto poco mossoSonata for Violin and Piano in A major FWV 8
IV. Allegretto poco mossoKaja Danczowska (Violin), Krystian Zimerman (Piano)℗ 1981 - Franck • Le Chasseur maudit FWV 44
- Franck • Chorals for Organ FWV 38-40 • 3. Chorale in A minor (FWV 40)Chorals for Organ FWV 38-40
3. Chorale in A minor (FWV 40)Marie-Claire Alain (Organ)℗ 2004, Lyon - Franck • Symphony in D minor FWV 48 • I. Lento - Allegro non troppoSymphony in D minor FWV 48
I. Lento - Allegro non troppoLorin Maazel, Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin1961 - Franck • Symphony in D minor FWV 48 • II. AllegrettoSymphony in D minor FWV 48
II. AllegrettoLorin Maazel, Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin1961 - Franck • Symphony in D minor FWV 48 • III. Allegro non troppoSymphony in D minor FWV 48
III. Allegro non troppoLorin Maazel, Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin1961 - Franck • Prélude, Choral et Fugue FWV 21 • 1. Prelude. Moderato
- Franck • Prélude, Choral et Fugue FWV 21 • 2. Chorale. Poco più lento –Prélude, Choral et Fugue FWV 21
2. Chorale. Poco più lento –Benjamin Grosvenor (Piano)℗ 2016 - Franck • Prélude, Choral et Fugue FWV 21 • 3. Fugue. Tempo I
- Franck • Rédemption FWV 52: Morceau Symphonique • Maestoso poco lentoRédemption FWV 52: Morceau Symphonique
Maestoso poco lentoAndré Cluytens, Orchestre National de BelgiqueRemastered℗ 1963 - Franck • String Quartet in D major FWV 9 • I. Poco lento - AllegroString Quartet in D major FWV 9
I. Poco lento - AllegroGewandhaus-Quartett
Karl Suske (Violin), Giorgio Kröhner (Violin), Dietmar Hallmann (Viola), Jürnjakob Timm (Violoncello)℗ 1985 - Franck • String Quartet in D major FWV 9 • II. Scherzo. VivaceString Quartet in D major FWV 9
II. Scherzo. VivaceGewandhaus-Quartett
Karl Suske (Violin), Giorgio Kröhner (Violin), Dietmar Hallmann (Viola), Jürnjakob Timm (Violoncello)℗ 1985 - Franck • String Quartet in D major FWV 9 • III. LarghettoString Quartet in D major FWV 9
III. LarghettoGewandhaus-Quartett
Karl Suske (Violin), Giorgio Kröhner (Violin), Dietmar Hallmann (Viola), Jürnjakob Timm (Violoncello)℗ 1985 - Franck • String Quartet in D major FWV 9 • IV. Finale. Allegro moltoString Quartet in D major FWV 9
IV. Finale. Allegro moltoGewandhaus-Quartett
Karl Suske (Violin), Giorgio Kröhner (Violin), Dietmar Hallmann (Viola), Jürnjakob Timm (Violoncello)℗ 1985 - Franck • Les Djinns for Piano and Orchestra FWV 45 • Allegro moltoLes Djinns for Piano and Orchestra FWV 45
Allegro moltoDeutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Vladimir Ashkenazy (Piano)℗ 1990 - Franck • Nocturne FWV 85 (Orchestral version) • O fraîche Nuit, Nuit transparenteNocturne FWV 85 (Orchestral version)
O fraîche Nuit, Nuit transparenteChrista Ludwig (Alto), Daniel Barenboim
Orchestre de Paris℗ 1976 - Franck • Danse lente (Slow Dance) for Piano FWV 22 • Quasi lentoDanse lente (Slow Dance) for Piano FWV 22
Quasi lentoAshley Wass (Piano)October 1998, Bristol, St George’s, Brandon Hill, Bristol - Franck • Psyché FWV 47 • Part II • Psyché et Éros (Psyche and Eros). Allegretto modéréPsyché FWV 47
Part II • Psyché et Éros (Psyche and Eros). Allegretto modéréCarlo Maria Giulini, Berliner Philharmoniker℗ 1987 - Franck • Les Béatitudes FWV 53 • No. 1 Bienheureux les pauvres d'esprit (Blessed are the poor in spirit) (Chorus, Baritone)Les Béatitudes FWV 53
No. 1 Bienheureux les pauvres d'esprit (Blessed are the poor in spirit) (Chorus, Baritone)Louise Lebrun (Soprano), Jane Berbié (Mezzo-soprano), Nathalie Stutzmann (Alto), David Rendall (Tenor), Peter Jeffes (Tenor), Marcel Vanaud (Baritone), François Loup (Bass), Daniel Ottevaere (Bass), Armin Jordan
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Choeur de Radio France℗ 1987 - Franck • Prélude, Aria et Final FWV 23 • 1. Prélude. Allegro moderato e maestosoPrélude, Aria et Final FWV 23
1. Prélude. Allegro moderato e maestosoJorge Bolet (Piano)℗ 1989 - Franck • Prélude, Aria et Final FWV 23 • 2. Aria. Lento
- Franck • Prélude, Aria et Final FWV 23 • 3. Finale. Allegro molto ed agitatoPrélude, Aria et Final FWV 23
3. Finale. Allegro molto ed agitatoJorge Bolet (Piano)℗ 1989
Franck's music was initially reminiscent of lighter styles popular in Paris but soon also showed the influence of Wagner, as well as of the techniques of organ improvisation of which he was such a master (Liszt, upon hearing him 1866, compared him to Bach). His middle period was dominated by large-scale religious works, including 'Les Béatitudes', which he took a decade to complete. His strongly flavoured musical language became yet more distinctive in his later works. These included Symphonic Poems composed during the 1870s, later chamber music and the celebrated Symphony in D minor (1888). This met with incomprehension at its first performance and employs an innovative 'cyclic form', whereby melodic ideas recur throughout different sections or movements of a work.