César-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert Franck was born in Liège, which is now part of Belgium, on December 10, 1822. He was an influential composer, pianist, and organist during the Romantic era of music, and is most known for his contributions to chamber music and symphonic works.
Early life
Franck’s father, Nicolas-Joseph Franck, had aspirations of creating a family of successful concert musicians, and was relentless in pushing young César and his brother Joseph towards this goal. César’s mother, Marie-Catherine-Barbe Franck, was supportive of her sons, and was also a talented musician. César exhibited an aptitude for music at an early age and his first compositions date from the age of 8. At the age of 11, he entered the Liège Conservatoire for music studies.
In 1835, when Franck was just 13, his family moved to Paris, and he was enrolled at the Paris Conservatoire. Here, he was tutored by Anton Reicha, a composer, and Pierre Zimmerman, a pianist. He earned several prizes in solfège, counterpoint and fugue, piano, and organ. He left the conservatory in 1842 after failing to win the prestigious Prix de Rome for his cantata “Ruth”. This period was marked by a number of compositions, including operas and oratorios, that are not as well-known as his later works.
Mid-life and career
Despite his father’s ambitions, Franck chose a different path, opting to teach and compose rather than becoming a virtuoso performer. His father was not supportive of this decision, leading to a break in their relationship. In 1846, Franck became the organist at Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, Paris. During this time, he developed his idiosyncratic improvisational style that would later influence his compositions.
Franck married actress Félicité Saillot in 1848, against the wishes of his parents, which resulted in their disowning him. To make ends meet, Franck gave piano lessons, played the organ at churches, and composed. The couple had a daughter and a son. Their daughter, Cécile, was later known to assist Franck in his musical endeavors.
In 1858, he was appointed an organ professor at the Paris Conservatoire, a position he held until his death. This period in the 1860s and 1870s was marked by a number of significant compositions, including “Les Eolides” and “Le Chasseur maudit”.
Later life and works
Franck’s later years were marked by a shift in his compositional style. Influenced by Richard Wagner and the burgeoning Symbolist movement in literature and arts, Franck sought to imbue his music with more profound thematic and symbolic implications. His works became more cyclic, often employing a theme or set of themes that would recur throughout a piece in various forms.
Franck’s most renowned compositions were written in the last decade of his life, starting from 1886. This includes his only Symphony in D minor, the Symphonic Variations for piano and orchestra, and the Violin Sonata in A major. These works were both lauded and criticized for their complexity and innovative, rich harmonic language.
Franck was also influential as a teacher. Known for his generosity and dedication, he attracted many students who later became significant composers themselves, such as Ernest Chausson and Vincent d’Indy. His teaching emphasized creativity, freedom of expression, and exploration of new compositional techniques.
Death and legacy
On November 8, 1890, Franck was involved in a traffic accident, being hit by a horse-drawn omnibus. He died as a result of complications from this accident in Paris on November 22, 1890.
Despite a relatively limited output, Franck’s contributions to symphonic, chamber, and organ music were highly influential. His music is characterized by his innovative harmonic language, his use of cyclic form, and a profound sense of spiritual earnestness. His works had a major impact on the next generation of composers and continue to be performed and recorded frequently today. In France, Franck is often regarded as the greatest symphonist since Berlioz and the precursor to later French composers like Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy.
César Franck (1822 – 1890)
César-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert Franck was born in Liège, which is now part of Belgium, on December 10, 1822. He was an influential composer, pianist, and organist during the Romantic era of music, and is most known for his contributions to chamber music and symphonic works.
Early life
Franck’s father, Nicolas-Joseph Franck, had aspirations of creating a family of successful concert musicians, and was relentless in pushing young César and his brother Joseph towards this goal. César’s mother, Marie-Catherine-Barbe Franck, was supportive of her sons, and was also a talented musician. César exhibited an aptitude for music at an early age and his first compositions date from the age of 8. At the age of 11, he entered the Liège Conservatoire for music studies.
In 1835, when Franck was just 13, his family moved to Paris, and he was enrolled at the Paris Conservatoire. Here, he was tutored by Anton Reicha, a composer, and Pierre Zimmerman, a pianist. He earned several prizes in solfège, counterpoint and fugue, piano, and organ. He left the conservatory in 1842 after failing to win the prestigious Prix de Rome for his cantata “Ruth”. This period was marked by a number of compositions, including operas and oratorios, that are not as well-known as his later works.
Mid-life and career
Despite his father’s ambitions, Franck chose a different path, opting to teach and compose rather than becoming a virtuoso performer. His father was not supportive of this decision, leading to a break in their relationship. In 1846, Franck became the organist at Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, Paris. During this time, he developed his idiosyncratic improvisational style that would later influence his compositions.
Franck married actress Félicité Saillot in 1848, against the wishes of his parents, which resulted in their disowning him. To make ends meet, Franck gave piano lessons, played the organ at churches, and composed. The couple had a daughter and a son. Their daughter, Cécile, was later known to assist Franck in his musical endeavors.
In 1858, he was appointed an organ professor at the Paris Conservatoire, a position he held until his death. This period in the 1860s and 1870s was marked by a number of significant compositions, including “Les Eolides” and “Le Chasseur maudit”.
Later life and works
Franck’s later years were marked by a shift in his compositional style. Influenced by Richard Wagner and the burgeoning Symbolist movement in literature and arts, Franck sought to imbue his music with more profound thematic and symbolic implications. His works became more cyclic, often employing a theme or set of themes that would recur throughout a piece in various forms.
Franck’s most renowned compositions were written in the last decade of his life, starting from 1886. This includes his only Symphony in D minor, the Symphonic Variations for piano and orchestra, and the Violin Sonata in A major. These works were both lauded and criticized for their complexity and innovative, rich harmonic language.
Franck was also influential as a teacher. Known for his generosity and dedication, he attracted many students who later became significant composers themselves, such as Ernest Chausson and Vincent d’Indy. His teaching emphasized creativity, freedom of expression, and exploration of new compositional techniques.
Death and legacy
On November 8, 1890, Franck was involved in a traffic accident, being hit by a horse-drawn omnibus. He died as a result of complications from this accident in Paris on November 22, 1890.
Despite a relatively limited output, Franck’s contributions to symphonic, chamber, and organ music were highly influential. His music is characterized by his innovative harmonic language, his use of cyclic form, and a profound sense of spiritual earnestness. His works had a major impact on the next generation of composers and continue to be performed and recorded frequently today. In France, Franck is often regarded as the greatest symphonist since Berlioz and the precursor to later French composers like Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy.
Discography
Serendipity
Serol Yapici
Héctor Sanz Castillo
Canto Interno
Luis Cabrera
Justyna Maj
Sylvia Huang
Eternal Longing
Yukiko Hasegawa