César Franck

César Franck

César Franck is a Belgian-born French composer, organist and music teacher associated with classical and romantic classical music. He is born in Liège in 1822 and dies in 1890, and he remains active in France for most of his career after moving to Paris.

Early life and training

Franck studies at the conservatoire in Liège before entering the Paris Conservatoire in 1837. He leaves Paris in 1842, returns briefly to Belgium, then goes back to Paris in 1844 and stays there for the rest of his life. His father wants him to become a concert pianist, and Franck’s decision to abandon a virtuoso career strains their relationship.

Organist and teacher in Paris

In his early Paris years, Franck earns his living by teaching privately and in institutions. He also holds a series of organ posts: at Notre Dame de Lorette from 1847 to 1851, at St. Jean-St. Francois from 1851 to 1858, and from 1858 until his death at the basilica of Sainte-Clotilde. His work there brings him notice as an improviser, and he develops his technique as both organist and improviser while becoming familiar with the organ-building of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll.

From 1872 until his death, Franck is professor of organ at the Paris Conservatoire. His pupils include Vincent d’Indy, Ernest Chausson, Louis Vierne and Henri Duparc.

Compositional style and influence

Franck is especially known for a small group of major works written in his later years. These include the Symphony in D minor, the Symphonic Variations for piano and orchestra, the Prelude, Choral and Fugue for piano solo, and the Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major. His Symphony in D minor is admired for its influence on the renewal of the French symphonic tradition. Another important orchestral work is the Symphonic Variations, and among his best-known shorter pieces is the motet Panis Angelicus.

His organ output is limited in number but highly regarded, and includes the Grande Piece Symphonique and three Chorals written after a serious traffic accident in 1890. His early organ publication is a set of works issued in 1868, which includes the Final in Bb. Franck’s music is often based on cyclic form, in which themes recur across movements, and it is marked by contrapuntal complexity, late-Romantic harmony and frequent modulations. His compositional language shows the influence of Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner. His chamber music also plays a role in renewing the genre in France.

Legacy

Franck is regarded as an important figure in French music in the second half of the 19th century. His organ works help establish the French symphonic organ style and influence later composers including Widor, Louis Vierne and Marcel Dupré. His approach to cyclic form also leaves a trace in the music of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. He dies in 1890 after complications from a traffic accident and is buried in the Cimetière du Montparnasse in Paris.