[From Ryu Taehyung's Seat] The Solidity of Germany and the Delicacy of France

Composer Cesar Franck Celebrates 200th Anniversary of Birth

The year 2020 marked the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth. The year 2021 was the 100th anniversary of Piazzolla's birth and the 100th anniversary of Saint-Sa?ns' death. Due to COVID-19, many performances were canceled or altered, making it regrettable that we could not listen to these composers' music as much as we would have liked in concert halls.

So, which composer will be the focus of the classical music world this year? It seems likely to be C?sar Franck (1822?1890), who marks his 200th birth anniversary. The first Franck piece I heard at a concert I attended in 2022 was "Pr?lude, Choral et Fugue." On February 10th, pianist Park Jae-hong performed it at Kumho Art Hall Yonsei. The meditative and profound resonance of the piece lingered for a long time.

Franck was born on December 10, 1822, in Li?ge, Belgium, and was active in France. He showed talent for piano in his childhood, holding concerts in Li?ge at the age of twelve. His father was passionate about raising him as a pianist. The father's authoritarian and stubborn traits overlapped with those of Beethoven's father. After graduating from the Royal Conservatory of Li?ge at age thirteen, Franck moved to Paris and took private lessons from Anton Reicha, a Czech-born composer who had taught Gounod, Berlioz, and Liszt. At fifteen, he entered the Paris Conservatory, studying composition, piano, and organ. He distinguished himself by winning first prize in piano and second prize in organ performance. Like many students at the Paris Conservatory, he aimed for the Prix de Rome but was expelled in 1842. The reason is unclear. It is speculated that a conflict with a music critic who disparaged Franck's compositional skills?whom his father took seriously?led to his father's order to withdraw him.

Franck returned to Belgium expecting a warm welcome but was disappointed. Critics showed indifference toward him. Despite failing to secure a court stipend, he returned to Paris two years later. He struggled financially by giving private lessons and organizing small concerts with low guarantees, but this period proved beneficial. He was readmitted to the Paris Conservatory and had time for reflection. Consequently, he completed and gained recognition for his Piano Trio, considered his first fully accomplished work.

After his oratorio "Ruth," completed in 1845, was criticized at its premiere, Franck withdrew from public compositional activities and lived as a teacher and accompanist.

At this time, Franck became romantically involved with F?licit? Saillot, two years his junior and one of his students. F?licit?'s family, known to him since conservatory days, became a refuge from her oppressive father. Naturally, her father vehemently opposed their relationship. On one occasion, after reading a dedication to F?licit? in a score, her father tore the manuscript. Franck recalled the memory, reconstructed the score, wrote the dedication again, and sent it to F?licit?. Subsequently, Franck ran away from home and moved into F?licit?'s house, never returning.

The 1859 Cavaill?-Coll organ of Saint Clotilde Basilica.

Franck proposed to F?licit? and, in 1848, defied opposition to marry her, effectively severing ties with his father (though it is said his parents attended the wedding, suggesting some reconciliation). The Notre-Dame de Lorette Church, where Franck married, became his workplace. Initially an assistant organist, he became the official organist. In 1853, he moved to Saint-Jean-Saint-Fran?ois-au-Marais Church as the first organist, which housed a state-of-the-art 1846 organ built by Aristide Cavaill?-Coll, a master organ builder. Franck was captivated by the sound, saying, "The new organ is like an orchestra." He formed a cooperative relationship with Cavaill?-Coll and promoted his organs widely. He supported and personally performed in projects to replace old organs with new instruments in churches across France.

In 1858, Franck became the organist of the Church of Saint-Clotilde, his third and final post, where he remained for life. The newly installed Cavaill?-Coll organ there, equipped with three manuals, is regarded as a masterpiece. Franck loved the touch of this organ so much that he purchased a practice pedal keyboard from Pleyel to practice organ at home. With exquisite technique matching the organ's beautiful resonance, Franck gained fame as an improviser and composer. Among works from this period, the "Messe ? trois voix" (Mass for three voices) is famous. Although it was not successful at its 1861 premiere, it later gave birth to the very famous "Panis Angelicus."

"Six Pi?ces pour orgue" (1860?1862) is considered the first masterpiece in the history of French organ art and one of the most important organ works composed after Mendelssohn. Among these, "Pr?lude, Fugue et Variation" Op.18 and "Grande Pi?ce Symphonique" Op.17 are the best-known organ works by Franck.

People began gathering at Saint-Clotilde Church to hear Franck's organ improvisations. In April 1866, Franz Liszt sat in the choir stalls during Sunday Mass. He praised Franck as "an organist unmatched except by Bach." A month later, Liszt organized a concert at Saint-Clotilde to introduce Franck's organ works, which was widely reported in music magazines. Franck was delighted to hear performances by Hans von B?low, who was active in Germany. In 1869, Franck attended a performance by Anton Bruckner at Notre-Dame Cathedral, deepening his understanding of German organ music and interpretation.

Photo of C?sar Franck taken in 1887.

Afterward, Franck spent time composing organ and church music and was appointed professor of organ at the Paris Conservatory in 1872. His oratorios "R?demption" and "Les B?atitudes" failed at their premieres. In 1879, his previously mentioned Piano Trio Op.2 was finally premiered, and in 1880, Saint-Sa?ns performed the piano part in the premiere of the Piano Quintet, but it failed to attract attention.

In 1882, Franck completed the symphonic poem "Le Chasseur maudit" ("The Accursed Huntsman"), and in 1884, the symphonic poem "Les Djinns." He developed a deep interest in the piano. Masterpieces such as "Pr?lude, Choral et Fugue" (1884) and "Variations symphoniques" (1885) were born. Perhaps his best-known work, the Violin Sonata in A major, was completed in 1886. It was composed to celebrate the marriage of Belgian violinist Eug?ne Ysa?e and dedicated to him. Ysa?e frequently performed this work in Brussels and Paris, enjoying great popularity.

In 1888, Franck completed the symphonic poem "Psych?" and the Symphony in D minor. The Symphony in D minor, regarded as Franck's masterpiece, premiered in 1889 but received poor reviews. His final major work, the String Quartet in D major, premiered in 1890 at a Soci?t? Nationale de Musique concert held at Salle Pleyel. Unusually, it received applause, and Franck said, "Now the world is beginning to understand me."

In 1890, Franck was involved in an accident where the carriage and horse he was riding collided with a train. His health deteriorated afterward, and he passed away on November 8. His funeral was held at Saint-Clotilde Church, where his organ music resonates, and he is buried in Montparnasse Cemetery.

Franck was a composer far from flamboyance. He lived a life close to seclusion in a religious atmosphere. His works contain sincerity and sweetness like rough gems sparkling in the dark. He was influenced by German Romantic music after Beethoven and contemporaries Liszt and Wagner. He built faithful and substantial music on a classical foundation.

The tomb of C?sar Franck.

Franck's most representative musical characteristic is cyclic form. Themes or parts of themes introduced in earlier movements reappear in later movements, promoting unity throughout the entire piece. The Piano Trio, Violin Sonata, and Symphony in D minor exemplify this feature well. Having studied Bach, Franck skillfully used counterpoint and loved fugues and variations. His melodies are elegant and richly lyrical, showing wide-ranging ascending and descending motifs. His structure resembles solid German music, while his delicate and subtle sensibility is French. The mysterious mood extends the Romantic tradition, leaving a noble aftertaste.

Franck contributed to French music by producing outstanding students, including Vincent d'Indy, Ernest Chausson, Henri Duparc, and Guillaume Lekeu. His style was so influential that this group was called the "Franckists." Friends and students described C?sar Franck as humble, respectable, and diligent. Louis Vierne, who became organist at Notre-Dame Cathedral and was Franck's student, said, "When Franck spoke about the dignity of art, the nobility of its role, and sound, he was passionate, serious, and thoughtful. Joy and gloom, grandeur and mystery, intensity and innocence... at Saint-Clotilde Church, he embodied all these."

The year 2022 will be remembered as a year when we could get closer to C?sar Franck than ever before. Look for the name of composer Franck in concert programs.

Ryu Tae-hyung, Music Columnist

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.