While all of Beethoven’s nine symphonies are known and played all over the world, César Franck is known by one which is played very often and by all orchestras. Where Beethoven wrote many sonatas both for piano alone and for piano and violin, when we hear the name of César Franck, we immediately think of the one famous sonata for violin and piano which was so popular that it was also arranged for violoncello. This was written in very free and practically new form.
César Franck has written a number of fine works for piano and for orchestra, and for stringed instruments, but when it comes to organ works, it would take a large volume to tell of them. Most pianists play the Prelude, Aria and Finale, also the Prelude, Chorale and Fugue, just as nearly all the violinists play the sonata, which are masterpieces. Being deep in church music, and also a very religious man it was perhaps natural that among his best known works should be Les Béatitudes for orchestra, chorus and soloists, and Redemption, a work sung frequently by the Oratorio Societies of America and Europe. It was d’Indy who said: “In France, symphonic music originated with the school of César Franck.” There were not, however, many symphonies, but he was a master in the symphonic poem. The best known among these are Les Éolides (The Æolides), Les Djinns on Victor Hugo’s splendid poem of that name and Le Chasseur Maudit (The Accursed Hunter). Also very well known is the piano quintet, and we hear sometimes the Symphonic Variations for piano and orchestra.
Franck at the Paris Conservatory
César Franck was different from most composers, for his father, like Father Mozart, was very determined that he should be a pianist and took the boy on a concert tour when he was only ten years of age! He gave concerts throughout Belgium, and at fourteen his father took him with his brother Joseph to the Paris Conservatory, where later he became a distinguished professor.
There are many examples in life where a talent runs away with its possessor. So it was with young César, who, after only a year’s schooling, entered the concours or competition. He covered himself with glory in the piano piece he had to play, but when he was tested for reading at sight, it flashed through his head how funny it would be to transpose the piece three notes lower! And so he did, without a mistake! But the judges were so horrified that he should dare do anything different from what was expected that they decided not to give him the prize because he had broken the rules! But, Cherubini, our old acquaintance there was great enough to know what the boy had done, and through his influence a special prize was created for César Franck called the Grand Prix d’Honneur which has never, since then, been conferred upon anyone!
César Franck was very mild and sweet in nature but when it came to his music he was almost rebellious in his independence. To understand the degree of his daring you must know what a concours means.
The graduating classes of the Paris Conservatory are drawn up to play their pieces and to receive the criticism of the judges, and the prizes. They all play the same thing so the judges can tell exactly how each compares with the other. Five of the most famous musicians of the world are selected and they sit in judgment. Imagine this terrifying ordeal! A couple of years after the first occurrence, César Franck had to enter an organ competition, and again his genius got away from his judgment. He was expected to improvise a sonata on one subject given him by the judges and a fugue on another subject. Franck passed in very orderly fashion through the first part, but when it came to the fugue he thought how amusing it would be to work the sonata subject into the fugue subject, a feat which startled these wise judges by its colossal daring and the stupendous manner in which he accomplished it. But did they give him the first prize? Not they! Talk about “Red Tape”—he had not followed the rules and all he received out of the brilliant feat was a second prize! But the world got César Franck.
Composer, Teacher, Organist
We little realize how a tiny deed may influence the world! We may almost reckon that a kind-hearted priest was responsible for what César Franck became as a composer! After he had had the wonderful musical training at the Conservatory he refused to travel as a concert artist, but wanted to remain at home and marry. This separated him completely from his father. Besides wanting his son to play, he objected to his marrying an actress when he was twenty-six. Here is where the priest first befriended him, for he performed the ceremony that made them man and wife.
But the days of revolution in Paris (1848) were upon them and pupils did not come in great numbers. Poverty such as Franck had never known faced him and his bride. But his good friend the priest was called to a church and he immediately appointed César Franck as organist. The instrument was very fine and his happiness was complete for he loved church services above everything. This brought him directly under the musical influence of Bach, which after all, was the greatest in his life. Later he became organist of Saint Clothilde where the organ was even finer and his composing hours were fairly absorbed by writing for the organ.