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Cesar
Franck (1822-90)
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| French-Belgian composer, born in Liege. He was a child prodigy who as a young boy made many public appearances as a pianist. He moved to Paris in 1835 and enrolled at the Conservatoire where he impressed his teachers with his virtuosity at the piano. In 1858 he was appointed organist at the church of Sainte-Clotilde and began to write organ music - his six Pieces pour orgue being his first important composition. He later became a successful professor of organ at the Paris Conservatoire where his students included such French composers-to-be as D'Indy, Duparc, and Chausson. However success as a composer proved elusive. Although he had written, in addition to his organ compositions, a number of oratorios, two operas and some tone poems, it was not until his later years that he came to write his greatest music, which include his Symphonic Variations, his F minor String Quintet, his organ Chorales and his D minor Symphony. He died from injuries suffered from an omnibus accident a year after the premiere of his symphony. Today he is regarded with greater affection by the public than he ever received in his lifetime. |
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