César Franck Essentials

Belgian-born composer César Franck combined harmonic adventurousness with formal beauty and restraint, developing a musical language that anticipated the direction of French art music in the early 20th century. After largely retreating from composition following his conservatory years in Paris, his creative spark was reinvigorated when he was almost 40, after being appointed to an auspicious church position in Paris. A slew of influential organ works (1878’s 3 Pièces) followed in the next two decades, as well as sacred vocal pieces. Perhaps his best-known composition is a section of the Mass: the soaring devotional anthem Panis angelicus (1872) for tenor voice. He completed several major symphonic and chamber works in the last decade of his life, including 1888’s iconoclastic Symphony in D Minor and 1886’s richly lyrical Violin Sonata in A Major; with its indelible, arpeggiated opening melody, the latter remains a staple of the violin repertoire.