Cesar Franck Organ Works

An outstanding edition of César Franck's complete organ works on the occasion of the 200th birthday. The perception of César Franck as an organ composer centers on his twelve large-scale works, which are considered among the most radiant contributions to organ literature. However, it should not be forgotten that with the collection L'Organiste he wrote 63 shorter, but compositionally very elaborate pieces, which due to their vignette-like, compact facture do not reach the complexity of his "large" organ works, but are nevertheless very remarkable: each one of the pieces has a signature all its own, and is in no way inferior to Franck's extensive organ works in terms of harmonic complexity and focus of expression.

César Franck was an architect of sounds. "My organ is an orchestra", he famously declared. Thanks to the genius of the organ builder Cavaillé-Coll the beauty of the organ of the basilica of Saint- Sernin in Toulouse illuminates an oeuvre of immense musical intensity. Michel Bouvard talks about his passion for Franck's world and offers us a few hints about how to listen to it.

2022 marks the 200th anniversary of the birthday of César Franck.

2022 marks the 200th anniversary of the birthday of César Franck.

The organ stands at the spiritual heart of music heard in French Catholic liturgy.

"Caesar Franck before Caesar Franck," allow one legitimately to ask what this means. Simple, reader friend: these are pieces of organ that the master wrote in his first maturity, before his final language developed as found in his Symphony, his great works for piano or his Sonata For violin and piano. Most of these works for organ were not published during his lifetime but only around 1905 by his son, some even rediscovered here a few years. It is therefore well Franck organist famous before Franck famous composer who is presented here, knowing that every organist of good quality has to write and improvise for his instrument; And that even before himself, Franck was already seriously exploring Franck's style. Elke Völker plays an impressive Cavaillé-Coll, the neo-gothic basilica Notre-Dame de Bonsecours near Rouen; The instrument was inaugurated in 1857, precisely the period at which Franck wrote these works.

The organ stands at the spiritual heart of music heard in French Catholic liturgy.

« Mon orgue, c’est un orchestre ! » affirma César Franck. La beauté du grand orgue de la basilique de Saint-Sernin de Toulouse, grâce au génie du facteur d’orgue Cavaillé-Coll, illumine ici une œuvre d’une prodigieuse intensité musicale. Michel Bouvard évoque par ailleurs dans le livret avec passion cet univers dont il nous propose quelques clés d’écoute.