Frank

It took a Belgian composer to convince France of the value of German musical ideas. Before César Franck arrived in Paris, French Romantic music had been primarily a tradition of dazzling orchestral colour and seductive harmonies.

Franck was interested in the structural and expressive innovations of Beethoven, Liszt and Wagner. His music combines the best of the two approaches, its Gallic lyricism and harmonic colour shaped through German structural ideas into powerful dramatic forms.

Franck began his musical career as a keyboard prodigy. His father was keenly ambitious to see César’s name up in lights. So in 1830 he enrolled his gifted eight-year-old son at the Liège Conservatoire followed, seven years later, by the Paris Conservatoire.

César franck works

César franck works

César franck requiem

Franck coffee

Franck pronunciation

Franck meaning

Franck received a thorough training. His wide-ranging abilities were such that he won first prize in virtually every contest he entered, whatever the musical activity. But all his father was interested in was exploiting his son’s potential