César Franck (1822-1890), born in Liège on December 10, 1822, revolutionized French music in the 19th century.
Hailed as the "Messiah of art", he was a master recognized by his peers and revered by his spiritual disciples, including Chausson, d'Indy, Duparc, Vierne and fellow countryman Guillaume Lekeu. This invaluable discography "restores a perspective that had long been cut short. The musician only reached his artistic maturity in the final period of his creative activity, after 1870. Franck was, however, not only a gifted pianist, but also a gifted composer, as evidenced by various works, some of which are being recorded here for the first time." (Joël-Marie Fauquet, biographer of César Franck and author of the liner notes).
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Liège and Fuga Libera are publishing for the first time a complete edition of Franck's symphonic and concertante works.
This box contains the composer's complete symphonic and concertante music, presented in chronological order and performed by the OPRL. It brings together five conductors, two pianists and a choir and contains several new recordings: the first version of Morceau symphoniquefromRedemption (never before released on record), the symphonic poem Psyche, rare or previously unreleased works for piano and orchestra, as well as Gabriel Pierné's orchestration of the Prelude, Chorale and Fugue for piano.
For the second part of the '200 Years of Franck' project, the Royal Elisabeth Music Chapel and Fuga Libera join forces. The result is a complete edition of Franck's chamber music.
In the field of chamber music, César Franck is especially remembered for his three mature masterworks: the Violin Sonata, the Piano Quintet, and the String Quartet. However, the young piano virtuoso had already written and performed a number of compositions in his early days in Paris, mainly piano trios, which were published as his op. 1 and earned him a favorable recommendation from Franz Liszt! The masters of the Royal Elisabeth Music Chapel and their resident artists now invite us to enjoy the first complete recording of this set.
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