Franck beyond his vn sonata

[arthroceph]

Hi

As I write I feel this may have been asked before, but ... can anybody recommedn any Franck beyond his violin sonata which continues to haunt me?

After listening to it enough I usually listen to the Fauré vn sonatas!

Cheers /R

[Jonathan]

My favourite symphonic poem - Le Chasseur Maudit (M44, IIRC). The Eclogue, Op.3 (Played by the excellent Ashley Wass on Naxos) is also worth a listen. Prelude, fugue and variation is lovely too - in the original organ version or the piano transcription by Harold Bauer. The other famous piano pieces, Prelude, Chorale and Fugue and Prelude, Aria and Finale are good too. Also try Les Djinns - symphonic poem with piano. That's all for now, hope this helps (apologies for typos, my glasses are elsewhere and I can't be bothered to get them!!)

[pastoralguy]

And, of course, the d minor symphony. Alas, it seems to have fallen out of favour with those who plan concert programmes which is a real shame. I heard the SNO play it a few times as a youngster but it's been a long time since it was featured.

[Roslynmuse]

My favourite Franck is the multi-part symphonic poem with chorus, Psyché. It shares some material with Les Eolides (a fine piece in its own right). Agree with pastoralguy that the Symphony is a fine and rather forgotten piece nowadays - I've only heard it live once, more than twenty years ago, Hallé in the old Free Trade Hall. The Symphonic Variations for piano and orchestra are worth the occasional outing too! Chamber music - String Quartet and Piano Quintet, although they are not pieces I know well.

[HighlandDougie]

Un de mes favorites! Unfashionable and probably ideologically unsound these days but the following CDs give me immense pleasure:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dclassical&field-keywords=franck+le+chasseur+maudit+roth

Excellent recording; committed performances

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cesar-Franck-Symphonic-Variations-Pieces/dp/B0035XVQIY/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1466236517&sr=1-1&keywords=franck+chamayou

The 'Prélude, Choral et Fugue' played with great aplomb plus the lesser-known 'Prélude, Aria et Final'

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Franck-Chausson-Symphonies-Louis-Langree/dp/B0009YSGE4/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1466236536&sr=1-1&keywords=franck+symphony+langree

Great modern performance of the symphony (although I'm shocked to see the price of the CD these days - available as a download, though)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jean-Fournet-Prague-Franck-Debussy/dp/B00AY1T1G4/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1466236706&sr=1-2&keywords=jean+fournet+in+prague

The complete 'Psyché' (I'm with Roslyn on liking it very much) plus some fine other recordings; again downloads are available.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Franck-spiritum-Olivier-Latry/dp/B00CYB4NHY/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1466236897&sr=1-1&keywords=franck+olivier+latry

Excellent single CD introduction to his works for organ.

[makropulos]

Franck beyond the sonata. A few suggestions:

Piano Quintet (my favourite recording isCurzon/Vienna Octet on Decca)
Symphonic variations
Rédemption (complete; the Plasson recording on EMI)
Symphony - among others, I very much like Boult's recording (reissued in the EMI Great Conductors Boult set).
Organ music, the Olivier Latry disc mentioned already by HighlandDougie is excellent.

[BBMmk2]

Yes, above all else, Franck's organ music!!

[arthroceph]

Great, thanks very much guys. All suggestions very much appreciated.
Cool forum, have enough there for a while! Cheers!

[Alain Maréchal]

A dissenting voice about the Latry disk: it seems to be about showing-off Latry's technique rather than Franck's music. I would recommend Marie-Claire Alain at Lyon (on Apex), rather than her later recording from Caen (on Erato). There are many recordings on fine Cavaillé-Coll instruments, but I am unmoved by Latry at NDdeP.

There is a sumptuous recording of Psyché from Liège on EMI.

Also, if you like the violin sonata, then I suggest trying the one written by Guillaume Lekeu.

[pastoralguy]

Also, if you like the violin sonata, then I suggest trying the one written by Guillaume Lekeu.

The Lekeu sonata is a wonderful piece. I would suggest that anyone interested try go hear the young Menuhin's recording that was made, iirc, in the 30's. IMHO, it contains some of the most abandoned and passionate violin playing ever comittdd to disc.

Tasmin Little made a very fine disc a couple of years ago for those who would rather have a more recent recording.

[Alain Maréchal]

Thanks pg ; I have neither recording but will investigate. Grumiaux for me, and Catherine Courtois whose LP has not reappeared. Chauvinism probably, plus I was born in the same street as Lekeu so am somewhat proprietorial about him and never miss the opportunity to promote his music.

[HighlandDougie]

I was born in the same street as Lekeu so am somewhat proprietorial about him and never miss the opportunity to promote his music.

Maybe it was reading one of Alain's earlier posts which led me to this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lekeu-Fleurs-Pales-Souvenir-Complete/dp/B00ZGUI78G/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1466257495&sr=1-1&keywords=lekeu

but I have greatly enjoyed getting to know Lekeu's music over the past nine months. I've heard the Violin Sonata in concert (once) but have never otherwise come across performances of his music.

[gurnemanz]

Even lovers of mélodies (eg me) may well not know his song output, as I did not until I only recently got this superb disc from Brilliant. Out of the way repertoire superbly sung and played. I really like his setting of the Hugo love song, Passez! Passez!

[Roslynmuse]

Even lovers of mélodies (eg me) may well not know his song output, as I did not until I only recently got this superb disc from Brilliant. Out of the way repertoire superbly sung and played. I really like his setting of the Hugo love song, Passez! Passez!

Many thanks for this - I have a rather unsatisfactory Maguelone disc of Franck mélodies, but I shall have to investigate this one. (Just as an aside, are you aware of any recording of mélodies by Alexandre Georges? Especially the Miarka cycle. I have a score but have never heard them.)

[arthroceph]

Oh, more? wow great. Thanks!