Eduard Franck 1817-1893

[Jonathan]

Hi Gareth,
Do you mean C.Franck's PCs or did E.Franck write 2?  I've always been lead to believe that C.Franck's 1st piano concerto was lost - does this mean someone has found it? (I hope so!)

Incidentally, I have E.Franck's 2 violin sonatas on CD (coupled with a Mendelssohn violin sonata) and they are lovely works.

[Gareth Vaughan]

I mean Eduard Franck's concertos. Sorry, I ignored the digression about Cesar.

[giles.enders]

The Eduard Franck concertos will be something I will realy look forward to.

[Peter1953]

I've never heard music from Eduard Franck. After reading all the posts I've just decided to order both Audite CDs.

[Alan Howe]

Could be another trouvaille, Peter!

[Peter1953]

Indeed, Alan . I've just listened to all the audio samples. Very worthwhile. The slow movements must be wonderful, especially the adagio of the Symphony op. 52 and the middle movement of the 2nd VC. 

[Peter1953]

I've listened to both CD's twice. Definitely not a trouvaille. It is very safe music. No one who likes music of the 19th century will dislike it. But inventive, memorable tunes? I don't think so. No surprises, nothing what other average composers already have composed. However, there are some beautiful moments, like the adagio of the 2nd Symphony. Maybe his chamber music is more adventurous.
Well, this Franck will give you certainly some pleasant listening hours, although I cannot recommend both CD's as a must-buy. How different César F. is...

[Alan Howe]

Give the A major symphony another try, Peter. It's extremely generous music, I find...

[Peter1953]

You are right, Alan. I'm listening to this symphony at this very moment.

[Peter1953]

What a most striking resemblance between the openings of the slow movements of Franck's VC 1 (1855) and Raff's VC 2 (1877). It must be a coincidence, I suppose.

[Mark Thomas]

I'll have to check them when I get back home. I don't know when the Franck was premiered, but there's no reason why Raff shouldn't have heard it I guess, although plagiarism isn't one of the accusations usually aimed at him.

[eschiss1]

In Cologne sometime around May 1855 (I assume this was the premiere; an early performance anyway), according to a contemporary (undated?) report in Neue Berliner Musikzeitung, 6 Juni 1855 issue page 180 (the report right above it from another city is dated 30. Mai.)

quick attempt at transcription of Google's scan:

Wir hörten hier in der musikalischen Gesellschaft ein Concert für die Violine, componirt von Eduard Franck und vortrefflich gespielt von Hrn. Theodor Pixis. Dieses Werk, aus 3 Sätzen bestehend, gereicht dem Componisten zur grössten Ehre und darf allen in neuester Zeit erschienenen Compositionen dieses Genres kühn zur Seite gestellt werden.

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks, Eric. Always an absolute mine of information. So, I guess Raff might easily have heard it, or seen the score.

[eschiss1]

anyhow, I think plagiarism has the connotation if not the denotation of intentionality?
Anyone know of any other substantial E. Franck scores in MS (oratorios, ...) not yet recorded, etc. (that would probably cover most or all of them- his E-flat string quartet, I gather from the page on it at Edition Silvertrust, was not published until just recently, and I'd count it as substantial by my standards at least compared to a lot of the music I've been skimming lately... it's no longer just in M.S. but only just so (but it has been recorded)... and there's the other piano concerto; that leaves other works...

[eschiss1]

just heard on the radio (Radio Stephansdom- not a local station for me- well across the Atlantic, but it webstreams) this morning the recording of one of the piano quartets by not Eduard but his son Richard Franck for the first time, I think. Suited me