




This remarkable release reveals the full breadth and genius of a creative career known to most merely by the tip of the iceberg: a small number of seminal works written in the composer's final decade of life. Ceìsar Franck (1822-1890), although considered one of the foremost 19th-century French composers, was not in fact French by birth, but Belgian. He only became a full French citizen in 1873 after he had been appointed organ professor at the Paris Conservatoire. His career can be divided into three distinct periods, each characterised by the production of very different types of music. From 1834 to 1846, under pressure from his father, he concertised as a piano virtuoso, and most of the works of this period were written with that purpose in mind. In the decade following his marriage in 1848 he composed virtually nothing but became celebrated as an organist, and he would bring the spacious dimensions of that instrument to his sound world in the years to come. His 'middle period' - from about 1858 to 1879 - was devoted to the production of works for organ, church music and a series of monumental choral pieces on religious or biblical subjects. In these three decades he wrote virtually nothing for the piano. From 1879 begins the decade of his late flowering in the great chamber and orchestral works, ushered in by his well-loved Piano Quintet and containing the pieces for which Franck is widely known. Spanning all three periods were opera and his small output of 18 mélodies. Review: Brilliant Classics knocked first again! - C Franck was a composer who fought against colleagues which are distrusted about your Belgian origin. They were afraid for possible "germanic" influences. In spite of the fact his principal enemy was Camille Saint Saens, Franck built a reputation with his compositions. Certainly his orchestral and chamber works made him to achieve recognition and popularity, specially his String Quartet. I will be expectinng the next year 2022, when is going to take place the 200th birth anniversary, other labels going to launch new compilations. Review: Missing a number of crucial works - Speaking only of the keyboard works, I was disappointed at the amount of works missing here. We're not talking about obscure fragment pieces, but works like Op. 3 and Op. 5, both recorded by Ashley Wass for Naxos, are glaringly absent. And that's sad, because as far as I know he's the only one who has recorded those. I can see overlooking some of the juvenile works, especially out of respect for Franck's disownment of those works, but the collection includes Op. 014 and Op. 019 -- so where are the others? Ingmar Lazar recorded Op. 010 for a different label, but you're telling Brilliant Classics can't do the same for their collection? Brilliant Classics can get Joris Verdin's recordings of Franck's harmonium works, but can't get that same artist's recording of the "Pièces Posthumes" for organ? (To be fair, I can buy it on desertcart Music -- for an additional 18 bucks!) To make matters worse, they literally have two piano versions of Op. 18 on two different discs. Why? Seems misleading. Just for once I'd like to buy a collection that says "complete" and have it actually be complete. Other than that, the versions presented here are fantastic, and highly recommended. So, five stars for the (keyboard) performances, three stars for the presentation. If you don't mind the missing pieces, then it's worth it.



| ASIN | B07JYR54VF |
| Best Sellers Rank | #21,523 in CDs & Vinyl ( See Top 100 in CDs & Vinyl ) #890 in Classical (CDs & Vinyl) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (66) |
| Date First Available | November 27, 2018 |
| Label | Brilliant Classics |
| Manufacturer | Brilliant Classics |
| Number of discs | 23 |
| Original Release Date | 2019 |
| Product Dimensions | 5.12 x 5.12 x 2.36 inches; 1.32 Pounds |
S**O
Brilliant Classics knocked first again!
C Franck was a composer who fought against colleagues which are distrusted about your Belgian origin. They were afraid for possible "germanic" influences. In spite of the fact his principal enemy was Camille Saint Saens, Franck built a reputation with his compositions. Certainly his orchestral and chamber works made him to achieve recognition and popularity, specially his String Quartet. I will be expectinng the next year 2022, when is going to take place the 200th birth anniversary, other labels going to launch new compilations.
R**E
Missing a number of crucial works
Speaking only of the keyboard works, I was disappointed at the amount of works missing here. We're not talking about obscure fragment pieces, but works like Op. 3 and Op. 5, both recorded by Ashley Wass for Naxos, are glaringly absent. And that's sad, because as far as I know he's the only one who has recorded those. I can see overlooking some of the juvenile works, especially out of respect for Franck's disownment of those works, but the collection includes Op. 014 and Op. 019 -- so where are the others? Ingmar Lazar recorded Op. 010 for a different label, but you're telling Brilliant Classics can't do the same for their collection? Brilliant Classics can get Joris Verdin's recordings of Franck's harmonium works, but can't get that same artist's recording of the "Pièces Posthumes" for organ? (To be fair, I can buy it on Amazon Music -- for an additional 18 bucks!) To make matters worse, they literally have two piano versions of Op. 18 on two different discs. Why? Seems misleading. Just for once I'd like to buy a collection that says "complete" and have it actually be complete. Other than that, the versions presented here are fantastic, and highly recommended. So, five stars for the (keyboard) performances, three stars for the presentation. If you don't mind the missing pieces, then it's worth it.
P**S
Finally
It's about time a comprehensive collection of this great composer and performers works has been put together. So many of us know Franck's organ works, but rarely hear his orchestral works. It's especially nice to hear the works for harmonium, performed on a harmonium.
S**Y
Wonderful!
Listening.
L**E
Holiday gift
This is a present. Will anticipate listening to it.
U**O
Uno dei box più belli e sontuosi che questa etichetta abbia realizzato negli ultimi anni. Lodevole l'iniziativa di presentarci l'essenziale della produzione musicale di Franck. Si spazia dalla magnifica Sinfonia in Re minore agli stupendi pezzi per piano e organo. Anche le composizioni da camera sono ben rappresentate, specialmente con i meravigliosi trii e il quintetto. E che dire delle opere sacre e dello Stradella? Da ascoltare e riascoltare, anche per la notevole bravura degli interpreti. Un Adagio di Franck è sempre toccante e nel contempo solenne, come capita sovente in Bruckner, ma con quel tocco di raffinatezza inconfondibilmente francese. Qui di certo possiamo godere la musica di Cesar Franck in tutto il suo splendore. Eccezionale!!!
S**N
Es una hermosa selección de las obras de cesar franck, me encantó que este este box set incluye todas sus obras para órgano y harmonio. El único problema que encontré es que el disco 23 me pareció innecesario, ya que la sonata para violin ya estaba contenida en otro CD
J**Z
Casi casi la obra completa en versiones que van de lo muy digno a lo magnífico. Música de salón, romanticismo acartonado, beaterías... y también absolutas obras maestras. Aquí está todo. "El organista" se ofrece en la magnífica versión de Joris Verdin al harmonium. Por cierto, en mi ejemplar el fragmento que abre la colección está desplazado al nº 33.. Si uno prefiere el órgano puede buscar las estupendas grabaciones de Neil Wright (Priory) y Hans-Eberhard Ross (Audite). Volviendo al cofre, si a uno le interesa acercarse a Cesar Franck sin limitarse a lo más frecuente, aquí tiene todo lo que necesita. El cofre viene sin letras. Dicen que están disponibles en su página de internet.
D**Z
Eine grossartige Alternative zu bekannten Deutschen Spätromantikern bietet die schöne Musik dieses "Belgischen Wagner",in der sich katholische Spiritualität,berückende Melodik und die Grenze zur Moderne streifende Chromatik verbinden. Die Sammlung ist erstaunlich komplett und bietet zumindest die Hauptwerke Francks in seriösen und klanglich gut aufgearbeiteten Einspielungen.
P**C
Content de disposer d'un répertoire étendu de ce grand compositeur un peu trop à l'écart jusqu'ici. C'est aussi l'un des maîtres de Vincent d'Indy et cela permet de comprendre un peu mieux les deux compositeurs. D'ailleurs en CD les variations symphoniques de César Franck sont souvent couplées avec la symphonie cévenole de Vincent d'Indy. Le répertoire français dispose de beaucoup de perles rares que l'on peut aborder mieux depuis quelques temps grâce à des interprètes et éditeurs étrangers. Pauvre France !
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