César Franck: Symphonic Variations (Part I)

César-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert-Frank (1822-1890) was a Belgian composer, pianist, organist and music teacher of the late Romantic Era.

Franck was a very influencial composer in Western music. He helped renew and reinvigorate chamber music and developed the use of cyclic form - later employed by Debussy and Ravel, although under different concepts of music.

In spite of being a composer of much importance and reputation, Franck's fame resides on a small number of compositions written in his later years, particularly his Symphony in D minor (1886-88), the Symphonic Variations for piano and orchestra (1885), the Prelude, Chorale and Fugue for piano solo (1884), the Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major (1886), the Piano Quintet in F minor (1879) and the symphonic poem Le Chasseur maudit (1883).

Franck's use of complex counterpoint - with a harmonic language typically late Romantic, with influences from Liszt and Wagner - , and his graceful modulations of key (often achieved through a pivot chord or through an inflection of a melodic phrase) arriving at harmonically remote keys (quite a unique modulatory style) are his most remarkable traits.

Notice, in the following video, the typically Romantic theme weaved by Franck, 'sung' by the piano as well as all sections in the orchestra. Observe, also, the composer's style of building modulations through elegant inflections of melodic phrases.

On piano, the legendary Nelson Freire. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFgc1hZxPXs&feature=related