Franckly Unexpected

One of the late romantic masterworks for orchestra is a symphony by Cesar Franck. And one of the great achievements of the 19th century French organ school was this same Cesar Franck’s introduction of a symphonic manner of writing for the pipe organ. But the Symphonic Organ and Franck’s D-minor Symphony are not usually on the same page… that is until our next Pipedreams broadcast when Jane Parker-Smith and Thomas Murray apply their magic to a remarkably effective transcription of the piece. Other items qualify as recent discoveries, some hundred years after the fact, and one familiar score may surprise you with its unconventional conclusion.

They don’t teach it this way in the conservatory. Indeed, everything about the work of this estimable French composer is more than a bit out of the ordinary. It’s either been arranged, newly discovered, or radically transcribed. All of it’s enjoyable, and Franckly Unexpected. The music of Cesar Franck, this week on Pipedreams.

Listen to the program

Program Broadcast dates:

April 23, 2001

Music played in the program

CÉSAR FRANCK: Piece heroique, with fanfare finale [1878] –François-Henri Houbart (1845 Cavaillé-Coll/Église de la Madeleine, Paris, France) Pierre Verany 785031

CÉSAR FRANCK (arranged by Guggemos/Guggenberger): Andantino in g –Wolfgang Guggenberger, trumpet; Anton Guggemos (1959 Schmid/Wieskirche, Steingaden, Germany) Ambitus CD-97810

CÉSAR FRANCK: Offertoire in E-flat –Joris Verdin (1865 Alexandre harmonium) Ricercare 075057

CÉSAR FRANCK: Piece in E-flat [1846] –Joris Verdin (1858 Cavaillé-Coll/Cathédrale Saint-Brieuc, France) Arion ARN68276

CÉSAR FRANCK (transcribed by Vlach): Symphony in d, 1st movement –Jane Parker-Smith (1981 Oberlinger/St. Joseph Church, Bonn-Beuel, Germany) do-re-mi CD-0201

CÉSAR FRANCK (transcribed by Calvin Hampton): Symphony in d, 2nd and 3rd movements –Thomas Murray (1971 Aeolian-Skinner/St. Bartholomew Episcopal, New York, NY) Pipedreams Archive recorded July 11, 1996