Franck Fort

[Brahmsian]

Would anyone care to recommend me recordings of César Franck's Symphony in D minor? I have one that I like a lot, Maazel with the RSO Berlin. But I would love to hear another, now that I'm getting to really appreciate the work.

Definitely the Monteux with Chicago Symphony.

I also have Karajan Berlin which I quite like a lot as well. Better than one might expect.

This is one of my favourite symphonies of any composer. Hearing it performed live in concert was a revelation.

[Maestro267]

What happened to Franck's Piano Concerto No. 1? I've only ever seen recordings of No. 2, and even on the upcoming "complete orchestral works" set mentioned in the new releases thread there's only reference to No. 2.

[Florestan]

What happened to Franck's Piano Concerto No. 1? I've only ever seen recordings of No. 2, and even on the upcoming "complete orchestral works" set mentioned in the new releases thread there's only reference to No. 2.

It's a very early work (1834), one of a bunch he collectively disowned later. It guess it's lost.

[Brian]

Any favorite recordings/box sets of the organ works? I do not know much about organ music, it is a personal blind spot (especially because my preference for organ music runs towards "loud and rib-cage-rattling"). Looking at several complete Franck organ boxes that are on sale for the anniversary year but wanted any expert advice that is available in addition to sound samples.

[Papy Oli]

Any favorite recordings/box sets of the organ works? I do not know much about organ music, it is a personal blind spot (especially because my preference for organ music runs towards "loud and rib-cage-rattling"). Looking at several complete Franck organ boxes that are on sale for the anniversary year but wanted any expert advice that is available in addition to sound samples.

Bump.

Brian, did you ever settle on any particular Franck organ sets since this post (despite the absence of recommendations at the time). Isoir has helped me breaking into Bach's organ music and having sampled some of his other records on Idagio, I have found his Franck to be engrossing (Idagio only has one of his two Franck albums).

I'd welcome other recommendations of other sets too.     

[Brian]

I did not receive any recommendations but purchased the Joris Verdin set on Ricercar, using big Cavaille-Coll organs from Franck's time. Have not listened to any of it, yet, however. As sometimes happens with CDCDCD sufferers 

One thing to note about Verdin, if collecting the physical edition, is that the CD sleeves are covered entirely in artwork - no indication of what music is on what disc. So you need to listen with booklet in hand at all times. That has caused my delay getting to it.

[Papy Oli]

I did not receive any recommendations but purchased the Joris Verdin set on Ricercar, using big Cavaille-Coll organs from Franck's time. Have not listened to any of it, yet, however. As sometimes happens with CDCDCD sufferers 

One thing to note about Verdin, if collecting the physical edition, is that the CD sleeves are covered entirely in artwork - no indication of what music is on what disc. So you need to listen with booklet in hand at all times. That has caused my delay getting to it.

Noted, thank you Brian. I have found Verdin's set on Idagio. I'll save it for a listen.

[classicalgeek]

Cross-posted on the WAYLTL thread. Did a comparison of four versions of the Franck D minor symphony (from my CD collection):

Orchestre National de France
Leonard Bernstein


Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Pierre Monteux


Boston Symphony Orchestra
Charles Munch


Philadelphia Orchestra
Riccardo Muti
 

I have since discovered I had a fifth: Ozawa/Boston SO (thanks Karl!) which I'm going to have to dig out and listen to. Here are my initial thoughts of the four I did listen to:

I can see why Monteux/Chicago is one of the reference recordings - taut and exciting, and heart-on-sleeve passionate when it needed to be. I also enjoyed Muti/Philadelphia quite a bit - really outstanding playing. Less so Bernstein/ONF - it was just too slow and had some real dead spots. Munch/Boston was OK, but not well recorded at all.

Others mentioned Bernstein's first recording with the New York Phil, the above Ozawa/BSO recording, and a recent recording with Alain Altinoglu and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony. I'm curious about the one with Christian Arming and the Liege orchestra that's part of the Franck complete orchestral works on Fuga Libera that was released to mark the bicentennial of his birth. I also used to have Jesus Lopez-Cobos on Telarc with the Cincinnati Symphony, a performance I remember enjoying.

What are some of your favorite performances of the Franck D minor, whether it's one mentioned here or another recording entirely?

[ChamberNut]

Does anyone have this set? Looks tantalizing!

[Louis]

Is anyone here having a recording of Cesar Franck's last opera "Ghiselle"?

There was never a proper CD release, but there was a recorded live performancec in Amsterdam in the late 80s. I know occasionally radios play that performance and Franck fans record that.


I would really love to listen to "Ghiselle".

[André]

Does anyone have this set? Looks tantalizing!

Who is the conductor ?

In the Liège Phil box of 50 CDs are very fine performances of the symphony by Pierre Bartholomée and Louis Langrée. Still with the Liège Phil but released later is my current favourite, with Christian Arming. Monteux' legendary Chicago performance still holds sway despite slightly tubby sound.

Not to be overlooked is Toscanini's NBC disc (a composite of 2 performances), with an incredibly tense, black, inky intro by the low strings. Munch has performed it many times, and his Boston RCA performance is very fine, although not the last word (he was more 'on' in Prague and Rotterdam). Franck's symphony is incredibly constructed, yet Munch had a way of deconstructing it that laid bare its fundamentals in almost indecent fashion.

Franck's symphony is rarely performed these days, but in the middle of the last century it was played by everybody. Ansermet, Klemperer and Beecham are quite fine, if conventional. Maazel, Silvestri, Karajan, Stokowski, Muti: they are all okay, each with a distinctive pov. Furtwängler is for candidates to martyrdom. Avoid the new Barenboim at all costs. It's a fraud.

To works its magic the symphony has to bolt out of the starting blocks (after the slow introduction) and not look back. Everybody has Monteux, which is as it should be. Complementing it with one of the Liège recordings (all in superb sound) and Munch (Prague or Boston) should suffice.

[ChamberNut]

Who is the conductor ?

In the Liège Phil box of 50 CDs are very fine performances of the symphony by Pierre Bartholomée and Louis Langrée. Still with the Liège Phil but released later is my current favourite, with Christian Arming. Monteux' legendary Chicago performance still holds sway despite slightly tubby sound.

Not to be overlooked is Toscanini's NBC disc (a composite of 2 performances), with an incredibly tense, black, inky intro by the low strings. Munch has performed it many times, and his Boston RCA performance is very fine, although not the last word (he was more 'on' in Prague and Rotterdam). Franck's symphony is incredibly constructed, yet Munch had a way of deconstructing it that laid bare its fundamentals in almost indecent fashion.

Franck's symphony is rarely performed these days, but in the middle of the last century it was played by everybody. Ansermet, Klemperer and Beecham are quite fine, if conventional. Maazel, Silvestri, Karajan, Stokowski, Muti: they are all okay, each with a distinctive pov. Furtwängler is for candidates to martyrdom. Avoid the new Barenboim at all costs. It's a fraud.

To works its magic the symphony has to bolt out of the starting blocks (after the slow introduction) and not look back. Everybody has Monteux, which is as it should be. Complementing it with one of the Liège recordings (all in superb sound) and Munch (Prague or Boston) should suffice.

Thanks André. Oh yes, I have an ADORE the Monteux CSO performance of the symphony.  The Franck Symphony is a top 5 favourite symphony of mine (for any composer).

As for conductors in the Liege box set, it is multiple.  For the symphony, it is the one you mentioned: Christian Arming. Other conductors for other works include Pierre Bleuse, Hervé Niquet,François-Xavier Roth,Gergely Madaras.

Highly and enthusiastically recommended by Hurwitz on his YouTube channel.

[Brian]

I have the singleton Christian Arming symphony album (with very rare fillers) and it really is superb.

[AnotherSpin]

[..]
Avoid the new Barenboim at all costs. It's a fraud.

[..]

Could you elaborate, please?

[André]

Barenboim's tempi are lethargic beyond endurance, attacks are spongy and the whole thing is bereft of any hint of volatility. It's on YT, so you can see if it's to your taste or not.

[ChamberNut]

Just ordered these two sets.  So looking forward to this. The samples were amazing.

[Vox Maris]

Just ordered these two sets.  So looking forward to this. The samples were amazing.

As I mentioned to you on the 'other' forum, those sets are fantastic. I hope you enjoy Franck's music. Out of curiosity, is this your first foray into his music?

[ChamberNut]

As I mentioned to you on the 'other' forum, those sets are fantastic. I hope you enjoy Franck's music. Out of curiosity, is this your first foray into his music?

No. I know his main works well (Symphony, Le Chasseur Maudit, the "big three" chamber works). ALL first class music in my opinion. I don't know any of his organ music, but I'm not much of an organ music person. Same for vocal/opera.

[Vox Maris]

No. I know his main works well (Symphony, Le Chasseur Maudit, the "big three" chamber works). ALL first class music in my opinion. I don't know any of his organ music, but I'm not much of an organ music person. Same for vocal/opera.

Oh, you're in for a real treat. I revisited Psyché last night and it was hugely enjoyable. Like you, I have no interest in his organ music, but I do rather enjoy several of the vocal works I've heard. I also enjoyed his solo piano works (he didn't compose much in this genre).

[ChamberNut]

Oh, you're in for a real treat. I revisited Psyché last night and it was hugely enjoyable.

Psyché is fabulous!    I have this terrific recording.