A towering figure in French music of the later 19th century, César Franck created a distinctive fusion of German Romanticism and French Classicism, enriching the symphonic, chamber, instrumental, vocal and sacred repertoires. As a teacher and mentor he gained admiration for his modesty and generosity while exercising a powerful influence on younger disciples such as Vincent d’Indy, Henri Duparc and Ernest Chausson.
The César Franck Edition gathers together all his masterworks – among them the Symphony in D, Violin Sonata, Prélude, Fugue et Variation and, of course, ‘Panis Angelicus’ – in enthralling performances by musicians of the first rank. Running to 16 CDs, the collection includes a CD of transcriptions and arrangements, proving their fascination for a still greater diversity of interpreters than Franck might have imagined.
The five CDs of historical recordings – dating back as far as 1907 – testify to the continuing growth of his reputation after his death in 1890, and to the vibrant performing tradition engendered by his genius.
Featured artists:
Aldo Ciccolini, Marie-Claire Alain, Renaud Capuçon, Armin Jordan, Carlo Maria Giulini, Pascal Devoyon, Kalevi Kiviniemi, Augustin Dumay, Jean-Philippe Collard, Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse, Michel Plasson, Riccardo Muti, Philadelphia Orchestra, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Hartmut Höll, Victoria de los Angeles, Yehudi Menuhin, Louise Lebrun, Jane Berbie, Nathalie Stutzmann, Marcel Vanaud, Choeur de Radio France, Maîtrise Notre-Dame de Paris, Edgar Moreau, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Pierre Barbizet, Barbara Hendricks, Eric Ericson, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, Stephen Cleobury, Marcel Dupré, Jascha Heifetz, Arthur Rubinstein, Samson François, Khatia Buniatishvili, Béatrice Uria-Monzon, Lambert Wilson, José-Antonio Sainz, Gilbert Ernst, Paul Strauss, Camille Maurane, David Rendall, Peter Jeffes, François Loup, Daniel Ottevaere, Raphaël Tambyeff, Jacques Jouineau, David Kadouch, Erik Lundkvist, Tom Winpenny, Arie van Beek, Germaine Thyssens-Valentin, Yves Nat, Gaston Poulet, André Marchal, Édouard Commette, Jeanne-Marie Darré, Georges Thill, Maurice Faure, Elie Cohen, Beniamino Gigli, Bruno Seidler-Winkler, Philippe Gaubert, Piero Coppola, Berthe Auguez de Montalant, Yves Castagnet, Henri Chalet, Blanche Selva, Quatuor Pro Arte, Quatuor Pascal, Muir String Quartet, Quatuor Parrenin, Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Orfeón Donostiarra, Chœurs de la RTB-BRT, Orchestre de Liège, Bath Festival Orchestra, Stockholm Chamber Orchestra, Orchestre d’Auvergne, Orchestre de l’Association des Concerts Pierné, Orchester der Staatsoper Berlin, Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire