entire technique is rare at the epoch in which his life was cast,
an epoch of realism, generally inspired by a taste for the pic-
turesque and the dramatic. Posterity will place César Franck in
a niche similar to that of Puvis de Chavannes, whose inspira-
tion, indifferent to all worldly solicitations, flowed willingly, like
that of Franck, into the paths of reverie, and pursued its way
like a beautiful river of quiet waters, undisturbed by waves or
rapids, and reflecting the eternal calm of the sky.”
As representative works[273] we have chosen, for analytical com-
ments theD minor Symphony(Franck’s only work in this field),
theSonatafor violin and pianoforte and theSymphonic Varia-
tionsfor pianoforte and orchestra. Franck has also composed a
very beautiful Quintet for strings and pianoforte—considered by
some the most sublime chamber work of recent times; a String
Quartet, notable for its interrelationship of themes and move-
ments; two elaborate compositions for pianoforte solo, thePre-
lude, Chorale and Fugue(the fugue showing a masterly combi-
nation of strict fugal style and free form) and thePrelude, Aria
and Finale; a wealth of organ works—the threeChoralesbeing
of special beauty—and several Symphonic Poems of lesser im-
portance. His purely vocal works, oratorios and church music
lie outside the province of this book.
[Footnote 273: On account of the length of these works it is
impossible to include any of them in the Supplement.]
The Symphony[274] in D minor is in three movements; the first
in complete and elaborate sonata-form, the second a fusion of
the two customary middle movements, and the Finale (though
fundamentally on a sonata-form basis) an organic summing-up
of the chief themes of the entire work. The first movement be-
gins, Lento, with the main theme proper (thesis) the motive[275]
of which is the foundation of the whole work,e.g.
[Music]
[Footnote 274: Study, if possible, the orchestral score. For class-
room work there is an excellent four-hand arrangement by the
composer, and one for two hands by Ernest Alder.]
[Footnote 275: This terse phrase is identical with motives from
several other works,e.g., the beginning of Liszt’sLes Préludes,
the motive “Muss es sein?” in Beethoven’s quartet, opus 135,
and the Fate motive in Wagner’sValkyrie.]