César-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert Franck (1822 –
1890) was a French Romantic composer, pianist,
organist, and music teacher born in present-day
Belgium. He was born in Liège (which at the time of
his birth was part of the United Kingdom of the
Netherlands). He gave his first concerts there in 1834
and studied privately in Paris from 1835, where his
teachers included Anton Reicha. After a brief return to
Belgium, and a disastrous reception of an early
oratorio Ruth, he moved to Paris, where...(+)
César-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert Franck (1822 –
1890) was a French Romantic composer, pianist,
organist, and music teacher born in present-day
Belgium. He was born in Liège (which at the time of
his birth was part of the United Kingdom of the
Netherlands). He gave his first concerts there in 1834
and studied privately in Paris from 1835, where his
teachers included Anton Reicha. After a brief return to
Belgium, and a disastrous reception of an early
oratorio Ruth, he moved to Paris, where he married and
embarked on a career as teacher and organist. He gained
a reputation as a formidable musical improviser, and
travelled widely within France to demonstrate new
instruments built by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll.
In 1858, he became organist at the Basilica of St.
Clotilde, Paris, a position he retained for the rest of
his life. He became professor at the Paris
Conservatoire in 1872; he took French nationality, a
requirement of the appointment. After acquiring the
professorship, Franck wrote several pieces that have
entered the standard classical repertoire, including
symphonic, chamber, and keyboard works for pipe organ
and piano. As a teacher and composer he had a vast
following of composers and other musicians. His pupils
included Ernest Chausson, Vincent d'Indy, Henri Duparc,
Guillaume Lekeu, Albert Renaud, Charles Tournemire and
Louis Vierne.
Like Widor, César Franck (1822–1890) was a Parisian
organist, presiding from 1858 until his death at the
Cavaillé-Coll organ at Ste-Clotilde. Prélude, Fugue
et Variation, Op 18, the third of his Six Pièces
(1860–62), is dedicated to Saint-Saëns. Coming as it
does directly after Franck’s Grande Pièce
Symphonique, Op 17, its title might suggest a
contrasting work of neo-Baroque severity, but what
could be more Romantic than the haunting oboe melody of
the first movement? A typical Franckian theme, moving
largely by step and emphasizing particular notes of the
scale, it has two limbs, the first a flowing theme of
five-bar phrases, the second a dogged affair ascending
the scale in four-bar phrases (and taken up in
quasi-canonic fashion by the pedals). A short bridge
passage introduces the second movement, a sober fugue
on a subject, vocal in character, marked cantando.
Assisted by stretti, a muted climax is reached, and the
music proceeds without a break to the Variation, in
which the hautbois, taking the stage again, has the
‘flowing’ and ‘dogged’ themes of the first
movement, but here set against rippling
semiquavers.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%A9sar_Franck).
I created this Transcription of the Prélude from
"Prélude, Fugue et Variation pour orgue" (Opus 18 FWV
30) for Pipe Organ (2 Manuals w/Pedals).
PARTITION