César Franck
Piano Quintet f minor
This work, composed in 1878/79, alternates between chamber music intimacy and symphonic opulence, and marks the beginning of a series of significant late works by César Franck. Its composition was partly prompted by the successful performance of Franck’s youthful piano trios at the “Société nationale de musique” (founded in 1871), and probably also by a composition competition for works using this instrumental combination whose deadline Franck then went on to miss. The Quintet was received coolly at its first performance in January 1880, and it was performed just a few more times during the composer’s lifetime. It was only in the 20th century that audiences and critics came to recognise this work as a major milestone in the history of French chamber music, and it now adorns the Henle catalogue in a new Urtext edition.
About the Composer
César Franck
Famous organist and composer who exerted a lasting influence on French music of the fin-de-siècle both through his works and especially as a teacher.
| 1822 | Born in Liège on December 10. |
| 1831 | Instruction in piano, organ, and composition at the Royal Conservatory of Liège. |
| 1835 | First stay in Paris, lessons with Reicha, among others. |
| 1837–42 | Studies at the Conservatoire de Paris. |
| 1839–42 | “3 Trios concertants,” Op. 1, in the first of which he employs the cyclic technique typical both of his later works and of French symphonic music of the 1880s. |
| 1843 | Concert tour through Belgium and Germany. |
| 1845 | Premiere of his oratorio “Ruth.” |
| 1847 | He becomes organist at Notre-Dame-de-Lorette |
| 1852–70 | He teaches at various institutions. |
| from 1857 | Organist at Sainte-Clotilde, location of one of the famous Cavaillé Coll organs. Composition of sacred works; 1856–65, “6 Pièces” for organ. |
| 1861 | Member of the Société académique de musique sacrée (Academic Sacred Music Society). |
| 1869–79 | Composes oratorio “Les Béatitudes.” |
| 1871 | Founding member of the Société nationale de musique. |
| 1872 | Teaches an organ class at the Conservatoire. Among his most famous pupils are Duparc, Chausson, and d’Indy, whose Course in Musical Composition (1906) is based on Franck’s compositional and formal principles. |
| 1881–88 | Genesis of the symphonic poems “Le Chasseur maudit” (“The Accursed Huntsman”), “Les Djinns,” “Psyché.” |
| 1878 | Premiere of his “3 Pièces pour le Grand Orgue” in the monumental style. |
| 1886 | Violin Sonata in A major; president of the Société nationale de musique. |
| 1886–88 | Symphony in D minor, one of the most formative works of French symphonic music of the age. |
| 1890 | Death in Paris on November 8. |
| 1894 | Posthumous premiere in Monte Carlo of his opera “Hulda.” |
About the Authors
Ernst-Günter Heinemann (Editor)
Dr. Ernst-Günter Heinemann, born in 1945 in Bad Marienberg (Westerwald), completed his schooling in Gießen and read musicology, philosophy and German in Marburg and Frankfurt/Main and also for some time Protestant church music. He did his doctorate on “Franz Liszts geistliche Musik. Zum Konflikt von Kunst und Engagement”.
From 1978–2010 Heinemann worked as an editor at G. Henle Publishers (in 1978 in Duisburg, from 1979 onwards in Munich). He edited a great many Urtext editions for the publishing house, including “Das Wohltemperierte Klavier”, Volume 1 by Bach and all of Debussy’s piano works. In addition, he wrote essays on Debussy, Grieg, Liszt, Mendelssohn and questions concerning general editing, as well as giving seminars on editorial practice for musicology students in Munich.
Klaus Schilde (Fingering)
Prof. Klaus Schilde, born in 1926, spent his childhood in Dresden. There he was greatly influenced by Walter Engel, who taught him the piano (Kodaly method), composition and violin. From 1946–1948 he studied at the music conservatory in Leipzig with Hugo Steurer. After moving to the west in 1952 he studied with Walter Gieseking and Edwin Fischer, as well as with Marguerite Long, Lucette Descaves and Nadia Boulanger in Paris.
Schilde won numerous prizes. From 1947 onwards he gave concerts as a soloist and chamber musician on almost every single continent with renowned orchestras. He taught at the music conservatories in East Berlin Detmold, West Berlin, Munich, Tokyo (Geidai) and Weimar. From 1988–1991 he was President of the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich, where he also taught for decades as a professor. There are numerous radio and television broadcasts with Klaus Schilde as well as CD recordings. Schilde has contributed fingerings to almost 100 Henle Urtext editions.
Prof. Klaus Schilde passed away on 10 December, 2020.
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