Hommage à César Franck

Description

On the occasion of the 125th anniversary of César Franck’s death, here are the composer’s most famous sacred pieces for organ and choir, recorded in the very place where they were composed. A professor, organist, and composer of Belgian origin, naturalized French in 1870, César Franck is one of the great figures of French musical life in the second half of the 19th century. César Franck, a religious musician in his role as liturgical organist first and foremost, where improvisation was king: he gave free rein to his imagination and musical inspiration without, however, playing exclusively in the grave and austere register one might have imagined. Secular themes were, in fact, sometimes the source of fleeting compositions of great quality. On this album, the listener can hear the 3 chorales for organ, 3 major works from the repertoire of all organists, as well as motets including the famous Psalm 150.