The Third Period of César Franck Author(s): Sydney Grew Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 60, No. 919 (Sep. 1, 1919), pp. 462-464 Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3701958 Accessed: 25-03-2015 19:50 UTC

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This content downloaded from 128.235.251.160 on Wed, 25 Mar 2015 19:50:30 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 462 THE MUSICAL TIMES.-SEPTEMBER I, 1919.

He is content to spend days on a single passage I wasnot sorrowful. (Boosey.) The Cost. 2. The so that he gives it the one ultimate formwhich (I. Blind; Cost.) (WinthropRogers.) afterwards to be the inevitable form it The Soldier. (WinthropRogers.) proves Blowout, you bugles. (WinthropRogers.) should take. Yet this constant preoccupation The Heart'sDesire. (WinthropRogers.) with precision in detail has nowhere resulted in Earth's Call. (Rhapsodyfor voice and pianoforte.) laboured writing. His harmonic texture may be (WinthropRogers.) or suave or SpringSorrow. (WinthropRogers.) complex simple, acid, smooth, I havetwelve oxen. (WinthropRogers.) or, as it is more often,rugged or sharplydefined, The SacredFlame. (WinthropRogers.) but it is constantlyadjusted to the needs of the Bed in Summer.(Curwen.) he is not to The Rat (inthe Press.) (Chester.) composition, and, although given The the Press.) (Chester.) his taste in these matters is no less Adorationjin finicalities, Therewere three Ravens (folk-song setting). (Winthrop acute than that of those who trade in them-over Rogers.) all of which, understood, it is in the end rightly VARIOUS. one quality that predominates: sincerity. Bagatelle,for violin and pianoforte. (Novello.) LIST OF COMPOSITIONS. ElegiacRomance, for organ. (Novello.) Unpublished. SursumCorda, and Alla Marcia,for organ. (Novello.) Communionand Service. FULL ORCHESTRA. Morning, Evening (Novello.) GreaterLove hath no man. Anthem.(Stainer & Bell.) Midsummer.(Overture.) Tritons. (SymphonicPrelude.) TWO-PART SONGS. OrchestralPoem, in A minor. Thereis a garden. (Novello.) Pellias et Melisande. (Overture.) Full fathomfive. (Novello.) CHORAL. Aubade. (Novello.) Mass in the Dorian Mode, forfour voices. EveningSong. (Novello.) ' for and The echoinggreen. (Curwen.) VexillaRegis,' chorus,soli, brass instruments, organ. Flowers. Psalm 42, forchorus, soli, and orchestra. May (Arnold.) . Quartet,for strings, in . Quartet,for strings, in C minor. THE THIRD PERIOD OF C?SAR FRANCK. Sextet,for strings, clarinet, and horn. Trio,for pianoforte, clarinet, and violoncello, in D minor. BY SYDNEY GREW. Trio,for pianoforte, violin, and violoncello, in E minor. Sonata, forviolin and pianoforte,in C minor. The works of Franck's last period (1872-90) Sonata,in one movement,for violin and pianoforte,in are not only representativein the mass of every G minor. type and form of music,* but they assume in PIANOFORTE MUSIC. sequence a curiously complete and consistent Sonata, in C minor. shape-a shape to which the termsymphonic may Sea Idyll. (Three movements.) be applied withoutfancifulness. They prove that Rhapsody,in C minor. ThreePieces. withFranck, as with Bach, Handel, Gluck, and in differentmeasure with Beethoven and Brahms- (Alsoshorter pieces and songs.) also (as it now begins to appear) withour English Published. Elgar-creative interest grows by what it feeds FULL ORCHESTRA. upon, and that worksproduced in great periods of The ForgottenRite. Prelude. (Augener.) the composer's life group themselvesinto closely CHAMBER MUSIC. related sections,which latterare steadilyformative of balanced and Phantasie,in A minor,for violin, violoncello,and piano- grandly 'cyclically' responsive forte.(Augener.) movements. In the particularcase of Franck, the Trio No. 2, in one movement,for violin, violoncello, and dominantprogression is firsttoward the Symphony pianoforte.(Augener.) in D and the continuanceof that No. in D forviolin and minor, progression Sonata I, minor, pianoforte.is (Augener.) diversely toward 'Psyche' and some smaller Sonata No. 2, in A minor,for violinand pianoforte.works of kindred spirit, toward the quartet,and (WinthropRogers.) toward the late organ pieces. This progression PIANOFORTE MUSIC. begins at the latest with ' ,' but possibly Decorations. (I. The Island Spell ; 2. Moonglade; with 'Le Chasseur maudit.' It thus carrieswith it 3. The ScarletCeremonies.) (Augener.) the entire mass of the pianoforte works, which Rhapsody. (WinthropRogers.) themselvesform a section of the utmostconsistency Preludes. (The Undertone; Obsession; The Holy Boy; and for 'Les the Fireof Spring.) (WinthropRogers.) compactness. Except Eolides,' London Pieces-I. Chelsea Reach. 'Three Pieces for Organ,' 'Rebecca,' the operas, II. Ragamuffin.(Augener.) and some of the songs and part-songs,every work The Towing-Path(in the Press). (Augener.) of the forms of the wave of Leavesfrom a Child'sSketch Book. thirty part grand cyclic (WinthropRogers.) this finalperiod of Franck's life. 'Les Beatitudes' SONGS. being what it is in the total scheme of his Sea Fever. (Augener.) whole we that The Bells of San Marie. (Augener.) life, mightconsider this wonderfully Hope, the Hornblower. (Boosey.) single, unified progression which fills Franck's ofa Songs Wayfarer. (Boosey.) * Marigold. Impressionfor voice and pianoforte.(I. Youth's 'At this moment . . he does not intend to be a stranger to any form of his art, symphony,. vocal music, chamber music, even lyric SpringTribute : 2. Penumbra; 3. Spleen.) (Winthrop drama-he attacks them all in turn; there is not one realm in the Rogers.) universe of music that he fails to explore.'--(d'Indy.)

This content downloaded from 128.235.251.160 on Wed, 25 Mar 2015 19:50:30 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE MUSICAL TIMES.-SEPTEMBER I, 1919. 463 last eighteenyears (and which,regarded other- rearrangement of certainof the itemsin the list. wise,summarises the characteristics, and synthetisesBut I do notimagine that it wouldnecessitate any the results,of musical activityall throughthe importantmodification: the characterof Franck's I9th century)takes its rise out of 'Les B6atitudes.'genius, from his fiftiethyear to his lastyear, tells I wishto place beforestudents an 'abstract' veryclearly that the main'symphonic' movement representationof the thirtyworks of this period of his creativeactivity during this periodwas as of Franck'slife. Such an abstractis helpfulin the followingsequential ordering of his thirty the respectthat it enables one to perceivethe compositions: fundamentalunity of these works and to determine I. 1869-79'Les BMatitudes'-Oratorio. the functionand purposeof anyindividual work 2. 1876 'Les Eolides'-Symphonic-poem. in thegrand design of thewhole. But I givefirst 3 1878 'Trois piecespour l'orgue.' ofall a listof the these 4. I878-79 PianoforteQuintet. chronological thirtyworks, 5. 1879 Song,'Le vasebrise.' not yet being fullyfamiliar to Englishstudents 6. 188i 'Rebecca'-Scena, forsoli, chorus,and -either actuallyfamiliar through performance or orchestra. relativelyfamiliar as simplehistorical facts. 7. 1882-85''-Opera, fourActs and Epilogue. The list that followsis based on Vincent 8. 1882 'Le Chasseurmaudit'-Symphonic-poem. 9. 1884 Song,'Nocturne.' d'Indy's,but it differsfrom that authoritative list 0o 1884 'Les Djinns'-Symphonic-poem forpiano- in severalimportant details. For instance,it forteand orchestra. places' Psyche' afterthe Symphonyinstead of II. 1884 Prelude,Chorale, and -Pianoforte. 12 1885 SymphonicVariations - Pianoforteand beforeit, and enumerates'Psyche' as No. I7 in orchestra. the list and the Symphonyas No. I6, whereas 13 1885 'Danse lente'-Pianoforte. in d'Indythese two worksare respectivelyNo. 16 14. I886 Sonatain A-Pianoforteand violin. ('Psyche') and No. 23 (Symphony). The 15. 1886-87 Prelude,Aria, and Finale-Pianoforte. reasonfor these differences the of 16. I886-88 Symphonyin D minor(completed before represents object January9, 1887). thisbrief article. Withoutreferring to form,style, 17. 1887-88 ' Psyche'-Symphonic-poemfor orchestra, character,or arrangementof works,and without withchorus. discussionof theirspiritual nature or subject,my 18-22. 1888 Five separate choral works (including is to show how Franck'smind followed a Psalm 15o). object 23-24.1888 Songs-(a) 'ILa Procession,'(b) ' Les straightand consistentcourse from start to finish, clochesdu soir.' withoutcasual attentionto side concernsand 25 1888-89' Ghisele'--Lyricdrama in four Acts. withoutdiminution of intensityof interest. In 26. 1889 StringQuartet in D. the orderof whichis determined 27. 1889 Andantinoin G minorfor organ. d'Indy'slist, by 28. 1889 Preludesand Prayers(Charles V. Alkan) the year when a particularwork was entirely (arr.for organ). completedand readyfor performance, this inner 29. 188990 ' L'Organiste'(fifty-nine pieces-Versicles is not apparent. The to theMagnificat)-Harmonium. continuity immediately Three 1888 Symphony(1886-88) is precededby six small 30. 1890 Chorales-Organ. worksand by one large1887-88 work ('Psyche'). Before presentingmy abstract,I must make Strictlyspeaking, I suppose the rightplace for a fewremarks about certainof the above works. the Symphonyis where d'Indy puts it, for 'Les Beatitudes' is more than a work of the Franck was at work on it until afterthose thirdperiod. It is the workof Franck'slifetime. i888 workswere done with. But the actual The subject occupied him in his firstperiod compositionof the Symphonywas over before(1841-52), when he wrote two works upon it. 'Psyche' and therest were begun. Its conceptionIt possiblyoccupied him all throughhis second was anteriorto theirconception, but so was the period (1852-74),* that strange stretch of time matterof the full realisationand expressionof when,musing continuously at theorgan, he made that conception. The Symphonywas completelywhat men of his religioncall a 'retreat.' The finishedbefore January 9, 1887; thatis to say, operasstand outside of Franck's most characteristic thework as a representativeoutcome of Franck'swork. They are worksfor his own pleasure, artistico-spiritualprogression was a fait accompliundertakings to satisfyhis superbambition. Each beforethe 1888 workswere contemplated,such occursat a periodwhen some mighty task had just furtherattention as theorchestration being-if not, been completed. Franckgave ten definiteyears relativelyspeaking, merely mechanical - at the to 'Les Beatitudes'; he workedleisurely upon most no morethan mental: certainlynot at all ' Hulda.' ' Ghisele' he carriedthrough quickly, spiritualin the way the conceptionand the composingthe last two Acts in his eight-weeks' compositionof a workare spiritual. I thinkthat vacation during the summerof 1889, at the we maysay that as soon as a workis fullydrafted, same time writingthe Quartet. The chamber withall interveninggaps filled(such as the gaps musicbelongs to phasesof climax,the Quintetto Beethovenso oftenleft for a happy momentof theclimax of 'Les B6atitudes,'the Sonatato that inspirationto fill,and also at times-as inthe Quartet of the pianoforte music, and the Quartetto thatof -this wonderfulBelgian), that work has ceased to theSymphony. 'Les Eolides' is a relief-pieceto * be a presentfactor in the spiritualprogression of Periods overlap. The concluding work of the second period, the composer. Our knowledgeis notcomplete of 'The Redemption,' was finished in 1874; but Franck's final spiritual state was begun before that year. We may put it as definitelyapparent the genesis of many of Franck's compositions.when he was fifty(1872). Has anyone yet considered the quickening Fuller this article be effect on Franck of the war, 1870-71? The story of the compositionr knowledge(which might of the 'Ode to Paris' (song, 1870, but published only recently) is very looked upon as seeking for) might compel a significant.

This content downloaded from 128.235.251.160 on Wed, 25 Mar 2015 19:50:30 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 464 THE MUSICAL TIMES.-SEPTEMBER I, I9I9.

'Les B6atitudes.' 'Le Chasseur maudit' is I. 1869-79. Period of The Beatitudes and four other of same. The works(the last period of Franck'slife as composer something the 1878 organworks of sacredmusic): are 'occasional'-Franck wrote them for the 11'SONG' special purpose of displayingthe qualitiesof a (1876) 'BEATITUDE S' new organ. The spiritualenergy of all theyears I I I II from' Les Djinns' to the Symphonyramified into k1879) Eolides II II I the Quartet,into 'Psyche,' and its companionst 11 ii-oisPieces Quintet 'La and the and (Psalm i50, Procession,' rest), II. 188o. Rest year; no worksproduced. final intothe organworks, of whichthe beautiful III. 1881-85. Period of Hulda and three other works first number, the Andantino, is a fitting (a quasi-recreativeperiod) : introduction,but the beautyand powerare not 'SONG' to be perceived except by aid of such study ' REBECCA' 'H U L D A' as thatthat has to the of thisarticle. gone making I I I I iI The songsare as severalsudden lyric flashes in the (1881) I (1885) blazingspiritual grandeur of the whole. The later 1tChasseur I organ works are Franck's leisured entryinto IV. 1884-90. Period of the Symphony,and of twenty- one other works,symphonic and otherwise. (The eternity.He completedthe chorales on hisdeath- finalseven years of Franck'slife.) No worksleft bed. He did not completethe 'Magnificat' unfinishedexcept the scoringof last two Acts of versicles. 'I shall go on withthem as soon as I Ghisele and the completionof the intended full hundredof the Magnificatversicles ; and of this, get better-or else,' he added in a lowertone, the instrumentationof the opera was sketchedout 'perhaps God will let me finishthem in His and sixty-threeof the versicleswritten (fifty-nine eternityto come.' published): II'SONGS' i II Djinns II Sym. Var. I ISymphonyI I Quartet II (1890) ' (1884) II PSY CHE' - Organ27-29 Chorales IH Sonata Ps. I30 Prelude, Prelude, II I| Chorale, Danse Prelude,Aria, & Finale &'Fugue. Lente II I 1I II ' HIS EL E' II

PROGRAMME MUSIC: ITS LIMITATIONS AND ABUSE. By ARTHUR L. SALMON. There are manypersons who liketo havetheir verbal prayer, sorrow that can be condensedin no musiclabelled forthem; theyexpect to be told verbal phrases. We might as well speak of what it represents.They can betterenjoy the musicalpainting as of pictorialmusic; the two firstmovement of Beethoven'sC sharp minorspheres are entirelydifferent. That music or Sonata because the name 'Moonlight'has been paintingor poetrymay be promptedby the same tagged on to it. 'There! that is the moon emotion,may endeavourto express the same breakingthrough the clouds,' said my music-sentiment and desire, is true enough; but the masterto me once; and, beinga boy, I was duly expressionis soughtin totallydifferent ways, and impressed. It is this demandon the partof a thoseways are notto be confounded.If theyare, defective taste that has given us so-calledthere is sureto be artisticloss. We may borrow 'programme'music-that is to say,music which in or interchangethe phraseology-forinstance, some degreeis surrenderingits propervocation, when we speak of a gracefulsoaring minster as a and tryingto intrudeon theprovince of other arts. 'lyricin stone'; butit is the promptinginspiring Educationally,as a steptowards something higher, sentiment that we thusterm lyrical, not the stone- this kind of thingmay have its excuse and its work. If we speakof a picturein music,we may properplace; itwill do forchildren and forthose rightlymean that the music suggeststhe same whosetaste is as a child's. But the child should sentimentas may be suggestedby pictures; but be weanedfrom it, gradually but firmly,ifhe is to themeans of suggestion remain individual and are enterthe holyplaces of pure and unadulteratednot pictorial. Music cannotdescribe; it cannot music,of musicthat is notdescriptive or imitativeconvey outlines, it cannot express definite or pictorial,but indefinitelyand immeasurablythought; it can onlyconvey feeling. And surely suggestive.It is notgiven to musicat itshighest that is enoughfor it. Music is the suggestionof to depictor to delineateor even to translateideas visions,but it does not definethem-we haveto into sound; it is givento it to expressemotion do our ownseeing; it is the utteranceof dreams, thatcan findno articulateutterance, passion that but it does not relatethem-we have to do our passes beyondwords, longing that transcends all owndreaming.

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