A companion to the author's Toward and Authentic Interpretation of the Organ Works of César Franck, this title applies the sources discussed in that volume in its practical approach to performance. Each of Franck's twelve major organ works is discussed in detail: the manuscript, the work's history and association with Franck and his circle, published editions, corrections to the 1959 Durand edition, and recorded performances. Technical problems are discussed and solutions provided. A glossary of terms found in Franck's organ works is provided with English translation; Franck's often confusing registration indications are translated and explained; performance of each work is discussed in light of the information provided by Franck's own pupils, their students and contemporaries. A bibliography of Franck literature published from 1983 to 1996 is also included.

C sar Franck (1822-1890), Belgian born and French domiciled, was one of the most remarkable composers of the 19th century. A number of his works are commonly recorded--such as his Symphony in D Minor, Symphonic Variations, Violin Sonata, and the ever-popular Panis Angelicus--and yet 38 years have elapsed since a biography of him appeared in English. Now with C sar Franck: His Life and Times, R. J. Stove fills this gap in the history of late 19th-century classical music with a full-length study of the man and his music. Drawing on sources never before cited in English, Stove paints a far more detailed picture of this great musician and deeply loved man, whose influence in both his native and adopted lands was exceptional. Stove carefully delves into intimate matters of Franck's life, including his resilience in the face of his exploitation as a child prodigy at the piano, his development from a shy and harassed piano teacher into one of the most sought-after luminaries of Paris's Conservatoire, and the truth behind Franck's alleged affair with one of his students. Throughout his study, Stove interweaves panoramic surveys of the political and social scene in Belgium and France, contextualizing Franck's achievements in his historical milieu, from his rise as a recognized master of the organ to his dealings with significant composers such as Liszt, Gounod, Saint-Sa ns, Massenet, Chabrier, and others. C sar Franck: His Life and Times is an engagingly written biography sure to interest classical music listeners of all stripes.

Franck's twelve major organ works enjoy a popularity which surpasses even that of his Symphony in D Minor. This volume provides a guide to the interpretation of Franck's organ works by examining the extant first-hand references to him as a student, performer, and teacher written by those who knew him, heard him, and studied with him.

The collection of 59 short works known as "L'Organiste" was written by Cesar Franck in 1889 and 1890 for the harmonium and is most often played on organ. This score is an exact reprint of the original edition published by Enoch (Paris) in 1892.

*Winner of the Sophie Brody Medal* A moving and uplifting history set to music that reveals the rich life of one of the first internationally renowned female violinists. Spanning generations, from the shores of the Black Sea to the glittering concert halls of New York, The Nightingale's Sonata is a richly woven tapestry centered around violin virtuoso Lea Luboshutz. Like many poor Jews, music offered an escape from the predjudices that dominated society in the last years of the Russian Empire. But Lea’s dramatic rise as an artist was further accentuated by her scandalous relationship with the revolutionary Onissim Goldovsky. As the world around them descends in to chaos, between revolution and war, we follow Lea and her family from Russia to Europe and eventually, America. We cross paths with Pablo Casals, Isadora Duncan, Emile Zola and even Leo Tolstoy. The little girl from Odessa will eventually end up as one of the founding faculty of the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music, but along the way she will lose her true love, her father, and watch a son die young. The Iron Curtain would rise, but through it all, she plays on. Woven throughout this luminous odyssey is the story is Cesar Franck’s “Sonata for Violin and Piano.” As Lea was one of the first-ever internationally recognized female violinists, it is fitting that this pioneer was one of the strongest advocates for this young boundary-pushing composer and his masterwork.

In this first full-length study of the symphony in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century France, Andrew Deruchie provides extended critical discussion of seven of the most influential and frequently performed works of the era, by Camille Saint-Sa ns, C sar Franck, douard Lalo, Vincent d'Indy, and Paul Dukas. The volume explores how these symphonists modernized the art form yet preserved many of the formal and rhetorical conventions of the canon, reconciling, in particular, Beethoven's symphonic legacy with the musical culture, intellectual environment, and political milieu of fin-de-si cle France. Drawing on contemporary criticism, music histories, composers' prose, and unpublished sketches, Deruchie's readings offer fresh insights on issues of musical form and technique, and also move beyond the notes to consider questions of meaning. Andrew Deruchie is a lecturer in musicology at the University of Otago (New Zealand).

Relaxed and accessible in style, this authoritative guide is the first symphony handbook for non-musicians. The book begins with a general introduction to the symphony and short pieces on the orchestra and musical styles. Mordden goes on to describe, chronologically, over 700 pieces--from Vivaldi to twentieth-century composers. Further aids to the reader include two lists of repertory builders and a glossary of musical terms. Easy and pleasurable to read...a genuinely useful guide for the music lover who has not had a musical education but loves concert music.--John Barkham Reviews