Fabrice Bollon, the general music director/chief conductor at Germany's Theater Freiburg, has received international acclaim for his work, including Editor's Choice accolades in Gramophone magazine and Diapason d'Or Awards.
Recording & Production
This recording restores Hulda using the original score housed at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, reinstating key scenes that were removed from the published version and never performed.
Composer Biography
César Franck, a professor of organ and improvisation at the Paris Conservatoire and one of the greatest organ virtuosos of his century, was known for his unconventional teaching style, often giving simple 'I like it' or 'I don't like it' judgments.
Composition History
César Franck's opera Hulda was completed in 1885 but was not accepted for production during his lifetime, despite his efforts.
Critical Reception
Hulda received its posthumous premiere in a crude, cut-down version in Monte Carlo in 1894, three and a half years after Franck's death, and was dropped after just three performances.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Franck chose the subject of Hulda, based on a play by Nobel Prize winner Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, as a potential political message against war and colonialism, resonating with his earlier patriotic ode during the Franco-Prussian War.
Recording & Production
This album is the world premiere recording of César Franck's opera Hulda in its original, uncut version.
