The composition of Les Béatitudes spanned a period marked by the transition from the Second Empire to the Third Republic and the Franco-Prussian War, which affected Franck deeply.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Franck considered Les Béatitudes to be an artistic work that would be a decisive appeal for moral progress and improved social conditions in the industrialised world.
Cultural Impact
The message of Les Béatitudes was not neutral for listeners of the time, as its teaching countered the secular education introduced by anticlerical Jules Ferry in 1881.
Critical Reception
The premiere of the complete Les Béatitudes in 1891 was an immediate success, despite Franck being considered a revolutionary artist whose music was reputed to be difficult.
Compositional Technique
Les Béatitudes uses an architectural structure where each Beatitude is a 'little poem' presenting an antithesis between earthly vices and heavenly affirmation, with the Voice of Christ as the central point.
Composition History
César Franck's oratorio, Les Béatitudes, took ten years to compose, from 1869 to 1879.
Recording & Production
This recording was made in connection with the César Franck bicentenary (1822-2022) of the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège (OPRL).
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