Franck: Piano Works

Featuring

Michael Korstick
César Franck

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Composer Biography

César Franck, the composer, was over 60 years old when he published his first grand piano work, Prélude, Choral et Fugue, in 1884.

Composition History

César Franck gifted his Violin Sonata in A major to the Belgian violinist and composer Eugène Ysaÿe on his wedding day.

Interpretation

Pianist Michael Korstick believes that some pieces, like Franck's Violin Sonata, come across even better in a piano-alone version, as the polyphonic structure becomes clearer.

Compositional Technique

Franck's Prélude, Choral et Fugue pays homage to J.S. Bach (a Baroque composer) by incorporating Bach's name, set in notes, into the interval structure of its core motif.

Notable Performances

The premiere of Franck's Violin Sonata was performed by Eugène Ysaÿe (the dedicatee) and Léontine-Marie Bordes-Pène (the pianist) in Brussels on December 16, 1886, to an enthusiastic audience.

Performer Biography

Michael Korstick, the pianist on this album, is renowned for balancing brilliant virtuosity with musical introspection and uncompromising faithfulness to the works he performs.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Franck's compositional style, described as "organistic in its conception" by Michael Korstick (a pianist on this album), was heavily influenced by his main instrument, the organ.