FRANCK, CESAR (1822-189o), French musical composer, a Belgian by birth, who came of German stock, was born at Liege on Dec. 1o, 1822. After some studies at Liege he came to Paris in 1837 and entered the conservatoire. His early compositions date from this period, and include four trios for piano and strings, be sides several piano pieces. Ruth, a biblical cantata was produced with success at the conservatoire in 1846. An opera entitled Le Valet de ferme was written about this time, but has never been performed. For many years Franck led a retired life, devoting himself to teaching and to his duties as organist, first at Saint Jean-Saint-Francois, then at Ste. Clotilde, where he acquired a great reputation as an improvisor. He also wrote a mass, heard in 1861, and a quantity of motets, organ pieces and other works of a religious character.
Franck was appointed professor of the organ at the Paris con servatoire, in succession to Benoist, his old master, in 1872, and the next year he was naturalized a Frenchman. A revival of his early oratorio, Ruth, had brought his name again before the public, and this was followed by the production of Redemption, a work for solo, chorus and orchestra, given under the direction of M. Colonne on the loth of April 1873. The unconventionality of the music rather disconcerted the general public, but the work nevertheless made its mark. The following is a list of his subse quent compositions: Rebecca (1881), a biblical idyll for solo, chorus and orchestra; Les Beatitudes, an oratorio composed be tween 187o and 188o, perhaps his greatest work; the symphonic poems, Les Eolides (1876), Le Chasseur maudit (1883) , Les Djinns (1884), for piano and orchestra; Psyche (1888), for or chestra and chorus ; symphonic variations for piano and orchestra (1885) ; symphony in D (1889) ; quintet for piano and strings (188o) ; sonata for piano and violin (1886) ; string quartet (1889) ; prelude, choral and fugue for piano (1884) ; prelude, aria and finale for piano (1889) ; various songs, notably "La Pro cession" and "Les Cloches du Soir." Franck also composed two four-act operas, Hulda and Ghiselle, both of which were produced at Monte Carlo after his death, which took place in Paris on the 8th of November 189o. The second of these was left by the mas ter in an unfinished state, and the instrumentation was completed by several of his pupils.
Cesar Franck's influence on his younger contemporaries was very great. An inspiring teacher, who by the simplicity and beauty of his own nature won the love and devotion of all who came in contact with him, he numbered among his own actual pupils D'Indy, Duparc, Chaussan, Ropartz, Pierne, de Breville, Bordes and LeKeu. A more sincere, modest, self-respecting com poser probably never existed. In the centre of the brilliant French capital he was able to lead a laborious existence consecrated to his threefold career of organist, teacher and composer. He never sought to gain the suffrages of the public by unworthy concessions, but kept straight on his path, ever mindful of an ideal to be reached and never swerving therefrom. A statue was erected to his memory in Paris on Oct. 22, 1904, the occasion producing a panegyric from Alfred Bruneau, in which he spoke of the com poser's works as "cathedrals in sound." See H. Imbert, Portraits et Etudes, Cesar Franck, etc. (1896) ; G.
Derepas, Cesar Franck (1897) ; V. d'Indy, Cesar Franck (1906, Eng. trans., 191o) .