FRANZ, ROBERT German composer, whose original name was KNAUTH, born at Halle on June 28, 1815, was one of the most gifted of German song writers. He was 20 years old when his father reluctantly allowed him to go to Dessau to study organ-playing under Schneider. The two years of dry study under that famous teacher made him intimate with the works of Bach and Handel, his knowledge of which he used in later life in his considerably criticized editions of the Matthew Passion, Mag nificat, ten cantatas, and of the Messiah and L'Allegro. In he published his first book of 12 songs, which ultimately was fol lowed by some 5o more books, containing in all about 25o songs. The first book was warmly praised by Schumann and Liszt, the latter of whom wrote a long review of it in Schumann's paper, Die Neue Zeitschri f t. Deafness had begun to make itself apparent as early as 1841, and Franz suffered also from a nervous disorder, which in 1868 compelled him to resign his offices. His future was then provided for by Liszt, Joachim, and others, who gave him the receipts of a concert tour, amounting to some 1 oo,000 marks. Franz died on Oct. 24, 1892. On his loth birthday he published his first and only pianoforte piece. It is easy to find here and there among his songs gems that are hardly less brilliant than the best of Schumann's.
See A. Saran, Robert Franz and das deutsche Volks and Kirchenlied (1875) ; von Prochazka, Robert Franz (1894) ; Hermann von der Pfordten, Robert Franz (1923).