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Bach-C. Franck
Bach-inspired Piano Works by César Franck |
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Contents |
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Piano Transcriptions: Works
Piano Transcriptions: Links
Recordings of Piano Transcriptions |
César Franck - Short Biography |
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Works |
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Work |
No. |
Year |
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Prélude, choral et fugue (Prelude, Chorale and Fugue in B minor), for piano, M 21 |
M-21 |
1884 |
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The Prelude, Chorale and Fugue employs the cyclic form. The cyclic form is a technique of music construction that involves multiple sections or movements in which musical material occurs in more than one movement as a unifying device. There are four main motives which form the basis of the work.
The first motif occurs in the opening and is a sligfhtly altered version of the B-A-C-H theme (BACH motif). The theme is based upon the old German system of key spellings, with the lettring running from A through H, rather than A through G as we use today. Our modern B-flat is the old GB and the modern B is denoted H. This allows one to spell the name B-A-C-H as follows (see Example 18): |
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Frank used a slightly altered version of the theme in the opening of the prelude but its origin is clear (see Example 19). Franz Liszt also emoplyed it in his Fantasia and fugue on the theme B-A-C-H in 1855. |
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The motive consists of falling appoggiaturas and is used in all three sections, resulting in a high level of choromaticism. . |
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Source: Baroque influences in the 20th and 20th century piano repertoire: a study of interpretative issues. Author: Xu Wen. A submission comprising two CDs and an exegesis subbmitted in fullfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music (Elder Conservatorium of Music, The University of Adelaide, November 2007) |
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There are two motivic ideas on which the whole work is based: one, a falling, appoggiatura motif used in all three sections and generally chromatic in tonality (Example 1); the other a criss-crossing motif in fourths (the 'motto' theme, Example 2) which appears first in the Chorale section and then again as a balm at the point where the Fugue reaches its emotional crisis. The first motivic idea is clearly related to the Bach Cantata Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, and also to the Crucifixus from the B minor Mass; the other idea appears as the 'bell motif' in Wagner's Parsifal. |
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Source: Stephen Hough > Writings > Album Notes > Franck: Piano Music |
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Links |
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Prepared by Aryeh Oron (April 2013) |
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César Franck : Short Biography | Bach-inspired Piano Works: Works| Recordings |
