SACDs - Franck, E

The Audite series of chamber music for string instruments by Eduard Franck continues with his two String Quintets Opp. 15 and 51 which were probably written, respectively, around 1845 and 1870. With these two works, which were composed at a time when demand for high-quality works increased considerably, due to the rapid development of bourgeois concert life, Franck proves, once again, to be one of the most original German-speaking composers of chamber music. Franck’s quintets satisfy both 'connoisseurs' and 'enthusiasts' thanks to their masterful command of contrapuntal techniques, as well as the succinct and memorable melodic and thematic invention which is combined with great dramatic arches. At the same time, the music, thanks to the idiomatic string writing which is carefully adapted to each instrument, develops a noble and stirring spirit whose subliminal melancholy in several respects anticipates Brahms’ musical language. The climax is surely the finale of the second quintet which Franck conceived as a theme with 10 variations, in which he reveals an astonishing expressive spectrum. The string quintets by Eduard Franck, scored for the standard combination of two violins, two violas and one cello, are first-class additions to the repertoire of 19th century chamber music.

Audite continues its Eduard Franck series with the Piano Trios Op. 11 and Op. 58, two large-scale and sound-intensive works, which are amongst Franck's most attractive compositions. Both works display an impressive compositional aplomb and a rich palette of stylistic devices. Today, Eduard Franck is considered a mediator between the generations of the main masters, a link between Schumann and Mendelssohn on the one hand and Bruch, Brahms and Bruckner on the other.The richness of these rediscovered works is surprising even a century after Franck's death.