If scholarship from the bicentenary of Franck's birth from last year tells us anything,Footnote 1 it is that César Franck is still a composer many consider misunderstood. Too late to break through as a pianist-composer in Paris at the height of the age of Chopin, Liszt, and Alkan, and too early for the post-1870 piano revival in France, Franck would ultimately abandon serious piano composition for almost 40 years, switching to the organ as his main instrument from the late 1840s.
The new edition of César Franck's complete organ works helps to correct current understanding of this composer. It incorporates a treasure of information across four books, starting with a foreword by Marie-Louise Langlais, one of the current leading Franck researchers and performers who was particularly busy last year, touring internationally with presentations and masterclasses. This collection comes at an opportune moment, in the wake of renewed interest in Franck, a composer who has somewhat fallen from grace, but has never faltered amongst organists. This publication is a vade mecum, with neatly packaged notes laid out clearly, allowing readers to quickly access the sources and make performance decisions backed by rigorous research.
This edition, which will undoubtedly be an essential reference for organists for a long time, is indispensable in its depth, cross-referencing various sources. The layout is clear, without an overload of musicological material where footnotes could clutter entire pages, such as in Alfred Cortot's Edizioni Curci of Franck's works.Footnote 2 Instead, the in-depth source notes are confined to separate sections. While the notation may not be the most aesthetically appealing—its austere straight lines are in stark contrast to the flowing lines of a composer's manuscript—clarity and ease of reading have prevailed, allowing for an edition that is as suitable for study as it is for performance.
Richard Brasier has undertaken a significant and tricky task, referring to all the known sources, including Franck's sometimes-ambiguous instructions and unclear writing; and seeking out the manuscripts, many of which are held privately. While it differs from other scores, primarily focusing on first editions, Braiser's work still consults and cites later publications. He does an admirable job of comparing these sources, discussing their differences and providing excellent facsimile examples. There are also snippets on compositional and performance history, as well as relevant reviews tied in with the most up-to-date research regarding instrument and performance history.
Aspiring organists will find the introduction covers many of the necessary bases for understanding the circumstances of creation of the works, from Franck's lesser-known early exploration with the organ to the circumstances of the creation of his swan songs, the Chorals. They will also be aided by a developed timeline, which is understandably slanted from an organist's perspective. Even the seasoned Franck performer will find many morsels of analysis and inquiry that will aid them: a deeper understanding of Franck's registration practice is essential to extrapolate what Franck most likely had in mind:
It is possible that Franck intended both hands to remain on the Positif for this passage, but Maurice Duruflé, Jean Langlais and Marcel Dupré all believed that the right hand should be played on the Grand-Orgue, and not the Positif. If Franck really wanted both hands to play on the Positif, then he would have surely shared the notation between the staves, rather than using the right hand stave exclusively (80).
This commentary from an experienced performer and researcher, as well as the deciphering of Franck's hand in manuscripts and the many discrepancies between them, will be crucial for many as a performance guide. Organists will do well to pay attention to the remarks made in this edition for practical details, such as: ‘It is clear that Franck would have played bars 65–204 on the Grand-Orgue, with the developmental nature of the music implying the use of one manual throughout’ (58). This is just one instance of the kind of insight that only a seasoned Franck performer can offer. The Notes on Performance Practice section covers Franck's contentious playing style and discusses some of his students; together with the description of Franck's instruments, including the Trocadero and his manuals at Sainte-Clotilde, these notes contribute toward historically informed performance of his music.
The extensive notes include detailed descriptions of finger substitutions, legato and various organ consoles, the collected data of the performance history of the pieces, and most pragmatically, various suggested and historic metronome indications by Franck, Tournemire, Dupré, Marchal and Langlais. No Franck master is without their own strong opinions on tempos in his music, from Marie-Louise Jaquet-Langlais pounding the pulse on non-compliant students’ shoulders in masterclasses to Joris Verdin's meticulous analysis in his presentations and recordings. There can be no definitive answer to tempo markings, as we will never know how Franck himself played them, but having an overview of responses will help decision-making in this regard.Footnote 3
The present edition blends musicological research with the above-mentioned practical performance notes and a historical context, which organists need to grasp, perhaps more than any other instrumentalists, in order to claim mastery over their instrument. With the inclusion of biographical information, facsimiles, and layout of stops, along with photos of the most important organs in Franck's career, performers will have the necessary information to make informed performance decisions. Brasier fills the notes with valuable insight that personalizes the writing; the absence of an overbearing, authoritative tone allows the reader to feel the flexibility necessary in performing these works, free from the perfunctory dogma or religious zealotry as that found in the Cortot or D'Indy's editions.Footnote 4
Since Franck's organ works can be presented succinctly in one edition, this should be in the library of every organist and Franck scholar. Richard Brasier sought to create modern edition that was in line with the composer's intentions while also being a practical, performing edition; in this, he has undoubtedly succeeded.
