Holmes and the Mystery Romance
Donald Macleod on the turbulent background to Franck's celebrated piano quintet, rooted in his marital difficulties from appearing to fall in love with a glamorous female pupil.
Were they in love? Did anything happen? The rumour mills of musical Paris were never more active than when the whiskery C茅sar Franck appeared to pay inordinate attention to a glamorous female pupil, one Augusta Holm猫s. Donald Macleod continues his account of the life and times of the Belgian composer, looking at the turbulent background to his celebrated piano quintet. Now a professor of organ at the Paris Conservatoire, Franck continued to try his hand unsuccessfully at composing for the opera stage. With a plot deemed too violent for public performance, he salvaged some measure of self-respect by getting some of the music performed as a ballet - he even danced to some of it whilst in his nightshirt!
Last on
Music Played
-
![]()
C茅sar Franck
Quintet in F minor M.7 for piano and strings
Performer: Cristina Ortiz. Ensemble: Fine Arts Quartet.- NAXOS : 8-572009.
- NAXOS.
- 3.
-
![]()
C茅sar Franck
Le Chasseur maudit M.44
Performer: Suisse Romande Orchestra. Conductor: Ernest Ansermet.- DECCA : 433-718-2.
- DECCA.
- 4.
-
![]()
C茅sar Franck
Prelude, fugue and variation in B minor M.30, Op.18 for organ [no.3 of "6 piece
Performer: Sir Stephen Hough.- HYPERION : Hyperion-CDA66918.
- HYPERION.
- 1.
-
![]()
C茅sar Franck
Hulda - opera in 4 acts
Orchestra: Liege Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Christian Arming.- FUGA LIBERA : FUG-596.
- Fuga Libera.
- 6.
Broadcasts
- Thu 27 Feb 2014 12:00大象传媒 Radio 3
- Thu 27 Feb 2014 18:30大象传媒 Radio 3
Vaughan Williams Today
Programmes, concerts and features celebrating Vaughan Williams's 150th anniversary.
Beethoven Unleashed 鈥� the box set
The complete set of Radio 3 Beethoven Unleashed podcasts, with Donald Macleod.
What was really wrong with Beethoven?
Georgia Mann and neurosurgeon Henry Marsh examine the composer's numerous health problems
Composers A to Z
Visit the extensive audio archive of Radio 3 programmes about Composers and their works.
Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week
The production team reflects on 5 of Donald Macleod鈥檚 best stories from the last 20 years
Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem
What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?
A man out of time 鈥� why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...
The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.
Composer Help Page
Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.