Francaix 'Flower Clock'...(ZHAn FRAHN'
say) ("L'Horloge de Flore")
Jean Francaix was born in France in 1912. His music has much clarity,
elegance and wit. Much of it in this 1959 work written at the request of
oboist John de Lancie who premiered the work in 1961. The piece is based
on the 'flower-clock' of Swedish botanist Linnaeus, who listed a few
varieties of plants by the time of day or evening when they bloomed. Seven
of them were set to music by Francaix. Three AM, The Poison Berry; Five
AM, The Blue Catanache; Ten AM, The Torch Thistle; Noon, The Malabar
Jasmine; FIVE PM, The Belladonna - Deadly Nightshade; Seven PM, The
Mourning Geranium; and Nine PM, The Night-Flowering Catchfly. (Notes from
NIMBUS CD # 5330).
Franck Le chasseur maudit Symphonic Poem The Accursed Huntsman 1889
French composer Cesar Franck's music recounting Count Hackenberg, a
hunting enthusiast who would hunt every day. The horn calls the
hunters, a church bell peals at sunrise. Then galloping rhythms
depict the hunters ride then a stag that the hunters are pursuing
runs into the chapel of a holy hermit. A violent chase
ensues, which disappears into the distance.
The story is from a poem by German writer Gottfried August Bürger,
then reworked in English by Sir Walter Scott in 1796.
Franck Sym in
d
When Cesar Franck's only symphony was given it's FP in 1889, composer
Charles
Gounod walked out saying the work was "radical and incompetant". It did,
regardless, become one of the 20th century's most popular symphonies.
Music analysts have
suggested various mystical interpretations of the work and have pointed
out Franck's orchestral sonorities were similar to those of the organ.
The general public enjoyed the symphony's noble and flowing melodies. It
was the first major symphonic composition out of France and although
controversial at the time it was the template for the modern French
symphonic tradition.
Franck 'Symphonic
Variations' For Piano and Orchestra
Franck 'Violin Sonata in A'
Frank was an organist and teacher and had little time for composing. His
great scores all come from the last few years of his life. The Violin
Sonata comes from this last period of his life.
Frederick The Great
Concerto No 2 in G He lived between the years 1712 and 1786
aka The King of Prussia, in his younger years he maintained a small
chamber orchestra and also played the flute. He enlarged his ochestyra
when he took the throne in 1740. Johann Quantz wrote 296 flute concertos
for him, but he also composed a few works for himself including this one.
Frederick the Great 'Suite No 4 in D' The Prussian monarch
studied organ at the age of seven. Maintained a chamber orchestra from
1732 to 1735. Studied flute until he took the throne in 1740. At this time
he expanded his orchestra from 17 to 40 players. He wrote 122 sonatas,
four flute concertos, four symphonies and many smaller pieces.
