Piano Quintet in F minor (score and parts) by Cesar Franck
Edited by Ernst-Gunter Heinemann. Published by Henle
Cesar Franck (1822-90) was one of the most influential composers in France at the end of the nineteenth century, as well as a prominent organist and respected teacher. His music is most known for its recurring cyclic themes, deep expression and dramatic harmonies and modulations, the latter an important influence on Debussy. Unusually for a composer of his stature, his reputation rests almost entirely on a handful of late works.
Franck's Piano Quintet in F minor (1879) for piano, 2 violins, viola, and cello is one of his significant achievements. It is dramatic, passionate, and intense-qualities that were seen by some at its premiere as unfashionable and ill-suited to the chamber genre. Camille Saint-Saens, the premiering pianist and dedicatee, infamously stormed off-stage after its first performance. But its deep emotional power-described by Eduard Lalo as an ''explosion''--has lasted and has since reframed the possibilities of chamber music, making it a milestone in French classical music. This gripping work is presented in this Henle urtext edition edited by Ernst-Gunter Heinemann. Parts and piano score. Master level, grade 6.
