César FRANCK (1822-1890)
Symphony in D minor [39:06]
Ce qu’on entend sur la montagne [24:14]
Hulda, Ballet allégorique [17:17]
Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège/Christian Arming
rec. 4-8 June 2012, Salle Philharmonique, Liège, Belgium
FUGA LIBERA FUG596 [80:37]
This disc couples the celebrated Franck, the great
D minor symphony, with the obscure: two pieces which are almost never
heard or even recorded. It’s a great success all around.
Let’s start with the earliest work.Ce qu’on entend sur
la montagne is more interesting by virtue of being the first symphonic
poem ever composed, than it is by virtue of being good. It’s early
Franck, in a muted, Germanic Sturm und drang mood which doesn’t
feel especially like any composer in particular. There are episodes
of tension and suspense which build to little, at least two moments
where hymnal scoring brings to mind the monastery scene in Tchaikovsky’s
Romeo and Juliet - written decades later - and a very brief climax
around 18:00 that has a lot of power. The booklet brings up but dismisses
another possible way Franck might have influenced a later composer:
the pulsating violins in this work sound a lot like the beginnings to
several Bruckner symphonies, in an apparent coincidence. The most important
thing about the work is its date of composition, 1846, which would have
made it the first symphonic poem - had Franck ever had it published
or performed.
What follows is even rarer. The ballet music from Hulda has apparently
not been recorded since a live 1960 broadcast of the full opera was
set to LP. This neglect really makes no sense at all, especially in
an age where nearly everything is being recorded. The first dance admittedly
comes across as charmless and bland, but the second is more distinctive
and more reflective of the mature Franck’s style; the dance of
the elves is a little menacing (Lord of the Rings elves?) and the final
rondo brings the disc to a rousing close.
The first half of the CD is an account of the very frequently played
and recorded Symphony in D minor. But I’m surprised and gladdened
to report that the Liège Philharmonic and Christian Arming are
in smashing form here too, and theirs is a performance of great romantic
passion, epic sweep, and even a splendorous orchestral sound. Compared
to some accounts - my favorite is Kondrashin with the Concertgebouw
- the first movement lacks a touch of energy and mania, but there’s
Gallic warmth to compensate. The recorded sound, which lets you hover
atop the podium surveying everything but feels warm rather than clinical,
contributes to my impression of the Liège Philharmonic as being
a truly exemplary ensemble. Only at the very ending of the symphony
do things feel a little clogged, sonically.
All in all I’m very happy with this. If you love the symphony,
here’s a very good account; if you love rarities, the ballet suite
offers some pretty dances and the tone poem is at least historically
interesting. And the whole program clocks in at a very generous 81 minutes.
Brian Reinhart
