Franck Piano Works
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: César Franck
Label: Musica Viva
Magazine Review Date: 6/1994
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 70
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: MVCD1061
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| Danse lente |
César Franck, Composer
César Franck, Composer Robert Silverman, Piano |
| (Les) plaintes d'une poupée |
César Franck, Composer
César Franck, Composer Robert Silverman, Piano |
| (L') Organiste, Volume 1, Movement: Chant de la Creuse |
César Franck, Composer
César Franck, Composer Robert Silverman, Piano |
| (L') Organiste, Volume 1, Movement: Vieux Noël: Andantino |
César Franck, Composer
César Franck, Composer Robert Silverman, Piano |
| (L') Organiste, Volume 1, Movement: Vieux Noël: Maestoso |
César Franck, Composer
César Franck, Composer Robert Silverman, Piano |
| (L') Organiste, Volume 1, Movement: Allegretto |
César Franck, Composer
César Franck, Composer Robert Silverman, Piano |
| (L') Organiste, Volume 1, Movement: Air béarnais |
César Franck, Composer
César Franck, Composer Robert Silverman, Piano |
| (L') Organiste, Volume 1, Movement: Chant béarnais |
César Franck, Composer
César Franck, Composer Robert Silverman, Piano |
| (L') Organiste, Volume 1, Movement: Vieux Noël: Poco lento |
César Franck, Composer
César Franck, Composer Robert Silverman, Piano |
| (L') Organiste, Volume 1, Movement: Noël angévin: Allegretto |
César Franck, Composer
César Franck, Composer Robert Silverman, Piano |
| (L') Organiste, Volume 1, Movement: Noël angévin: Quasi allegro |
César Franck, Composer
César Franck, Composer Robert Silverman, Piano |
| Prélude, aria et final |
César Franck, Composer
César Franck, Composer Robert Silverman, Piano |
| Prélude, choral et fugue |
César Franck, Composer
César Franck, Composer Robert Silverman, Piano |
| Prélude, fugue et variation |
César Franck, Composer
César Franck, Composer Robert Silverman, Piano |
Author: Joan Chissell
Though described as ''the senior Canadian-born pianist concertizing nationally and internationally on a regular basis'', Robert Silverman had not come my way before. So on this first encounter I'll start by saying that I thought him uncommonly closely attuned to Franck's major work for the piano, the Prelude, Chorale et Fugue. What I liked most of all was the self-effacing simplicity of his approach, the total absence of mere pianistic rhetoric. He holds so telling a balance between the composer's ''restless questioning and peaceful reflection'', his ''heady romanticism'' and ''classical restraint'' (as the insert-note puts it) that I felt I'd been brought closer to the essential Pater seraphicus by him than by many a more prestigious Klaviertiger.
I had hoped he might persuade me that the slightly laterPrelude, Aria et Finale was a work of equal distinction. Alas, no. But the performance itself rings true, even with all stops out in the course of the more overtly demonstrative Finale. An attractive selection of rarely heard miniatures (mostly regionally-tinged carols and songs from his L'Organiste, Vol. 1) are played with a salubrious directness. The predominantly mellow-toned disc ends with Bauer's keyboard arrangement of the Prelude, Fugue et Variation from the earlier Six Pieces for organ which we're told ''brought the 40-year-old Franck his first real success as a composer''. Here, Silverman resists all temptation to sentimentalize its meltingly beautiful opening and closing music. But again he makes it speak.'
I had hoped he might persuade me that the slightly later
Franck Piano Works
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