Franck studied at the Liege and Paris conservatories with the hope of becoming a piano virtuoso according to his father's wishes. Finding that his talents lay elsewhere, he turned to composition and the organ. He became the organist at St. Clotilde in Paris in 1858. A great improvisor, Franck produced the Six Pieces in 1862, which established him in musical circles, but it wasn't until 1872 that he received the appointment as professor of the organ at the Conservatoire at Paris. In 1879, he produced the oratorio Les Beatitudes. It was also during this period that he wrote several symphonic poems, such as Psyche (1888), His greatest musical achievements however, were his chamber and keyboard works, which included the Piano Quintet (1879), Prelude, Chorale and Fugue (1884), the Violin Sonata (1886) and the String Quartet (1889). He also produced a symphony, in D Minor, in 1888. |
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