Composer/USA
Series IV, Vol. 12, No. 2
2006
Point of View
Al Benner
[Franck]ly Speaking
Cesar Franck (1822-1890) spent most of his life teaching and playing the organ. He was a shy person and not comfortable on the concert stage. He had, however, great influence on many young composers of the time—especially after he was appointed professor of organ at the Paris Conservatory in 1872. It is said he rose at 5:30 am and worked on his compositions until 7:30 am. After that, his day of teaching and playing the organ began.
Since Franck had little time to compose, he was a careful worker. As such, his output is not very large compared to other composers of his time. He is probably best known for his one symphony, one string quartet, one violin sonata, and the Variations symphonique for piano and orchestra. Of course there were other works—symphonic poems, choral pieces, organ pieces and piano compositions, among others.
From The Golden Encyclopedia of Music of Norman Lloyd (Golden Press: New York, 1968; p. 194), it is written “Franck had very little fame while he lived. His pupils worshipped him, but other musicians did not care for his music, and even walked out on it when it was performed. The few concerts of his works that were given were poorly rehearsed and poorly performed. Even this did not seem to worry the almost saintly Franck. His only real public success came from the performance of his String Quartet in the last year of his life.”
I turned 50 last year. And as may also be the case for some of you at that age, it caused me to reflect on my compositional career—what it has been—and what I hope to accomplish in the future. Past readers of ComposerUSA will know that I was a businessman for many years before I turned back to music and composing in my mid-30s. Life has taken many twists and turns for me. From a family and job situation aspect, it is excellent; as for my compositional career, well, I struggle. And being honest with myself, much of it is probably my fault. But here’s where I get inspiration from Franck for I can really relate to the paragraph above. (OK, maybe I am not saintly.)
Unlike Franck, up until this point I have not been a very dedicated composer—at least in the sense of writing every day. I like to think, however, when I do compose, I am at least a meticulous writer. I can claim about 70 titles to date, mostly small chamber music. Like Franck, I characterize myself as shy. I am not a very aggressive promoter of my music. I have been fortunate to have a few “advocates”—the dominant one being Dinos Constantinides—that at least provide me with some performance opportunities. Of course, I established the Louisiana Composers Consortium as an avenue to get performances and in Louisiana I would like to think I am somewhat known. More recently my compositional opportunities have taken the path of arranger—but that is fine with me. But like it was for Franck, nobody is beating down my door to play or commission my music.
Most of Franck’s best compositions were written after he turned 50 and his greatest ones after turning 60. That gives me hope. I have yet to write a symphony, but Franck didn’t write his until he was 66. His music, although not very well accepted in his lifetime, is at least played and performed now with great success. I have several works from the past that I consider to be very good, and I am optimistic that perhaps, like Franck, my major output will now come after I am 50. If I continue to be “underplayed” and “underappreciated,” I will think of Franck and draw inspiration from a fellow composer whose life somewhat mirrors mine. Over a hundred years after his death, he is being recognized for the talent he was; how I would like to come back in a hundred years and see where I stand. V