October-December 2019

The String Quintets of Eduard Franck

Eduard Franck (1817-1893) was born in Breslau, the capital of the Prussian province of Silesia. He was the fourth child of a wealthy and cultivated banker who exposed his children to the best and brightest that Germany had to offer. Frequenters to the Franck home included such luminaries as Heine, Humboldt, Heller, Mendelssohn, and Wagner. His family’s financial position allowed Franck to study with Mendelssohn as a private student in Dusseldorf and later in Leipzig. As a talented pianist, he embarked upon a dual career as a concert artist and teacher for more than four decades during the course of which he held many positions. Although he was highly regarded as both a teacher and performer, he never achieved the public recognition of his better known contemporaries such as Mendelssohn, Schumann or Liszt. As fine a pianist as the first two and perhaps even a better teacher, the fact that he failed to publish very many of his compositions until toward the end of his life, in part, explains why he was not better known. Said to be a perfectionist, he continually delayed releasing his works until they were polished to his demanding standards. Schumann, among others, thought quite highly of the few works he did publish during the first part of his life.

His chamber music must be ranked amongst his finest compositions. Wilhelm Altmann, probably the most important chamber music critic of the 20th century, in writing of Franck’s chamber music, comments "This excellent composer does not deserve the neglect with which he has been treated. He had a mastery of form and a lively imagination which is clearly reflected in the fine and attractive ideas one finds in his works.”

Among these are two string quintets for two violins, two violas and cello. The first, String Quintet No.1 in e minor, Op.15 was composed in 1844 but was not published until 1850. The broad main theme of the big first movement, Allegro non troppo, has the quality of a Legend with its sighing theme which is often presented in unison.

A more vibrant second theme, showing the influence of Mendelssohn is interspersed. The second movement is a Mendelssohn  Scherzo. Its clever main theme is quite catchy and the use of pizzicati in the trio section is quite telling. The slow movement, Andante con espressione, is rather like a Sarabande. The general calm of the movement is twice interrupted with restless interludes. The Prestissimo Finale shows some rather surprising use, for the time, of polyphony.

Franck's Second String Quintet, String Quintet No.2 in C Major, Op.51 was not published during his lifetime. It was composed in the early 1870's. His son Richard, also a composer, submitted it for publication four years after his father’s death. It is a work which is rich in invention , occasionally showing the influence of Mendelssohn.  The opening movement, Allegro, begins with a lovely, lyrical melody and is followed by a more passionate second subject. The excellent Andante which follows begins in elegiac fashion and has an equally fine second theme which is both warm and inviting. The charming and tonally rich third movement, marked Menuetto allegretto, is actually a scherzo. The finale is a theme and superb set of variations. This is a work which is good to play.

You can hear soundbites to both string quintets by clicking on the links above. And all are available from Edition Silvertrust.