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Franck, Eduard: The Sonatas for Violin and Piano - Edinger, Tocco

Franck, Eduard: The Sonatas for Violin and Piano - Edinger, Tocco

Audite  91.553 (2 discs)

Stereo/Multichannel Hybrid

Classical - Chamber


Eduard Franck: Violin Sonata in C minor Op. 19, Violin Sonata in A major Op. 23, Violin Sonata in E major Op. 60, Violin Sonata in D major Op. Posth.

Christiane Edinger (violin)
James Tocco (piano)


audite is pleased to continue the series with works of Eduard and Richard Franck with the present Double SACD.

Composed during the years 1853-1861, the Violin Sonatas of Eduard Franck convince the listener by virtue of their freshness and the originality of their thematic and metric-rhythmic invention as well as their formal perfection. On the other hand, Franck’s classicist aesthetic does not renounce its connection to the sound world of his teacher, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy and influences from French music, e.g. the works of C. V. Alkan. The genre of the violin sonata found itself in a crisis after the deaths of Beethoven and Schubert; it only found a renewal during the 1880s with the sonatas of Brahms, Dvorak, César Franck, Grieg and Saint-Saens. With the publication of the four Violin Sonatas of Eduard Franck, his contribution towards the overcoming of this crisis is put up for discussion. Due to their adaptation of elements of folk and church music, the Violin Sonatas stand on the threshold of a new musical realism which dominated the music history of the second half of the 19th century.

The four Violin Sonatas offer present-day virtuosos grateful and differentiated tasks; they deserve to be heard and appreciated anew.

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Reviews (1)

Review by John Broggio - August 7, 2008

Following my recent exposure to the music of Richard Franck (Franck, Richard: Works for Violin and Piano - Schickedanz/Fograscher and Franck, Richard: Piano Quartets, Fantasies - Bernhard Fograscher), I decided to explore that of his father Eduard Franck with this double disc set of his four violin sonatas: C minor Op.19, A Op.23, E Op.60 and D (posthumously published in 1861).

Like his son, this music has a high level of Mendelssohn audible both in terms of harmonic and melodic language employed. The form of each work is also highly conventional - all works start and end with a fast movement; a dance movement (with the exception of Op.19) and slow movement are sandwiched in between.

Christiane Edinger and James Tocco have made Eduard Franck a speciality of theirs (like Schickedanz and Fograscher have with Richard) and despite the relative lack of challenge, they bring a strong partnership that is imbued with a strong sense of musicality that allows the music to be put in the best possible light. Importantly, they do not play with an over-inflated sense of importance and so the winning freshness of this music (composed in the midst of something of a dearth of the violin sonata genre) is readily conveyed.

The sound is very fine, as one might expect with a recording that emanates from the Siemens Villa in Berlin, giving one the impression of a concert given for a few friends in a large living room.

Copyright © 2008 John Broggio and HRAudio.net

Performance:

Sonics (Multichannel):

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Comments (1)

Comment by Tekrad - September 6, 2017 (1 of 1)

I have certainly caught the "Franck Fever". It all started with SACD versions of Eduard Franck's Piano Trios/Quintets. They are very lyrical, straightforward and playfully romantic. I am a huge fan of Chamber music, so I am familiar with many composers. In my humble opinion, Eduard Frank and Richard Franck (son) continue the Mendelssohn chamber style...and you can certainly see the similarities. My Franck library has grown quickly - and although I try only to purchase SACD releases, I have moved to the recordings that are only offered on RBCD for the sake of obtaining this music that never fails to bring a smile.
If you are curious about Eduard and Richard Franck's works, you can find them all on the Audite label. Musicians of note are Christiane Edinger (violin), Richard Fograscher (piano), and especially Christoph Schickedanz's violin sonata performances.
I heartily recommend you catch the Franck fever, too!

Tekrad
Fort Lauderdale, Fl