César Franck, a French composer best known for his massive Symphony and
enchanting three chorales for organ, which he wrote during the last
month of his life after being hit by a horse-omnibus.
He was born César-Auguste Franck on December 10, 1822 in Liege,
Belgium. He studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Liege before going to
the Paris Conservatoire in 1835. There he studied piano with Zimmerman
and organ with Benoist. His ability for sight-reading was legendary
since his school days; Franck received the "Grand prix d'honneur" for
transposing a fugue a third lower on sight.
Franck contributed twelve major works for organ, that made him the most
important organ composer in France, and arguably second to Johann Sebastian Bach. He
also wrote a massive "Symphony in D minor" (1886-88) and the "Symphonic
Variations" for piano and orchestra. He admitted his interest in the
music of Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner. In 1858 he became organist at the
basilica Sainte-Clotilde and remained at that post until his death. He
was a professor of organ and composition at the Paris Conservatoire,
having such apprentices as Claude Debussy, Louis Vierne, and Paul Dukas.
César Franck suffered from pleurisy after he was hit by a horse-omnibus
in 1890. After that accident he composed what is considered his
masterpiece, the "Three Chorales" for organ. He died on November 8,
1890 in Paris, and was laid to rest in the Cimetriere du
Montparnasse.
