César-Auguste Franck was born at Liège, Belgium, December 10th, 1822.
His father hoped to make a piano-virtuoso of him, and supervised his
musical education. At the age of eleven the young Franck was touring
Belgium as a pianist. In 1835 the family emigrated to Paris, and two
years later César was admitted to the Conservatoire. He studied
composition with Leborne and the piano with Zimmermann. He took the
first prize for fugue in 1840. In 1842 his father compelled him to leave
the Conservatory and return to Belgium, but two years later he was once
more in Paris, seeking to gain his living by teaching and playing.
"Ruth" was performed in 1846. He was married in 1848. In 1851 he was
appointed organist at the church of Saint-Jean-Saint-François, later of
the church of Sainte-Clotilde, which post he occupied during the
remainder of his years. In 1872 he was appointed professor of
organ-playing at the Conservatoire. "Rédemption" was performed in 1873.
"Les Béatitudes" was performed for the first time in 1880. Shortly
after, the professorship of composition at the Conservatory was refused
him, and five years later he was decorated with the ribbon of the Legion
of Honor as "professor of organ-playing." In 1887 a "Festival Franck"
was given under the direction of Pasdeloup at the Cirque d'hiver. His
symphony was performed for the first time in 1889. He died November 8th,
1890.
The dates of the composition of his principal works are as follows:
"Ruth," 1843-46; "Six pièces pour grand orgue," 1860-62; "Trois
offertoires," 1871; "Rédemption," 1871-72 (first version), 1874 (second
version); "Prélude, fugue et variation," 1873; "Trois pièces pour grand
orgue," 1878; "String-quintet," 1878-79; "Les Béatitudes," 1869-79; "Le
Chasseur maudit," 1882; "Les Djinns," 1884; "Prélude, choral et fugue,"
1884; "Hulda," 1882-85; "Variations symphoniques," 1885; "Sonate," 1886;
"Prélude, aria et finale," 1886-87; "Psyche," 1887-88; "Symphonie,"
1886-88; "Quatuor," 1889; "Trois chorales," 1890.