The mighty Choral No. 3 in A minor for organ was the final work of César Franck.
Composed in 1890, it is an epic farewell. Filled with chromaticism and moments of haunting dissonance, its progressive harmony pushes at the boundaries of tonality. The symphonic scale of the music, with its array of tonal colors, was influenced by the magnificent three-manual Aristide Cavaillé-Coll pipe organ Franck played for 30 years at Paris’ Basilica of Saint Clotilde.
The French organ choral is not based on a preexisting chorale melody, as in the German Lutheran tradition, but instead features symphonic development on an original theme. Franck completed the set of three Chorals months after suffering a head injury in a minor traffic accident that contributed to his death.
Choral No. 3 is set in three sections. The Toccata and Chorale (Allegro) opens with blazing sixteenth note arpeggios. The second section (Adagio) is marked Cantilène, referring to a flowing vocal melody. We hear the organ’s shimmering reed stops, such as the Trompette and Oboe. In the soaring final section (Apotheosis), themes from the preceding sections weave together in a contrapuntal tour de force.
This performance, featuring organist Paul Jacobs, was recorded at St. Michael’s Norbertine Abbey in Silverado, Orange County, California. The instrument is a Schoenstein & Co. Tribune Organ, Op. 183. Christian Amonson was the recording engineer.
Featured Image: St. Michael’s Abbey in Silverado, California, photograph by Semperidem96