Sticky Notes: The Classical Music Podcast

Franck Symphony in D Minor

Nov 20, 2025

Explore the fascinating journey of Franck's D Minor Symphony, once celebrated but now largely forgotten. Discover how this innovative work, known for its dense textures and constant modulation, faced criticism at its premiere yet thrived posthumously. Dive into its unique three-movement structure, emotional journey, and thematic intricacies. Reflect on the rise and fall of its popularity and appreciate the symphony's profound emotional sincerity that deserves to be heard again.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

From Canon Staple To Neglected Masterpiece

Franck's D minor Symphony was once central to the orchestral canon but later fell into neglect outside France and Belgium.
Its radical innovations offended contemporaries yet now underpin what makes the work deeply satisfying.

ANECDOTE

Franck's Late Start As A Composer

César Franck began composing seriously only at age fifty after a career as a famed organist and teacher in Paris.
His late start and organ reputation shaped critics' expectations and complicated his acceptance as a composer.

INSIGHT

Organ Style Shaped Critical Reception

Franck's organ-based style (constant modulation, dense textures, improvisatory freedom) alienated both conservatives and radicals.
Critics judged his orchestral work through the lens of his organ playing, amplifying controversy.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

In the 1960s, Leonard Bernstein famously helped to popularize the music of a then relatively obscure composer, Gustav Mahler. His work, as well as the work of other conductors, made Mahler into a classical-music household name. Mahler's symphonies are played every year all over the world, and he is firmly ensconced in the so-called canon of standard orchestral repertoire.

Would it surprise you to know that Franck's D Minor Symphony once had the same reputation? It was played almost every year by most major orchestras, it was recorded by all the great conductors, and it was a fixture of the canon just like a Brahms symphony. Nowadays you would be lucky if, outside of France and Belgium, you hear Franck's Symphony once every five years, if that.

The truth is that, other than a short golden period for this symphony, it has either been controversial (around the time it was premiered) or ignored (nowadays), which is a real shame, since it is a glorious piece that I would argue is drastically underrated in our modern world. The symphony was radically innovative for its time, which probably explains some of the more virulent criticism it received, but even though those innovations now sound completely normal to our ears, they are still at the heart of what makes this symphony so profoundly satisfying to listen to.

Ahead of my performances of the symphony in Lille this December, I wanted to dive in and explore this unfairly ignored masterpiece. In about 40 minutes of music in three grand movements, Franck pours his soul into this work. That phrase sounds a bit cliché, I know, but I really mean it; there is an earnestness about this music that I find deeply moving, and it is something we will explore together today.

We will talk about Franck's late entry into the world of composition, his reputation as an organist, and the challenges he faced in finding acceptance as a composer. Along the way, we will discuss this gorgeous piece in all of its passion and intensity. Join us!