New-York tribune., 1922-10-29
Musical News and Happening

whore they lived on the money earned
by the sons.
Times were hard, and Cesar had TO
devote every minute of the day to
teaching, while he managed. neverthe-
less. to find regular time for compost
tion. He led life Of regular and un-
eeasing industry, during which, re-
marks M. d'lndy. ''his sole diversion
was concert-at rare tntervals---at
which one of his own works was given"
His Biblical eclogue." Ruth" writ
ten in 1s46, had it's frst performance
in the concert room of the Conserva-
imitation of Felicien David's 'sLe
Desert
Meanwhile, making living gree in
creas ngly difficult, as the disturbances
of lS48 were driving his richer pupils
out of Paris. But such was the time
that Franck chose to Get married. His
bride was the daughter of we'll known
sragedian, fact which scandaIized the
composers parents. The idea of mar
rying Theatrical person.! The we'd
ding itself, held at the Church OF Notre
Dame de Lorette, where Franck was
organist, was not without its difficult
ties. 1t was February 90, 1S48, with
the Revolution in full swing, and, in
order to reach the church, the wed
ding party had to climb a barricade
with the will NO aid OF the insurgents
behind it. His marriage brought about
his decision to live away from his
parents, while he had to work even
harder than before; but, even in this
period of high pressure, he determined
to set aside an hour or two every day
as ''time for thought
This quiet but necessarily busy life
of teaching, with his work as organist
and hours set apart for composition,
was followed by him for many years.
His fortunes during the next ten years
began slowly to improve. He became
organist at the Church of St. Jean-St.
Francois, and in 1853 was given COM
mand of the new organ in the basilica
OF Ste. Clotilde.
Here" writes D'Indy, "in the dusk
of the organ loft, of which cannot |
speak without emotion, he spent the
best part of his life" "Ah," he !
continues, eve know IL we'll, we who |
were his pupils, the way up to the |
thrice blessed organ loft--a way as
steep and difficult as that which the
Gospel tells us leads to Paradise. First,
having climbed the dark, spiral stair
case, lit by an occasional loophole, we
suddenly came face to face with kind |
of antediluvian monster, a complicated |
hony structure breathing heavily and
irregularly, which on close examina-
ton proved to be the vital portion of |
the oroan, worked by vigorous pair
OF bellows. Next we had to descend a
narr"w steps in pitch darkness, !
fatal ordeal to high hats and the !
cause of many slip 60 the uniniti-
ated. Opening the narrow "janua
c@ii," we found ourselves suspended.
as II were, midway between the pave
ment and the vaulted roof of the
church. and the next moment all was
forgotten In the contemplation Of that
rapt profile and the intellectual brow
from which seemed to flow without
any effort stream Of inspired melody
and subtle, exquisite harmonies which
fingered for moment among the pill
lars of the nave before they ascended |
and died away in the vaulted heights
of the roof. Franck had, or rather
was, the genius of improvisation. In
1880 List left the church in amaze
ment, invoking the name of
Bach in an inevitable comparison" On
the street. hurrying from class to
class. he was described by publisher
as "a man always in hurry. always
dressed in black, and who wore his
trousers too short"
His next ten years were quiet and de-
voted TO church music. hrt IN" -
1870 inspired his patriotic spirit-he
had already been natu4a.i..u as .
A51ICyrAr