César Franck considered Les Béatitudes, for soloists, choir and orchestra, to be his greatest work. It was perhaps Johann Sebastian Bach's St. Matthew Passion that prompted him to begin a work in 1869 that too would be dominated by the voice of Christ. Franck worked on Les Béatitudes for ten years and created an original and deeply personal renewal of the oratorio form in 19th-century France. This is no simple musical depiction of a subject taken from the Gospel: Franck, a firm believer in the precepts of the Beatitudes, was here inspired to write a bold and personal work, driven by the ideal of justice that it's music unforgettable portrays.
3 Beatitude No. 2. Bienheureux Ceux Qui Sont Doux (Soprano 1, Soprano 2, Tenor 1, Tenor 2, Bass, Ba... [10:01]
4 Beatitude No. 3. Bienheureux Ceux Qui Pleurent, Parce Qu'ils Seront Consolés (L'epouse, Un Orphel... [17:23]
5 Beatitude No. 4. Bienheureux Ceux Qui Ont Faim Et Soif de la Justice (Tenor, Christ) [11:20]
- Disc 2 -
1 Beatitude No. 5. Heureux Les Miséricordieux (Tenor, L'ange Du Pardon, Christ, Chorus) [14:44]
2 Beatitude No. 6. Bienheureux Ceux Qui Ont Le Coeur Pur (Pharisien 1, Pharisien 2, L'ange de la Mo... [13:59]
3 Beatitude No. 7. Bienheureux Les Pacifiques... (Voix Pacifique, Christ, la Foule) [14:27]
4 Beatitude No. 8. Bienheureux Ceux Qui Souffrent Persécution Pour la Justice (Mater Dolorosa, Sata... [20:26
César Franck considered Les Béatitudes, for soloists, choir and orchestra, to be his greatest work. It was perhaps Johann Sebastian Bach's St. Matthew Passion that prompted him to begin a work in 1869 that too would be dominated by the voice of Christ. Franck worked on Les Béatitudes for ten years and created an original and deeply personal renewal of the oratorio form in 19th-century France. This is no simple musical depiction of a subject taken from the Gospel: Franck, a firm believer in the precepts of the Beatitudes, was here inspired to write a bold and personal work, driven by the ideal of justice that it's music unforgettable portrays.
