Espace César Franck at the Grand Curtius
Espace César Franck in the Grand Curtius
Espace César Franck EXTENSIONS > 30.12.2025
In January 2022, the City of Liège and the Grand Curtius, in collaboration with the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, celebrated the bicentenary of the birth of César Franck (1822 - 1890), illustrious composer from Liège, who truly revolutionized 19th century French music, dedicating concerts, guided walks and a one-year exhibition at the Grand Curtius: the Espace César Franck.
From 12 January 2022 and for one year, this space will host the emblematic console (keyboards, pedalboard and accessories) of the Cavaillé-Coll organ of which César Franck was the titular organist at the Basilica of Sainte-Clotilde in Paris, on loan from the Vleeshuis Museum of the City of Antwerp. The original manuscript of the Variations symphoniques for piano and orchestra (1886, kept at the Conservatoire Royal de Liège) and numerous articles, documents and testimonies of the period from the Fonds Patrimoniaux de la Ville de Liège (musical homework of the young César who was a student at the Conservatoire de Liège, articles from the Liège press recounting his first concerts, etc.) can also be discovered there. Next to the organ console, there is also a masterpiece from the permanent decorative arts collections of the Grand Curtius: the magnificent Serrurier-Bovy piano.
In 2023, the exhibition was enriched with new elements, including the Erard halfpipe piano (1844) which belonged to César Franck in Paris and a piano-forte, dating from the late eighteenth century, which would have belonged to the Franck family (Don de la Famille Lahaye-Nols in Aubel).
The recent and generous loans and donations of Mr Jérôme Akoka, Mrs Lisel Anten, Mr Denys Dumont, Mr Jean-Luc Franck, make this exhibition space dedicated to "César Franck", a unique and exceptional ensemble.
The César Franck space is extended until December 30, 2025.
This Espace César Franck thus completes the presence of the great Liege composers in the heart of the City: the Grétry Museum in Outremeuse, and the Ysaÿe Studio in the Curtius, which deliberately adjoins the Espace César Franck, thus providing a counterpoint to the two linked and exceptional destinies of these two immense 19th-century musicians.
As such, discover, at the end of the article, the brochure "Grétry, Franck, Ysaÿe, an exceptional musical and museum heritage in Liège".
César Franck
César Franck was born in Liège on 10 December 1822. He was one of the first students of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Liège. A child prodigy, the press testifies from the age of 11 of his incredible gift of pianist and composer.
In 1837 he entered the Conservatoire de Paris. His numerous distinctions and exceptional arrangements for composition, piano and organ attract the attention of the musical world. He triumphed in the musical salons and became a protégé of Franz Liszt who saw in him a new Johann Sebastian Bach. His discreet and discreet nature combined with family frustrations, will extinguish his ambitions. His tenure at the great organs Cavaillé-Coll de Sainte-Clotilde (1858) allowed his talents as an improviser and performer to assert himself as an exceptional master.
César Franck died accidentally on December 8, 1890.
Practical information
- Located within the permanent route of the Grand Curtius, the Espace César Franck is accessible with the purchase of an entrance ticket to the permanent collections of the museum.
Partners
The City of Liège/ Vleeshuis Museum of the City of Antwerp/ Royal Conservatory of Music of Liège/ Ulysse Capitaine Library.
Visuals - in order of appearance
1) Espace César Franck au Grand Curtius - Cavaillé-Coll organ console by César Franck - Copyright Ville de Liège - Grand Curtius
2) Espace César Franck - Grand Curtius 2022 - Cavaillé-Coll Organ Console by César Franck (detail 1) - Copyright Ville de Liège - Grand Curtius
3) Espace César Franck - Grand Curtius 2022 - Cavaillé-Coll Retail Organ Console by César Franck (detail 2) - Copyright Ville de Liège - Grand Curtius
4) Espace César Franck - Grand Curtius 2022 - Piano Serrurier-Bovy - Copyright Ville de Liège - Grand Curtius
5) Espace César Franck - Grand Curtius 2023 - Piano Erard - Copyright Ville de Liège - Grand Curtius
6) Espace César Franck - Grand Curtius 2023 - Piano Erard (detail) - Copyright Ville de Liège - Grand Curtius
7) Espace César Franck - Grand Curtius 2023 - Piano Erard and organ - Copyright Ville de Liège - Grand Curtius
8) Espace César Franck - Grand Curtius 2023 - Piano-forte dating from the late eighteenth century - Copyright Ville de Liège - Grand Curtius
9) Espace César Franck at the Grand Curtius - Copyright Ville de Liège - Grand Curtius
10) Bicentenary of the birth of César Franck ( 1822 - 2022) - Copyright OPRL