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The Franck Connection


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Michael Long full profile / Piano Quintet / 5 musicians

Other players: Michael Long and Aaron Keller, violins Charlie Longtine, viola Sung Choi, cello Holden Mui, piano


Full program notes

Featured Works

Ernest Chausson: Poème, Op. 25

As one of Franck’s most devoted students at the Paris Conservatoire, Chausson inherited his mentor’s affinity for soaring lyrical lines and dense, chromatic harmonies. Originally written for violin and orchestra, this beloved staple balances dark, brooding introspective solos with moments of shimmering, passionate release.

Jean Cras: String Trio

A naval officer and protégé of Henri Duparc (himself one of Franck’s original disciples), Cras represents the direct inheritance of the “Pater Seraphicus” legacy into the next generation. Written in 1926, his String Trio weaves Franckian cyclic structure and polished French counterpoint with vibrant, exotic modal scales inspired by his ocean voyages.

Louis Vierne: Piano Quintet in C minor, Op. 42

Vierne studied organ and composition directly under Franck. Written in 1917 following the tragic death of his teenage son in World War I, this towering quintet is an explosive, grief-stricken masterpiece. It unleashes ferocious rhythmic drive and sweeping thematic cohesion, serving as a monument to the monumental, dramatic scale of the Franckian tradition.


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