About this Piece

César Franck’s (1822-1890) Fantaisie in A (published as the first in a set of three organ pieces) opens with a six-note motive, the first three notes of which outline an A-major triad, stated twice, followed by another twobar motive stated twice. These two repetitions combine to form an eight-bar melody that recurs throughout the 13-minute piece. Emulating a cantor with a response from a four-part chorus, the opening section transforms into something more Wagnerian by the end. Motives are introduced, developed, and finally played simultaneously, culminating in a grand climax.