Franck: Psalm 150, FWV 69 (arr. for chamber orchestra)

Description

The present setting of Psalm 150 from 1884 is one of César Franck's late works. It shows the highly individual elements of the composer's style in concentrated form: a consciously symphonic idiom, bold and unmistakable harmonies, largely characterized by their chromaticism and unusual concepts of form. The popularity of this work has largely been hindered by the need for large instrumental resources for so short a piece. The present arrangement of the Psalm for choir, strings and organ (ad libitum: harp and percussion) is intended as a compromise that retains much of the original sonority, but keeping the work within the scope and possibilities of churches desirous of performing works with instrumental accompaniment within the context of liturgy. With this arrangement for chamber orchestra (strings, organ plus timpani, cymbal and harp ad lib), smaller choirs, as well as choirs with more limited resources of space or finance, can now perform this work too. However, the symphonic character and wide dynamic range of the work remain.