César Franck (1822-1890), is widely considered one of the foremost 19th century French composers. He was not in fact French by birth, being born to parents of German stock in Liege, Belgium. He only became a full French citizen in 1873. A child prodigy he studied piano and organ in both Belgium and France. His career as a traveling piano virtuoso was not successful and it was as an organist that he finally established himself and settled in France as a teacher and organist, the Paris church St Clothilde, with its magnificent Cavaillé Coll organ, being his home.

Like Bruckner and Messiaen, he was a devout Christian who invested his music with an intense spirituality that was matched in his personal life by an almost saintly innocence. His musical style is characterized by rich chromaticism, long, curving melodic lines and highly personal counterpoint.

This new recording presents the Organ Works by Franck, grouped in 3 CDs: spiritual organ music, the symphonic organ works and the romantic organ works.

French organist Olivier Penin is titular organist of the famous St.Clothilde church in Paris, where Franck himself was organist and where this recording was made.

Excellent liner notes in French and English, the specifications of the organ are included in the booklet.