Ce qu'on entend sur la montagne, CFF 126

Ce qu'on entend sur la montagne (What one hears on the mountain) is a symphonic poem inspired by Victor Hugo's poem of the same name. Composed in 1846, three years before Liszt's tone poem on the same subject, the score remained unknown until 1922. The score offered here is a newly engraved edition prepared by Richard W. Sargeant, Jr. based upon the composer's manuscript preserved at the French National Library.

Although the editor has been faithful to Franck's manuscript, a few changes have been made for the sake of practicality in performance. Due to the replacement of natural horns and trumpets with valved the chromatic instruments like those employed today during the composer's own lifetime the brass has been reorganized. The manuscript features first and second natural trumpets and horns (respecvtively in E and E-flat) alternating notes to acheive melodic passages. These sections have accordingly been amended to be performed by valved trumpets or horns in unison. Starting in measure 187 flute 1 has a solo followed by an extremely long held note - impossible for a single player. This long note has therefore been split between overlapping flutes 1 and 2.

Possibly the first symphonic poem ever composed, Ce qu'on entend sur la montagne is a truly magnificent work with a brilliant orchestration which has been unduly disregarded for far too long. Hopefully this new, highly readable score will open the doors to more performances so audiences can appreciate the composer of the much later Symphony in D minor in an entirely new way.