Franck: Piano Music

That organists think Franck's organ works sound as if they were written for the piano, while pianists remark that his piano works sound as if they were written for the organ, is a strange paradox. Both views are justified to some extent, however, for although Franck spent most of his mature creative years in the organ loft, he began his musical life as a pianist, and he initially entered his first position as an organist only to supplement his meager living as a piano player. In fact, he only began to study the use of pedals seriously when he was appointed organist at Ste. Clothilde in 1858, and in order to handle the "third hand" more deftly, he had a practice pedal keyboard built by Pleyel delivered to his home.