Franck later fell in love with his student, the young blonde Augusta Holmes, who was the subject of love of every creative man in Paris at the time. Saint-Saens even proposed to her a number of times, but she chose the role of creative muse and mistress rather than anyone’s wife. Oh, those French!
Augusta was well endowed, and she liked showing off her cleavage. At the Paris Exhibition of 1889, Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov was in Paris, met Augusta and remarked, “Tres decolletage!” That’s “Nice rack!” for you non-French speakers.
Franck could have been one of her many lovers, but being a good Catholic boy and a church organist, he merely lusted from afar. The passion for Augusta was responsible for his chamber music and his one symphony, and one can hear the passion he kept bridled in these pieces, which were among his greatest. If he’d bedded her, we would be without a lot of really great music.
Franck’s Violin Sonata is one of the greatest in the entire genre, and the finale is full of his best melody and counterpoint.
WOW, and I’ve been thinking the morning DJ on WQXR has been lively!