Choral No. 1 in E major

The first of Franck's Three Chorals (1890) is one of his last and greatest works, composed in the final weeks of his life. Unlike Bach's chorales, these are free, large-scale fantasia-like structures that take a hymn-like theme and transform it across multiple variations and episodes. The Choral No. 1 opens with a dark introduction before presenting a serene choral subject in E major that builds to an overwhelming climax. Franck's mastery of the Cavaillé-Coll organ's registration colours permeates every bar. Together with the other two Chorals, they form the apex of Romantic organ composition.