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| The son of an provincial businessman, Robert Franz met with considerable resistance when he began begging for piano lessons. Music, his father declared, was no profession for a young boy. But Robert's mother took pity, digging into her savings to buy a second-hand piano - and eventually helping her son to reverse his father's disapproval. By the time that happened, Franz was trying to reverse the fortunes of the local church choir, which was a complete mess from soprano to bass. He was also composing lieder, some of which he sent to Robert Schumann for evaluation; Franz was irked in the extreme when Schumann sent them to a publisher without alerting him first. As it turned out, the songs helped Franz's reputation considerably. He eventually became the most admired choir director in Germany, and a hero to the likes of Franz Liszt and Ludwig II of Bavaria - who heaped royal honors upon him. Unfortunately, the acclaim must have felt a little hollow, for by the time it came Franz had lost his hearing and been forced to retire. | |
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