Franchomme - Variations sur deux Thèmes Russe et Écossais, Op. 6 (Urtext Edition, Piano Version)
Franchomme - Variations sur deux Thèmes Russe et Écossais, Op. 6 (Urtext Edition, Quintet Version)

Auguste Franchomme (1808–1884) was one of the leading French cellists of the nineteenth century. He remains best remembered for his Caprices, Op. 7, and Études, Op. 35, as well as for a number of influential transcriptions of Chopin’s music. His close friendship with Chopin is well documented: together they composed the Grand Duo concertant for piano and cello on themes from Giacomo Meyerbeer’s opera Robert le diable, and although uncredited, Franchomme is known to have contributed to the preparation of the cello part of Chopin’s Cello Sonata, Op. 65.

Alongside his original works and transcriptions, Franchomme composed several fantasies and variation sets on popular melodies. Among these is the Variations sur deux Thèmes Russe et Écossais, Op. 6 (1835), for cello with either string quartet or piano accompaniment. The work is dedicated to fellow French cellist Eugène Saint-Bris (1812–1884). The title page specifies “avec Accompagnement de 2 Violons, Alto et Violoncelle,” yet the quartet cello part reads “violoncello e basso.” This suggests that the cello line could be doubled by a bass to reinforce the lower register, though such doubling is by no means necessary, as there are no divisi passages.

This work is the first of two variation sets by Franchomme on Russian themes. The second is 2e Air russe varié, Op. 32 (1846), based on the Ukrainian song “Їхав козак за Дунай” (Schöne Minka). The Russian theme of Op. 6, “Кто мог любить так страстно, как я любил тебя” (“Who could love you so passionately as I loved you?”), comes from Nikolai Karamzin’s poem Прости (Farewell). Though the melody’s composer is unknown, it was already circulating by the late eighteenth century; Ivan Khandoshkin had used it in his Six chansons russes pour deux violons avec variations, Op. 1 (c. 1794). Franchomme introduces the theme after an 11-bar introduction, followed by three variations, grouped as a single variation sequence.

The so-called “Scottish” theme of this set is in fact the Irish song The Last Rose of Summer, based on a poem by Thomas Moore. The tune, “Aisling an Óigfhear” (The Young Man’s Dream), can be traced back to the 1790s. Like Glinka, Franchomme referred to it as “Scottish,” though it has no authentic connection to Scotland. Franchomme presents the melody, then two marked variations; the second variation incorporates a further internal variation as well as a thematic return. The overall design of the set exemplifies the double-variation form and is generally on the same difficulty level as the Caprices, Op. 7.

This edition is based primarily on the Hofmeister publication of 1835 (plate no. 2040), housed at the Badische Landesbibliothek, Karlsruhe. The string quartet version published ca. 1840 by B. Latte (plate no. B.L. 656), held at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, was also consulted to clarify several passages where the Hofmeister print is of poor quality.

All editorial interventions and deviations from the original texts are indicated in the score or fully described in the Critical Commentary. The editor gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the Badische Landesbibliothek and the Bibliothèque nationale de France in providing access to their materials.