Eduard Franck sits at the very heart of the German Romantic movement. He was a great friend, and student, of Mendelssohn, with whom he played four-hand piano concerts, as well as cultivating the friendship of Robert Schumann. His music reflects these allegiances and kinships whilst also showing his very personal lyrical gift and bold harmonic sense, not least in the forward-looking Violin Sonata, Op 23. His later Cello Sonata, Op 42 calls for an equal pairing in music alternating power and elegance, whilst the Piano Trio, Op 22 embodies profuse lyricism.