tenu
French composer
Definition
Held — a sustained note or chord held beyond its written value, exploiting the organ's ability to sustain indefinitely. Fundamental to Franck's organ texture.
Interpretive Guidance
Tenu is the organ's unique gift: unlike the piano, the sound does not decay. Franck exploits this constantly with long pedal points, sustained inner voices, and harmonic drones. When practising, make sure every tenu note truly sustains — check that fingers and feet do not inadvertently lift. The held tone is the harmonic anchor from which the moving voices gain their meaning.