13 September—Cesar is an expensive brand of dog food that comes in cat-food-size cans with a picture of a white Westie on the label, rather than a black Scottie, the Westie’s smarter cousin. Cesar is one of many pet-food and other brands manufactured and/or owned by the massive Mars, Inc. conglomerate, the fourth largest closely held company in the United States and the largest pet food business in the world. It has brands all over the place, from Altoids to Iams to Kellogg’s to M&M’s to Pringles to Wrigley’s to Banfield Animal Hospitals.

We mustn’t forget a brand of originally German soft dog treats called Thomas that Mars rebranded Schmackos when it moved production to Australia. If you’re wondering, German schmack and schmeck have to do with taste. And schmuck has to do with jewelry. And putz has to do with cleaning.

Back to rebranding, then, Cesar started life as Mr. Dog and when Mars changed it to Cesar it’s unlikely the Mars family or its consultants were thinking of César Franck. With or without the acute accent. But it’s César Franck whose delightful music you’ll be treated to in today’s disquisition.

César Franck was a Belgian-born French composer, pianist, organist, and teacher who lived from 1822 to 1890. He’s best known for his Symphonic Variations for Piano and Orchestra and his ethereal setting of the Panis angelicus.

Less known is Franck’s Opus 1 Number 1, a piano trio in F-sharp minor, which he composed while a student at the Paris Conservatory in 1839. First performed in 1840, it was published in 1843 and wasn’t received too enthusiastically by critics: derivative, repetitive, jarring. Come on, the kid was only 16 or 17 when he wrote it, after all.

But, franckly, he did Mickey Mouse the trio, especially the last movement. And here it is, the allegro maestoso finale, brilliant, exciting, and thoroughly delightful: