Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)

[Serial_Apologist]

How come we've missed him up until now?

I was reminded this morning of the delight first time I heard "Les Biches" as a teenager, and I guess I still haven't managed to outgrow his music. This week's series is a repeat of the one broadcast in April 2019, and likewise wears well.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p075hlgz

Quote of the day: Satie's description of "Les Biches" as "musical lemonade".

That one ended their friendship.

[Serial_Apologist]

So, Monsieur Hulot - sorry, Poulenc - is having his devoted week once again, less than four years since the last time - a programme repeated from 2019 if I'm not mistaken. This is a fresh look, however, beginning from here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001kvs7

[eighthobstruction]

....is this the sort of thing you folk are still listening to in Dulwich....happening man....

[vinteuil]

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... and talking of diegetic music - I see they played Mouvement perpétuel no. 1 : famously used by Hitchcock in Rope - the Farley Granger character repeatedly playing it to conceal his nerves (particularly when confronted by James Stewart and the metronome... )

.

[Ein Heldenleben]

.

... and talking of diegetic music - I see they played Mouvement perpétuel no. 1 : famously used by Hitchcock in Rope - the Farley Granger character repeatedly playing it to conceal his nerves (particularly when confronted by James Stewart and the metronome... )

.

All a bit of an exercise in nostalgia for me this excellent episode. I remember learning the Mouvements Perpetuelles fifty years ago and playing the bass bit of the four hand sonata at a school concert, The latter involves the treble pianist either reaching round you or over you to play the opening chords while you play a locked hands off beat block chord. It’s fraught with disaster potential. Great piece though.

[Nick Armstrong]

I remember learning the Mouvements Perpetuelles fifty years ago

Moi aussi…

Still have the somewhat tatty old score, it gets occasional outings… The old digits aren’t what they were

There’s very little Poulenc I don’t like, and much that I absolutely love, so I’m looking forward to this week.

I went for a stroll along Rue des Saussaies on Google maps to find No. 22, to discover it’s now No. 2, Place des Saussaies…

[Serial_Apologist]

....is this the sort of thing you folk are still listening to in Dulwich....happening man....

He was on good terms with the Surrealists, in case you didn't know!

[vinteuil]

He was on good terms with the Surrealists, in case you didn't know!

Poulenc so much more interesting than the 'surrealists'. Surrealism so thin, so boring...


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[gurnemanz]

I love the mélodies. The marvellous Decca box, with its built-in red wine stain always makes me smile when i take it off the shelf.

[antongould]

Moi aussi…

Still have the somewhat tatty old score, it gets occasional outings… The old digits aren’t what they were

There’s very little Poulenc I don’t like, and much that I absolutely love, so I’m looking forward to this week.

I went for a stroll along Rue des Saussaies on Google maps to find No. 22, to discover it’s now No. 2, Place des Saussaies…

Yes I love him too about to start catching up on Sounds ……

[Maclintick]

Yes I love him too about to start catching up on Sounds ……

I've found this to be as efficacious as Mulliner's Buck-You-Uppo...particularly the suite from Les Animaux
Modèles, which I didn't know..

[Nick Armstrong]

…the suite from Les Animaux
Modèles, which I didn't know…

It’s a delight. I first listened to it properly (apart from fleeting awareness from the radio) when this recording came out last year:



Perfection

[Petrushka]

I first came across Poulenc when I bought an LP of Louis Fremaux and the CBSO in Les Biches round about 1974. However, my favourite Poulenc is the Organ Concerto plus the choral works especially the Gloria, Mass in G and Figure Humaine.

[Mandryka]

I saw Dialogue of the Carmelites about 15 years ago, at the Colosseum I think, but it may have been Covent Garden - I certainly left the theatre thinking it was a magnificent work. I can still remember the final scene.

There’s some interesting piano music too - a big set of variations which I heard Anatol Ugorski play. And a sonata for two pianists (not sure how many pianos!) which I discovered fairly recently when I got an old recording by Joy and Robin Bonneau. At one time I used to play Laurence Equilby’s Figure Humaine a lot!

[Cockney Sparrow]

I saw Dialogue of the Carmelites about 15 years ago, at the Colosseum I think, but it may have been Covent Garden - I certainly left the theatre thinking it was a magnificent work. I can still remember the final scene.

There’s some interesting piano music too - a big set of variations and a sonata for two pianists (not sure how many pianos!)

At Covent Garden the final scene was the nuns walking towards the audience, suitably spaced out but along the same line centre stage, and falling to the side at the sound of their execution. On a largely dark stage. I agree with you - magnificent - I've only seen D. Carmelites once, and would very much like to see that production again.