Proms Composer 1: Poulenc

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

BBC Proms Composer - Poulenc with Jeremy Sams
Record Review

Andrew McGregor with a selection of the best new classical releases.

9.30
Proms Composer: Poulenc
Jeremy Sams chooses five indispensable recordings of Proms Composer Poulenc and explains why you need to hear them.

[Pulcinella]

I've been tempted back by this new thread (the idea for which I mentioned to Alpie; I'm happy to see that it has been taken up): for how long depends on how well behaved everyone is!


Surely THE indispensable Poulenc recording is the EMI coupling of the Gloria and Organ concerto, conducted by Prêtre, with Rosanna Carteri as soloist in the Gloria and Maurice Duruflé as the organist in the concerto; they may not now be the 'best' versions of either work, but I bet many of us here grew up with them, and they'll always have a special place in my collection.

I (like many others hereabouts, I imagine) have the 20CD Erato/Warner Œvres complètes (and I kept a previous EMI 5CD set Œvres lyriques, despite duplications, because it has a booklet with the librettos in!), in addition to a 5CD Virgin set (curiously titled Keyboard Concertos, though three of the CDs are of choral works, some of which have made it into the Erato set), several of the Decca Piano, Chamber, and Vocal (primarily with Pascal Rogé and Felicity Lott) series, and many other individual CDs.
I'm not sure that I would be bold or foolhardy enough to describe any other recording as indispensable, so instead would go for WORKS rather than recordings.

In addition to the Gloria (Polyphony, one of the February 2020 BaL recommendations, a revelation here!) and the Organ concerto (many good recordings with the organ more in tune than it was for Duruflé), the other three works (if limiting to five) would have to include one of the piano concertos (difficult choice: the two-piano concerto probably just wins, but then again there are CDs where it is coupled with the (single) piano concerto and Aubade, so there's no need to be deprived), Dialogues des Carmélites, and either the Mass or the Motets. Admittedly, this means doing without the piano music and the Sextet.


One piece I COULD live without hearing again, though, is the Flute sonata: overexposure has ruined its charms, for me.

I'll be interested to read other suggestions.

[vinteuil]

.

... and not to forget -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMidjL1GAw8

https://parkerramsay.com/2020/07/30/hitchcock-and-poulenc/

.

[vinteuil]

.

... yes, the big (20 CD) erato/emi box

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0091JQH76

and the 5 CD virgin box

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0001ZM8UE

both essential.

I wouldn't want to be without this -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004QDNSP6

and also -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00000FXO8

.

[Pulcinella]

Having very much enjoyed Roger Nichols' book on Ravel, I've just taken the plunge and ordered a copy of his biography of Poulenc, which got some jolly good reviews:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Poulenc-Biography-Roger-Nichols/dp/0300226500/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=nichols+poulenc&qid=1627398619&s=books&sr=1-1

[antongould]

Having very much enjoyed Roger Nichols' book on Ravel, I've just taken the plunge and ordered a copy of his biography of Poulenc, which got some jolly good reviews:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Poulenc-Bio...s=books&sr=1-1

Welcome back pulcers …….

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

One piece I COULD live without hearing again, though, is the Flute sonata: overexposure has ruined its charms, for me.

I'll be interested to read other suggestions.

I taught this to several students for their Grade 8 flute exam. Even that hasn't dampened my enthusiasm for it. But I know what you mean; there are certain former 'set works' I had to study that I avoid half a century later.

[Serial_Apologist]

Surely THE indispensable Poulenc recording is the EMI coupling of the Gloria and Organ concerto, conducted by Prêtre, with Rosanna Carteri as soloist in the Gloria and Maurice Duruflé as the organist in the concerto; they may not now be the 'best' versions of either work, but I bet many of us here grew up with them, and they'll always have a special place in my collection.

Not forgetting that the composer was in the room during the recording of the Gloria.

[bluestateprommer]

My own favorite Poulenc recording is the Simon Preston & André Previn EMI recording of the Organ Concerto and the Concert champêtre, if forced to choose just one. I've had the Angel LP for many a year now, and more recently added the CD version to the collection.

Since books on Poulenc got mentioned, Wigmore Hall recently featured Graham Johnson giving a "podcast" talk from the hall about his own new book on Poulenc:

WH link (if you're registered with WH): https://wigmore-hall.org.uk/live-str...e-in-the-songs

YT link (if you're not): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zrmz6mYsZSA

[Belgrove]

I never been especially taken by the Organ concerto, and especially Prêtre’s version of it, I do not care for its gaudy melodrama. Illogical I know, since this trait is part of Poulenc’s appeal, but almost everything else by him is either a joy or deeply moving. Roget’s survey of the piano music remains a firm favourite despite many fine other accounts in the catalogue. Homage á Edith Piaf from the 15 Improvisations is the perfect distillation of Poulenc’s skill for combining simple, even naive, melody with a profound and wistful melancholy. The Decca disc of chamber pieces (Clarinet, Oboe and Flute sonatas, Sextet and Piano Trio) is a joy (especially the Flute Sonata, of which I never tire!) Layton’s account of the Gloria for Poulenc wearing his Stravinskian garb. And a broadcast recording of Rattle conducting the Carmelites from Covent Garden, with its gaudily melodramatic climax - pure cinema.

(And speaking of which, Rope is a fascinating experiment by Hitchcock to shoot a film in a single take - he was limited by the cameras of the time having only 10 minutes of film in the cassette, but one can only spot the joins if looking for them. Watch how the cityscape seen through the window changes as the sun sets. His choice of the Poulenc is spot on.)

[Serial_Apologist]

I never been especially taken by the Organ concerto, and especially Prêtre’s version of it, I do not care for its gaudy melodrama. Illogical I know, since this trait is part of Poulenc’s appeal, but almost everything else by him is either a joy or deeply moving.

Isn't the "bombast" just one of the many ways Poulenc sends himself up, alongside the parodies alternating "modern" Stravinsky-type harmonies with conventional spoofs. These were the things that had me in hysterics when first encountering his music as a teenager who tended to take all matters musical ultra-seriously.

[gurnemanz]

We loved that Rattle Carmelites at ROH. I went along not knowing it at all and still have no recording.

It is the songs I listen to most and have quite a few recordings:
Decca set accompanied by Pascal Rogé - https://www.prestomusic.com/classica...-poulenc-songs

And some more as part of recital discs:
Composer accompanying Pierre Bernac in 1946 on Decca Composers in Person Box
Maureen Forrester - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Portrait-Ma.../dp/B01H66YR8Q
Nicolai Gedda - EMI Icon Box
Sandrine Piau - https://www.prestomusic.com/classica...-apres-un-reve
Mady Mesplé who died last year aged 89 - A Portrait

Also Hugues Cuénod, Régine Crespin

Only recent non-vocal purchase is the enjoyable and recommendable Naxos disc from RTE National Symphony Orchestra with Jean-Luc Tingaud

[Cockney Sparrow]

We loved that Rattle Carmelites at ROH. I went along not knowing it at all and still have no recording.

I find Poulenc’s writing, in that of his music I have heard, very appealing, and found Robert Carsen's staging very affecting, especially in the final scene. I wasn’t aware of Rattle’s conducting in the sense I had been to no other performances and didn’t know the piece (which had been heartily recommended to me…).No doubt, it was a major contributor to an absorbing and memorable evening in the opera house. Now, I’d try for more than one performance (all things being equal – cast, production, conductor etc).

I no longer buy programmes at the ROH as they accummulate and don’t often illuminate the production. On searching this production, I found this aspect I hadn’t been aware of:

"The process of putting together the community ensemble began in January. It was a collaborative effort involving the charities Streetwise Opera, which uses music as a platform to help homeless people, the Synergy Theatre Project, which enables people who've been involved in crime to get into the dramatic arts, as well as Job Centre Plus, and students from the Central School of Speech and Drama."

https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...elites-poulencI OK

[Dermot]

Since books on Poulenc got mentioned, Wigmore Hall recently featured Graham Johnson giving a "podcast" talk from the hall about his own new book on Poulenc:

WH link (if you're registered with WH): https://wigmore-hall.org.uk/live-str...e-in-the-songs

YT link (if you're not): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zrmz6mYsZSA

Many thanks for bringing this programme to my attention. Watching it was a most civilised and instructive way of passing ninety minutes. I have heard Les chemins de l'amour many times, but was never struck by its relationship to the waltz from Der Rosenkavalier. God be with the days when talks of such quality were a regular feature of Radio 3.

[Pulcinella]

Prompted to reassess my opinion of the Flute sonata (I plan to give it a spin later) following comments from others on this thread, I found the Wiki article

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flute_Sonata_(Poulenc)

informative, and particularly enjoyed the comment from Lennox Berkeley about the difficulties he encountered in orchestrating it.

Another problem piece for me is the Concert champêtre, which runs the risk of converting me into some sort of HIPster/HIPPie (heaven forbid: I prefer my Goldbergs on the piano! ).
Because it was written for Landowska, and the big sound of a Pleyel instrument, I find the sound of the harpsichord on most recordings far too anaemic; I must play the Preston version (mentioned above) again, as well as others I have (Koopman, Cole, Malcolm, Esfahani (on a BBC MM CD)), but think I'll still favour the Aimée Van der Wiele/Prêtre recording, in which she plays on a Pleyel instrument.