A highly talented pianist himself, Francis Poulenc wrote a wealth of memorable material for the instrument.
Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc was a French composer and pianist whose early works exhibited qualities of wit and dissonance, so that at first he was not taken seriously by the critics. However, since World War II, he has been generally accepted as one of the most distinguished masters of the chanson (French song for piano and voice).
Poulenc was born on January 7, 1899, into a wealthy Parisian family. His mother was an accomplished pianist and started giving him piano lessons when he was five. When he was 16, he began studying piano with Ricardo Vines and writing piano pieces. With five other fellow students, including Georges Auric, Arthur Honnegger, and Darius Milhaud, he started giving concerts at which they played their own compositions, and in 1920 the group was named as Les Six. From 1921 to 1924 Poulenc studied composition with Charles Koechlin, at the same time continuing to compose.
Poulenc’s writing for piano was described as “highly idiomatic in style in a modern vein” but also as a revival of “the classical keyboard style in a new guise.” His songs show clear melodic lines with intricate, restrained accompaniment. His Rapsodie nègre (1917) for small orchestra, brought him early recognition, while his ballet Les biches (1924), produced by Diaghilev, established his reputation.
Poulenc’s later instrumental music included Concert champêtre (1927‘28); the quasi-religious Organ Concerto (1938); and a piano concerto (1950), which he presented as soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. His works were always melodic, and his output prolific—he wrote quantities of choral music, orchestral music, songs, and chamber music for a variety of instruments.
In 1935, Poulenc renewed his Roman Catholic faith and his Mass in G (1937) was the first of several religious pieces, including Stabat mater (1950) and the Gloria (1959). He also wrote music for films and plays, and for three operas. Of these, Les mamelles de Tirésias (1947) was based on a book by Guillaume Apollinaire, extolling the virtues of motherhood; Dialogues des carmélites (1957) was about a group of nuns condemned for remaining loyal to their faith during the French Revolution; and La voix humaine (1958) was about a distraught woman talking to her indifferent lover on the telephone.
A highly talented pianist himself, Francis Poulenc wrote a wealth of memorable material for the instrument.
Poulenc often performed in concerts with singer Pierre Bernac, and composed many of his songs as a result of their collaboration. Poulenc died in Paris on January 30, 1963, having made a distinguished and lasting contribution to the music of the 20th century.
Jim Whipple
SEE ALSO:
OPERA; ORCHESTRAL MUSIC; VOCAL AND CHORAL MUSIC.
FURTHER READING
Ivry, Benjamin. Francis Poulenc (London: Phaidon, 1996);
Mellers, Wilfrid. Francis Poulenc (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993).
SUGGESTED LISTENING
Les biches; Concerto for two pianos; Dialogues des carmélites; Les mamelles de Tirésias; Rapsodie nègre; Sextet for piano and wind.