Francis Poulenc

Music, Art and Literature

Sidney Buckland

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2020
• eBook ISBN:
  9781351566643
• Print ISBN:
  9781859284070
• Subtopic: Music

This collection of essays provides vivid new insights into Poulenc's world, his particular rapport with painters, writers and fellow musicians, and with the socialte who promoted his music through their salons. Contributions from international Poulenc scholars include the influence of various artists on his music, the nature of his affinity for Eluards poetry, his response to texts by Cocteau and Bernanos, and his constant search for suitable libretti. New light is thrown on two friendships, the first with his childhood friend Raymonde Linossier who introduced him to the world of books, the second to his teacher Charles Koechlin who greatly influenced his choral style. A detailed study is also provided of Poulenc's four choral works with orchestra. Finally, the reader is allowed a rare view of Poulenc at the microphone, not as interviewee but as radio presenter, in his 1947-1949 series of programmesA bâtons rompus.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• List of figures and plates
• Notes on contributors
• Acknowledgements
• Abbreviations
• Introduction
• 1 Poulenc and Koechlin: 58 lessons and a friendship
• 2 Poulenc’s choral works with orchestra
• 3 Raymonde Linossier: ‘Lovely soul who was my flame’
• 4 ‘My ideal library’
• 5 ‘The coherence of opposites’: Eluard, Poulenc and the poems of Tel jour telle nuit
• 6 Nogent music: Poulenc and Dufy
• 7 ‘All my pleasure is in making new discoveries’: Francis Poulenc visits American museums of art. From Feuilles américaines. Extraits de journal
• 8 Distilling essences: Poulenc and Matisse
• 9 Poulenc and his patrons: social convergences
• 10 In search of a libretto
• 11 Dialogues des Carmélites: the historical background, literary destiny and genesis of the opera
• 12 ‘A musical confession’: Poulenc, Cocteau and La Voix humaine
• 13 Poulenc, Britten, Aldeburgh: a chronicle
• 14 Francis Poulenc – disc jockey
• Index