Francis Poulenc

[just Jeff]

I believe I have earlier Pretre recordings of Poulenc's music than 1968.
I am reading from an Angel 35953 record of his Gloria in G Major, "world premiere recording under the supervision of the composer," that the recording was made on February 15, 1961. The flip side of the LP is Poulenc's Concerto in G Minor for organ, strings, and timpani, with Maurice Durufle at the organ. French National Radio-Television Orchestra conducted by George Pretre.

A preceding Angel record, numbered 35932, includes Poulenc's Les Biches, Dutilleux's Le Loup, and Milhaud's La Creation du Monde, Orchestre de la Societe des Concerts du Conservatoire conducted by Pretre. No date but obviously in or before 1961.

Another recording of Poulenc's "The Model Animals," with Aldo Ciccolini and Alexis Weissenberg pianists, and Pretre conducting the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra, has a Library of Congress Catalog Nunber of R 67-2771 on Angel EMI. Also cataloged as R 67-2988 iand awarded "the coveted 1966 Grand Prix by France's Academie Charles Cros, is Poulenc's Aubade for piano and eighteen instruments and his concerto for piano and orchestra, with Gabriel Tacchino, piano, Thge Paris Conservatoire Orchestra conducted by Pretre. Angel EMI

Once again, it is virtually impossible to type anything more once I reach the bottom of this stupid box.

The 1968 recordings are only the earliest included in that EMI 2CD set mentioned somewhere in this thread above.

Are these Angel EMI LPs mentioned US pressings?  Because if they are, then they are Capitol mastering/pressing, and are a pale version of the French recordings as they sound on French or UK pressed EMI LPs.  I'm a stickler for this kind of stuff when I have a chioce.

I only have the 1968 Pretre LP on EMI vinyl from France which is a part of that double CD set.  It appears they took 3 LPs (all 68 and later) and compiled them into a knockout 2CD set.

[George]

Poulenc is great fun. I highly recommend the aforementioned Naxos chamber series. The solo piano works by Taccchino on EMI are superb! We are fortunate that Poulenc recorded some of his and Satie's works as well. I have a nice Sony CD that compiles some (or all?) of these recordings. 

[Luke]

Poulenc is great fun. I highly recommend the aforementioned Naxos chamber series. The solo piano works by Taccchino on EMI are superb! We are fortunate that Poulenc recorded some of his and Satie's works as well. I have a nice Sony CD that compiles some (or all?) of these recordings.

Sounds like those Poulenc plays... recordings are available in many issues, then, because I have them twice over, neither on Sony!

The Tacchino is available on Brilliant, as the first two CDs of the four CDs set that also includes the complete chamber music in unbeatable performances  - Menuhin, Gendron, Fevrier, Debost, Portal, Civil.... For the bargain Brilliant price and the superb performances, I'd have thought this one of the most essential Poulenc issues of all.

[George]

The Tacchino is available on Brilliant, as the first two CDs of the four CDs set that also includes the complete chamber music in unbeatable performances  - Menuhin, Gendron, Fevrier, Debost, Portal, Civil.... For the bargain Brilliant price and the superb performances, I'd have thought this one of the most essential Poulenc issues of all.

Wow! That does sound good. 

[Scarpia]

The 1968 recordings are only the earliest included in that EMI 2CD set mentioned somewhere in this thread above.

I have that set and it seems there are recordings going back to 1962 (the earlier the better, as far as I am concerned).

[Drasko]

We are fortunate that Poulenc recorded some of his and Satie's works as well. I have a nice Sony CD that compiles some (or all?) of these recordings.

Sounds like those Poulenc plays... recordings are available in many issues, then, because I have them twice over, neither on Sony!

There is a Pearl CD titled Poulenc d'après Poulenc which seems like possibly best selection around, I never got around buying it, really should. Then there is of course Concerto for two pianos with Fevrier on EMI, and I think different performance on DVD. I recall CD with some brownish cover and Satie silhouette - Poulenc playing Satie/Poulenc (is that Sony?). There is also disc (or more) with Poulenc accompanying Bernac in songs, and I recently got some Italian CD with live material from RAI archives - few solo pieces, Aubade with some Italian orchestra and recital with Pierre Fournier (Schumann, Debussy, Stravinsky, Poulenc). Is there anything else? 

[George]

There is a Pearl CD titled Poulenc d'après Poulenc which seems like possibly best selection around, I never got around buying it, really should.

Me too.

[Scarpia]

Got this recording for the Symphony of Psalms by Stravinsky (which left me utterly cold) but enjoyed it for the Poulenc Gloria.



Despite being an admirer of Poulenc for a long time, I have never listened to any of his religious music until now.  Really wonderful stuff.  Not a bit of ponderous profundity to it.  Just wonderful, joyful music.   A piece where apparent simplicity comes from sophisticated technique.  There are a few points in this piece where I'd love to examine the score and figure out what he is doing.

[just Jeff]

Lovely cover on this one I would say....

It's the original French EMI damn it!

[Scarpia]

Lovely cover on this one I would say....

It's the original French EMI damn it!

Attack of the 100 foot bimbo?

[snyprrr]

Poulenc's the easiest Chamber Composer ever. Hyperion 2cd, yea, that one, the Complete Works, BAM!,...done! POW! ZAP!

[kentel]

The Sextet for Piano & Wind Instruments is a gem, perhaps not a world historic masterpiece, but one of these great second-fiddle works, like Ludwig Spohr's Octet in E Major, that one goes back to frequently & with enduring pleasure.

I fully agree : each piece of this 2cd box is great, and I also rate the Sextet very high. For me one of the best piece ever written by Poulenc with Les Animaux Modèles and the Sinfonietta. And maybe the Concert Champêtre too.

This EMI box has a brother ;



With these 2 boxes, I think we have the essential Poulenc with superlative interpretations.

I don't like very much Poulenc's piano works nor his songs (mélodies), as they sound rather old-fashionned and designed for the parisian salons he thrived in during the 30's. There is this very typical mondaine touch, that I personaly find detestable. Boulez said once that Poulenc composed "sucreries" (sweets), and I think this is especially true for this part of his work. His "Rhapsodie Nègre" being the most caricatural of all.

--Gilles

[George]

My copy came  the other day, I plan to spin it during my vacation next week!

[kentel]

My copy came  the other day, I plan to spin it during my vacation next week!

I would dream to be in the situation of discovering this box and the other one again. The orchestral box contains everything. As I wrote, the Sinfonietta, the Concert Champêtre and Les Animaux Modèles are masterpieces; Claude Rostand, a french critic rather famous during the 60's said that Poulenc had "invented a personal folklore" and I find this assertion rather accurate.

There is also a set of little pieces (La Baigneuse de Trouville, Discours du Général, Pastourelle, Matelote Provençale, Bucolique, etc.) which are fine but not as exciting as the above mentioned ones. The other big piece, Les Biches, is not the best thing Poulenc has ever written either, at least in my opinion.

--Gilles

[Mirror Image]

Thought I would revive this thread as Poulenc has been on my mind and whose music I have enjoyed off and on for a few years now. A few things that attracted me initially to Poulenc's music was its wit and humor. I really appreciated the fact that his music could be lighthearted and carefree. I think these things sometimes work against him in trying to establish hiim as a "serious" composer (whatever this means). Some people don't know how to quite take the music. Poulenc's music does, however, have it's moments of seriousness and deep beauty like his Stabat Mater or the slow movement in his Concerto for Two Pianos.

Lately though I have been getting more into his chamber music and listened to a good bit of via YouTube and was enchanted with most of what I sampled. I had been eyeballing the recordings of his chamber music on Naxos and wasn't aware that all five volumes of this series was in housed together in a box set. I've heard nothing but great things about the Naxos set, so, needless to say, I snatched this set up:

[asin]B000SKJQWK[/asin]

[Guido]

Thought I would revive this thread as Poulenc has been on my mind and whose music I have enjoyed off and on for a few years now. A few things that attracted me initially to Poulenc's music was its wit and humor. I really appreciated the fact that his music could be lighthearted and carefree. I think these things sometimes work against him in trying to establish hiim as a "serious" composer (whatever this means). Some people don't know how to quite take the music. Poulenc's music does, however, have it's moments of seriousness and deep beauty like his Stabat Mater or the slow movement in his Concerto for Two Pianos.

Lately though I have been getting more into his chamber music and listened to a good bit of via YouTube and was enchanted with most of what I sampled. I had been eyeballing the recordings of his chamber music on Naxos and wasn't aware that all five volumes of this series was in housed together in a box set. I've heard nothing but great things about the Naxos set, so, needless to say, I snatched this set up:

[asin]B000SKJQWK[/asin]

Such a bad album cover!

[TheGSMoeller]

Really? The first Poulenc post in 4 years??? Oops, was looking at the wrong post...onward!

Anyway, I have really fallen in love with Poulenc's choral pieces, primarily his Motets, Mass in G major, but I need a good recording of Figure humaine to complete my collection, I see several very desirable recordings, but the prices are extremely varied. I've had great luck with Harry Christophers & The Sixteen with their Britten performances, and they have this disc...



...but I can't seem to find any reviews or comments about it. It's fairly cheap on Amazon MP which is why I'm asking if anyone has any feedback on this. Or feedback on any recording of Figure humaine for that matter.

Thanks in advance, my friends.

[Mirror Image]

Such a bad album cover!

Yes, but glorious music inside!

[Drasko]

Really? The first Poulenc post in 4 years??? Oops, was looking at the wrong post...onward!

Anyway, I have really fallen in love with Poulenc's choral pieces, primarily his Motets, Mass in G major, but I need a good recording of Figure humaine to complete my collection, I see several very desirable recordings, but the prices are extremely varied. I've had great luck with Harry Christophers & The Sixteen with their Britten performances, and they have this disc...
...but I can't seem to find any reviews or comments about it. It's fairly cheap on Amazon MP which is why I'm asking if anyone has any feedback on this. Or feedback on any recording of Figure humaine for that matter.

Thanks in advance, my friends.

Th Sixteen recording of Figure Humaine was regarded as reference recording, at least by British press. I'm sure you could find a rave review in Gramophone archive. Current reviewers favorite seems to be Tenebrae on Signum.

Not sure if I can be of much help. None of the recordings by anglophone choirs worked for me, no matter how brilliantly sung, vowels always somehow get to bother me. My preference is Accentus on Naive, the recording is often criticized for some distortion in high passages, but that on the other hand doesn't seem to bother me.

Two recordings that I think I might enjoy, but never heard, would be Netherlands Chamber Choir under Eric Ericson on Globe (I have and like very much their Poulenc sacred choral music disc) and RIAS Kammerchor on HM, a choir which I find generally never less than very good.   

[TheGSMoeller]

Th Sixteen recording of Figure Humaine was regarded as reference recording, at least by British press. I'm sure you could find a rave review in Gramophone archive. Current reviewers favorite seems to be Tenebrae on Signum.

Not sure if I can be of much help. None of the recordings by anglophone choirs worked for me, no matter how brilliantly sung, vowels always somehow get to bother me. My preference is Accentus on Naive, the recording is often criticized for some distortion in high passages, but that on the other hand doesn't seem to bother me.

Two recordings that I think I might enjoy, but never heard, would be Netherlands Chamber Choir under Eric Ericson on Globe (I have and like very much their Poulenc sacred choral music disc) and RIAS Kammerchor on HM, a choir which I find generally never less than very good.

Great, thank you, Drasko! I was getting afraid my post wasn't going to get a response.
Just found the reviews of The Sixteen and Accentus recordings on Gramophone. Both received positive reviews, and I have read some comments on Accentus's distortion issues, but if it's a good performance then I'm all ears