Francis Poulenc (Oxford Studies of Composers) - Hardcover

Mellers, Wilfrid

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0198163371 ISBN 13: 9780198163374

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1993

Synopsis

Once considered as little more than the froth in the wake of the First World War, a witty boy-hedonist who, in the giddy Twenties, tweaked the noses of moribund establishmentarians, Poulenc has in fact proved unexpectedly durable--more so than any of his colleagues among Les Six, including those who developed more grandiose ambitions. Here is a survey of Poulenc's music, based on careful selection of his works, and written by an authoritative guide. After placing Poulenc in the context of French life and society after the First World War and considering him in relation to his masters and mentors, especially Satie and Chabrier, Mellers turns to Poulenc's Diaghilev ballet, Les Biches, to important sequels to it, such as Concert champêtre and Aubade, and to works of transition, such as the Concerto for two pianos and orchestra. The next section discusses the "social" music of Poulenc's middle years--especially the music for piano (for Poulenc a domestic instrument), written during the Thirties, and the centrality of song in his work; some account is offered of his relationship with his main poets, Guillaume Apollinaire, Paul Eluard, and Louise de Vilmorin. Mellers next considers the impact on Poulenc of the Second World War, especially as manifest in the great choral work Quatre Motets de Pénitence and the Organ Concerto. Adopting a broadly chronological approach, Mellers traces Poulenc's development as a composer from enfant terrible to a mature composer both for secular society and for the liturgy of the Catholic Church; in so doing he points to the reasons for the durability and pertinacity of his appeal. Mellers further assesses Poulenc's place in the French tradition, and, in a Postlude, pays tribute to the warm regard with which Poulenc was held by so many of his fellow musicians.

About this title

About the Author

He is author of many books including Percy Grainger OSC (OUP, 1992); Bach and the Dance of God (1980); Beethoven and the Voice of God (1684); Music in a New Found Land (1987); Man and his Music (1987); Francois Couperin (1987); Vaughan Williams and the Vision of Albion (1988)

Review

"A gem....Written in a lively style intended to enhance listening enjoyment of the compositions....This volume will be a pleasure to anyone, from general reader to specialist."--Choice

"Mellers has that rare gift of being able to talk about music. His chatty descriptions of pieces are so thorough that you feel you've already heard them--or don't need to....He capably places Poulenc in historical perspective....Mellers...more often than not, has just the mot juste to describe any musical happening....Excerpts from Mellers's' Francis Poulenc surely will find their way into program notes for at least the next decade."--American Organist

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1993
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0198163371
• ISBN 13: 9780198163374
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 204