Francis Poulenc
Francis Poulenc's music swings from boulevard wit to peasant devotion. Perpetual-motion piano, chamber sonatas, horn élégies, Christmas and penitential motets, a Gloria, and songs that can flirt, mourn or protest sit side by side in the catalogue.
Early scores made his name for high spirits and irreverence among Les Six; from the mid-1930s a graver voice answered without silencing the charm. He wrote ballets for Diaghilev, a Concert champêtre for harpsichord, and the opera Dialogues des Carmélites. Mélodies shaped with baritone Pierre Bernac as partner range from Apollinaire and Cocteau to wartime Éluard and Aragon. Figure humaine ends in Liberté; the Mass in G major for unaccompanied choir is among his most often heard sacred works. On the piano he could be wry and sophisticated; in song he could protest or console. The two natures Claude Rostand named, half monk and half naughty boy, keep trading places bar by bar.
Compositions by Francis Poulenc appear on
The Choir of Ormond College Live
A live retrospective for the Choir of Ormond College’s twenty-first year, gathering concert recordings from 1985 to 2000 under Douglas Lawrence, from Britten’s Festival Te Deum and Fauré’s Requiem to Bach, Palestrina, Poulenc and lively encores.
Music from Heaven
The Choir of Ormond College, directed by Douglas Lawrence, in a highly acclaimed programme of unaccompanied sacred works by Allegri, Byrd, Poulenc, Britten, Barber and J.S. Bach.
Hornocopia
About 110 minutes of French horn music, from classical staples to contemporary scores. Much of the programme sits on the AMEB French Horn syllabus, and several works appear here on CD for the first time – a practical set for students and teachers.
I Heard the Owl Call My Name
The highly acclaimed recording of the Choir of Ormond College's European tour. Includes the amazing choral soundscape I Heard the Owl Call My Name by Australian composer Philip Nunn.
Jinker Ride
A recital collection celebrating the modern pianoforte, drawing on its full range of colour and touch across repertoire from Scarlatti and Clementi to Liszt, with special place given to Australian works by Dorian Le Gallienne and Raymond Hanson.
Summer Waves
Len Vorster plays a personal recital of short piano works by Gershwin, de Falla, Lord Berners, Berkeley, Field, Grieg, Debussy, Poulenc and Ravel, drawn toward summer light, dance rhythm and nocturne stillness.
Night Thoughts
During the long still nights of Melbourne’s Covid lockdowns, pianist Len Vorster listened widely and thought hard about what he heard. Those evening ruminations became this programme of fifteen nocturnes and night pieces, from Schumann’s circle to Copland.
Birds Bees and Butterflies
Songs of love and springtime sung by Pamela Wainwright and accompanied by Andrew Frampton.
A Year in Paris
Clarinet and piano music by Poulenc, Carmichael, Benjamin, Cahuzac, Debussy, Stanhope, Brumby and Françaix. Nicole Canham spent a year in Paris studying at the Versailles Conservatoire.
…a little z.o.o.
Peter Constant and Marion Schaap as the Z.O.O. Duo follow their acclaimed A Sympathetic Resonance and Light on the Edge with a short, polished programme of classical guitar duos drawn from familiar concert repertoire.
Worlds Apart
Worlds Apart gathers music for piano duet, two and three pianos from France and Australia. At its centre is the first Australian recording of Max Bruch’s Concerto for two pianos and orchestra.