Born:
January 7, 1899
Birthplace:
Paris, France
Died:
January 30, 1963 in Paris
Also Known As:
He was one of the important French composers after World War 1 and member of "Les Six;" a title given by the critic Henri Collet to a group of young composers during the 1920s. "Les Six" was composed of Georges Auric (1899-1983), Louis Durey (1888-1979), Arthur Honegger (1892-1955), Darius Milhaud (1892-1974), Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)and Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983). Their works were inspired by the music of Erik Satie.
Type of Compositions:
His works include chamber music, ballets, songs, piano music, sacred vocal works, operas, cantatas and other stage works.
Influence:
Poulenc started playing the piano when he was 5 years old and then received lessons from the pianist Ricardo Vines. By the 1920s, he was studying composition privately and from 1921 to 1924, studied with Charles Koechlin.
Notable Works:
His works include "Rapsodie Nègre," "Trois Mouvements Perpétuels," "Sonata for Piano Duet," settings of poems by Apollinaire ("Le Bestiaire") and Cocteau ("Cocardes"), "Les Mamelles de Tirésias," "Poèmes de Ronsard," "Chansons gaillardes," "Concert champêtre," "Litanies à la Vierge Noire de Rocomadour," "Mass in G Major," "Gloria," "Stabat Mater," "La voix humaine," "Figure humaine," "Les dialogues des Carmélites," "Les mamelles de Tiresias," "Sextet for piano and wind quintet," "Organ Concerto," "Oboe Sonata" and he also wrote many songs for the baritone Pierre Bernac.
Interesting Facts:
Poulenc's "Les biches" was commissioned by Diaghilev, the producer of the Ballet Rouse, under the recommendations of Stravinsky. Poulenc's family was engaged in the pharmaceutical industry which was later known as the Rhone-Poulenc pharmaceutical company.
Related Video:
Listen to Francis Poulenc's "Two Piano Concerto - First Movement" courtesy of YouTube.
