Francis Poulenc - Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra

[@2906nico]

I love Poulenc. He is the only composer whose music makes me laugh (I mean this in the best possible way, his jokes are much funnier than Haydn's) and he can also make me immensely sad. This concerto has the best of him I think.

[@gigogrom216]

how about Shostakovich?

[@AdEl-kj8uc]

Haydn is one century older than this guy.

[@almasmusic683]

Тут не смех,тут плачь,вы же заметили искаженную цитату из фуги баха и отсылка,это вообще полистилическое произведение.

[@antoniusnies-komponistpian2172]

@@AdEl-kj8uc Even more than 1,5 centuries

[@陳子揚-i3p]

Ravel is also as well

[@Kalen1457]

What a composer who smiles in his picture? That's unusual.

[@coosoorlog]

very suspicious

[@titicatfollies6615]

@@davidschreiter3513 He was nothing if not zany. Only a very smart and talented person can be truly zany.

[@hervescellier6943]

@@davidschreiter3513 and ?

[@SamiShah2004]

Erik Satie smiled in one of his pictures which is ironic because he composed some of the most brooding, dark and existential dread - inducing music out there.

[@spensert4933]

That was this wrestlemania name the Grinner.

[@likeabirdinthesky]

6:03 sounds so magical 😭💖

[@VinxAnim]

reminds me of ghibli

[@armandogiordano1226]

There' s so much genius in this 19 minutes I can' t even handle it.

[@brendonmcmorrow3886]

I completely agree. The changes in direction are a tad giddying at times but it makes for a rollercoaster of a piece which absolutely hits a prime sweet spot so far as my taste is concerned. You should try it set to Liam Scarlett's ballet, Asphodel Meadows, which takes it to yet another level.

[@littlemarmoset]

Absolutely love the gamelan starting around 6:15. That, and the harmonics.

[@TheMercury150]

Having visited Bali multiple times over the past 35 years I can hear so much Gamelan influence here in the first movement. Love how he marries that with western music. A most beautiful piece. Inspired.

[@treesny]

Gamelan was also an influence in Hindemith's great Sonata for Two Pianos, and also in several works by Benjamin Britten, notably The Prince of the Pagodas (ballet) and Death in Venice (opera). Poulenc's ability to absorb many different kinds of music and make something uniquely his out of all the influences was extraordinary.

[@peter-andrepliassov4489]

Another good example of western composers being influenced by gamelan is the piece "Pagodes" by Debussy.

[@the_eternal_paradox]

is it just me who falls apart at 14:50 I love that part so much, amidst all the chaos :0 actually, I can't tell you how many times I've listened to this in the past months, it's just absolutely out of this world :)

[@timcollins5349]

I truly love the context Poulenc reveals here in his obvious experience with the history of piano repertoire and his ability to find a contemporary response to the place of France in the world of classical music in 1932. Whilst being still stylistically conservative there is endless personal wit, grace, style and fun in this work. He was right in sensing he was entering the period of greatness and self awareness in the composing of this work. So smashing to hear the composer with lifelong friend/ colleague together in this recording. A true delight!

[@niampatel9115]

Playing this in my school orchestra in front of 1000 people just made me smile. What a piece of music - the second movement I love in particular.

[@wwr-music5469]

I can hear here Stravinsky, Ravel, Chopin, Mozart and Rachmaninov. Very mixed, but also interesting.

[@JanKoning1961]

That is exactly what Poulenc is like: a great mixture of Stravinsky and Mozart, and possibly other composers.

[@TempodiPiano]

Ravel, Stravinsky, Rachmaninov yes ! Mozart ?

[@vladimirkabele1168]

Mozart is from 7:50.

[@user-byubuntu]

Do you like Medtner?

[@Tsuba_Nick]

I can hear a bit of Schubert as well around 12:00

[@thethikboy]

Brilliantly neo-classical with Poulenc's inimitable style.

[@donnytello1544]

Agreed

[@ERSCAUS]

Brothers Lukas and Arthur Jussen do a SPLENDID job of this wonderful Concerto.

[@baudouinfrancoise329]

....such a masterpiece ... wonderfull moments from 6:09 and 9:00 and so on .... and so on ...

[@anthonyat2401]

Check some of John Foulds and Colin McPhee Tabuh Tabuhan

[@MuseDuCafe]

A wonderful performance with Poulenc and Jacques Février on the pianos. Too, musically and historically, THE archival recording to have, despite what others you might also like. THANK YOU, ONCE AGAIN, for great pieces and your discernment in putting those up in the most outstanding of performances.

[@olla-vogala4090]

My pleasure!

[@RicAbapo]

That's why it felt like the performance sounds like it's played like an improvisation in some parts.. when I read Poulenc himself played this then that's when it made sense. Really interesting when the composer him/herself plays his/her works.

[@takaharrue]

what a beautiful and wonderful piece of music!

[@bachtehude2437]

Such a clear recording for 1957

[@MuseDuCafe]

The old Angel-Seraphim catalogue )much of that old stock is now property of EMI) is chock-a-block with fine performances with great audio qaulity.

[@aeravideo]

It is so cool to have possibility to hear such music.... Have a nice day!

[@olla-vogala4090]

+aeravideo My pleasure :)

[@darrellcobb7596]

+olla-vogala I don't care that the tempi are faster than what Poulenc wrote -- I just love this piece. Thanks for posting this.

[@wandahelenagorecka-fichten9258]

Dziękuję za poznanie twórczości Francis Poulenca nieco bliżej

[@Stitch87654]

Haha, I'm glad I'm born at this time to have the privilege to listen to such an amazing piece! Thank you for uploading :3

[@davidzorror.]

Colorido, enérgico, sentimental, me encantó ! Gracias por compartir

[@laurentstuderlafontaine8077]

Merci beaucoup pour la lecture de ce chefs d'oeuvre Français !

[@ChocobitzXD]

super good stuff. ending caught me by surprise. v nice work still. poulenc is......... rlly...... good at writing

[@ginnyli2913]

larghetto, second part is so charming.

[@EddySunMusicProbe]

Excellent concerto from Poulenc... Many thanks for the music sheet Olla!! Cheers, Eddy.

[@olla-vogala4090]

My pleasure Eddy, happy that you like it!

[@r0mmm]

Can we agree that everything after 0:32 is some epic stuff?

[@kofiLjunggren]

Yes

[@JanKoning1961]

Great concerto. I've heard many interpretations of this concerto, but the one with Poulenc at the piano I hadn't heard yet. Thanks for uploading!

[@trstquint7114]

Brilliant. Every note is right. Only a very rich and humorous mind could have written this.

[@charlesmchugh8811]

As with some other Poulenc's pieces, this one shows his reverence and irreverence (sort of his "Saint" and "sinner" duel personality). I love that about him. Another trait is his use of short phrases and strong, frequent cadences. That sometimes bothers me but, heck, I love his music. As always, thanks for the upload. I'm so grateful for your hard work.

[@charlesmchugh8811]

That's Poulenc pieces

[@olla-vogala4090]

+Charles McHugh My pleasure Charles! I'm happy that people like you enjoy the music I've uploaded so much :)

[@asgnyc1975]

I've never heard his music described so perfectly. i.e.: his "Saint" and "sinner" duel personality. Brilliant!

[@andrewpetersen5272]

I would say more saint and scamp.

[@querilloquerilian]

thank you olla! (again) for letting us know more about the beautiful pieces we hear, and the great minds who could bring them to this world!

[@joycedelrosario2218]

I love it. Thank you for sharing

[@minema7953]

The first movement sounds like Mozart on adrenaline, not saying it's bad. It is extraordinary to see a Mozart references to me. Exotic find!

[@JorgeRzezak]

Beautiful concerto, thanks for sharing it!

[@kaka6925]

忘れられない曲。激しさと不穏が渦巻く刺激的な曲

[@BBAND42]

Thank you

[@witsukyai1685]

Third movement sounds like his second Novelette. Absolutely stunning

[@YITZHAQ1]

wonderful

[@Gailrstarr]

Thank you so much for your hard work in posting with the score! I wish I could play this with a friend.

[@runner0075]

Amazing piece

[@feneb6497]

If there was ever an eclectic piece this is it!

[@donnytello1544]

I get romantic vibes from solo piano concerto, but neoclassicism from this concerto

[@lernoe3767]

so many great ideas

[@small_ed]

Brilliant composition...

[@TheALIMARS]

The last movement reminds me so much of his B flat minor Novellette

[@julianfwong]

Second movement is sensational. Thank you for introducing me to this work.

[@robinbarr4677]

This is wonderful It's fascinating to hear the echoes of Mozart; and I also hear direct quotes of his (later) sextet for piano & winds, or rather, the sextet feels like a translation or variation of this piece for the smaller ensemble. There are not just direct quotes of motifs, but also the sequences of harmonies and tempi are similar. I would love to see a direct comparison. Thank you for posting both!

[@treesny]

The dates of composition usually given for the two pieces are actually somewhat misleading. The Concerto for Two Pianos was written in 1932; the original version of the Sextet dates from 1931-32 (and was premiered 1n 1933). However, Poulenc was not happy with the Sextet, and in 1939 revised it, though apparently the overhaul was a matter of form and organization, not of the actual musical content; 1939 is the date usually assigned to the piece. So the two works were actually conceived contemporaneously, and it's not surprising that they bear a family resemblance.

[@robinbarr4677]

@@treesny How interesting! Thanks for the explanation!

[@BCscores]

Fantastic recording

[@user-byubuntu]

I like it very much

[@RicAbapo]

The slow section of the first movement sounds like it was inspired from Prokofiev's Third Concerto (1st and 3rd mvt).

[@lunchmind]

And a veiled theivery of Mozart's piano concertos #20 and 21

[@fobosdeimos6992]

c'est excellent francis👏👏👏

[@brentdavidson9980]

I also hear references of Prokofiev, especially his 3rd piano concerto.

[@viktoriiafedorova]

That Saint- Saens on 0:15 stunned me

[@Galopino1994]

The slow movement actually reminds me of K.466

[@Gailrstarr]

OMG! That was EXACTLY what I was thinking.

[@91Colon]

So I'm not the only one. Thank you!

[@evelynn1406]

That's quite obviously the concerto Poulenc sort of "quotes" in the 2nd movement. No idea why the description mentions the 467's slow movement, which obviously has absolutely nothing to do with Poulenc's slow movement.

[@chriscarpenter1920]

It's so close to that concerto that it wouldn't make any sense to compare it to anything else even if it's in the same key.

[@user-byubuntu]

+Chris Carpenter i think that it is good

[@SCRIABINIST]

17:25 moves me in a way I can't explain

[@Whatismusic123]

Why is it so hard to explain delusion? Because you expect it to be more.

[@SCRIABINIST]

@@Whatismusic123 erm.... watesigma?🤓

[@andywright8803]

I think Tony Banks had been listening to this before writing the keyboard part of The Lamb lies down on broadway 8:58

[@user-byubuntu]

Awersome

[@raulescobar4496]

Magnífico

[@mehmetyavuzonar7420]

2.Piano konçertosu müthiş

[@almasmusic683]

Потрясающе

[@delphinec9307]

Does someone know if there is a partition of transcription for 1 piano (or 4 hands piano) of the Larghetto?

[@olla-vogala4090]

There is no a transcription like that available on IMSLP, so I'm afraid not...

[@delphinec9307]

Thank you for research.

[@PianoScoreVids]

How can the sound quality be so good considering it is 60 years old??

[@guillaume589]

2003 ? 60 Years old ?

[@canman5060]

It was very modern over 60 years ago when I was a young student at the conservatoire !

[@charlesdelair61]

Recorded in 1957. Coincidentally that was the same year stereophonic disks, records we called them, were mass produced for the first time. I was 8 years old and I remember hearing it demonstrated. Made a big impression...and the quality was actually quite good! 🤗 I only wish my hearing was still that good!

[@cnviolinist9009]

Am I the only one that thinks 8:56 lended some inspiration to The Great Fairy’s Fountain theme in Zelda?

[@BenzemonstreENTs]

J'y ai pensé également.

[@AsrielKujo]

omg yeah so similar!!

[@carlconnor5173]

A bit weird, but with some very tender, Romantic passages. Certainly different. Shades of Saint-Saens here and there.

[@leonkwan196]

I think the Pelog Scale is used in this concerto, what do you guys think

[@RobertPenner]

Selisir scale specifically

[@almasmusic683]

Не ну просто "уничтожил")

[@evanmegaro3022]

8:57 possible inspiration for The Legend of Zelda Select Screen Music? (SNES) kzbin.info/www/bejne/gpLLn2mjg5KbpM0

[@olla-vogala4090]

+evan megaro Yes could be, it does sound a bit similar!

[@scalefrog2]

Yes definitely!! I was thinking the same.

[@RedZed1974]

Totally! The fairy pond from OoT, too.

[@비옌이]

No. It's more likely inspired by "Morning Glory" by Tatsuro Yamashita.

[@percussionfellow6168]

8:57 Enter Name: Link

[@thakill100]

Definitively reminiscent of this indeed

[@Συναισθησις]

DON'T YOU MEAN ZELDA?!?!?!?!?!??

[@CantOutOusbiTheOusbi]

Omg the composer is playing

[@42bwawa12]

Omggggg i didnt know🤩🤩🤩

[@brentdavidson9980]

I'm reading a biography on Francis Poulenc.

[@VinxAnim]

16:02 was doing an homework and i genuinely started screaming

[@johnreacher8676]

I can clearly hear the influence of the Javanese gamelan... did Poulence have an interest in ethno-musicology?

[@johnreacher8676]

*Poulenc

[@MrRobinthiodet]

Il en a écouté à une exposition universelle, comme Debussy.

[@sylvainmathieu3887]

Not Javanese but Balinese. There was one at the Colonial Exhibition in 1931.

[@ivanhendr]

More Balinese than Javanese. Balinese Gamelan are more dynamic; Javanese slow and regal.

[@Barnaldomort]

6:56 makes me think of Alexandre Desplat's 'Shape of Water'; anyone else?

[@krisma12234]

I hear the resemblance!

[@kofiLjunggren]

Gamelan

[@spiegel311]

Sameeeee

[@volutes8574]

17:23 Am I the only one earing Pink Floyd's dark side pf the moon at this precise moment?

[@muzikaparadiso2454]

8:57-9:38

[@francescoborghini7669]

Viene quasi da pensare che la perfezione d'eloquio raggiunta da Mozart nella sua breve vita, finisse per dare sui nervi a molti fra neoclassici e simili!... Non è certo questo il caso di Poulenc, il quale invece non esita a porre nel mezzo di tanti apporti eterogenei, molte personali note sensibili... In tanti non esiterebbero a parlare di animuccia sentimentale... Quest'animuccia però, bisognerebbe riflettere, ebbe il coraggio di porsi impertinentemente di fronte alla magniloquenza di Wagner e dei post-romantici... Io trovo una certa sincerità d'espressione, rara nel panorama neoclassico, magari rannicchiata sorridente fra le pieghe di una graffiante ironia demistificatoria... Forse il salisburghese (e non genericamente il suo tempo) rappresentavano quest'ancora di salvezza per Poulenc?!?... Molte grazie e molti complimenti per aver postata questa pregevole edizione di questa bella e sorridente opera!

[@richardcraik1105]

Was the performance with Britten recorded?

[@enelabe]

9:36 is this a quote from mozart's piano concerto no. 21?????

[@Sujkhgfrwqqnvf]

Even the beginning of the 2nd movement, I think, is an imitation of the 2nd movement of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20

[@donnytello1544]

1:34 is so cool 😭

[@federicozimerman8167]

First movement some similarities with Shostakovich 2nd piano concerto, could it be ?

[@tunakarakaya9706]

13:53 his novelette nr.2?

[@betteprice8726]

Good

[@tomlin4179]

末樂章的最後一個樂段之前的鋼琴旋律非常浪漫,但緊接著的最後樂段卻變得離譜,難道不能用相同曲風完成？可能想換成另一種表現手法或有其他什麼用意

[@canman5060]

This piano concerto is so 'French' !

[@Stitch87654]

What is that (precussion?) instrument at 1:35?

[@piennuivelo]

Castanets

[@MrInterestingthings]

Poulenc's songs but this crazy dance hall concerto . What is he doing . I used to love this . The slow movement e all know and love but the opening is sozany , pop-music sounding I dont get his strategy .So many tunes thrown at us - it changes mood every few second notlike an intelligent boulez but just madcap . Thats what hw 1st movement is madcap ! I'll find my way back to this .

[@wesleywolhuter2592]

It is exactly people like you who Poulenc is mocking and poking fun at ! Hahaha those who naïvely , arrogantly think they know it all. Congrats Poulenc! Job well done! Gets right under the purist mule's skins!!! 😂😂😂😂 With love and peace 🕊️❤😜

[@ArtoverCrackClouds]

9:00 sounds very similar to fairy fountain

[@saintepucelle6853]

17:22

[@zanexiao4488]

The first movement sounds sooo Mozartian.

[@kofiLjunggren]

How?

[@user-zv6lq1sc7t]

14:01 His improvisation no.6?

[@absyahwa7698]

Somehow i can hear gamelan in this composition

[@kofiLjunggren]

Yes!!

[@luden6794]

14:50

[@halvard1218]

15:52 and 3:40 . ^_^

[@JakubKrajnak]

1:47 cool

[@ThrilltimeHeadache]

Playing this in marching band lmao

[@lebonmunsterdalsace]

Au moins les pubs sont entre les mouvements, c'est moin d'être toujours le cas...

[@levifuchs8455]

0:54 wtf...? 👀

[@이유-x2b7w]

8:00

[@TheGentleUncle]

Much Mozart and Stravinsky.

[@rossmoriarty2582]

1:15 5:04

[@samshiu932]

@9:57 :)