Repertoire: The IDEAL Poulenc Concertos

[@madrigal1956]

I have been loving Poulenc's music for decades, and it's great so see you sharing this enthousiasm: Thank you

[@jean-jacquessimon6703]

Merci de votre enthousiasme pour les superbes concertos de Poulenc. Une anecdote : je passais enfant des vacances à Noizay où ma grand-mère m'emmenait par le coteau chez des amis. Tout à coup, une effluve de musique au piano nous est parvenue : "Ecoute, me dit Mamée, c'est Francis Poulenc." Je n'ai jamais oublié ce moment de grâce.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Wow! Merci!

[@Bobbnoxious]

I sometimes wonder what a Poulenc Violin Concerto would've sounded like. Ginette Neveu asked him for one in the late 1940s, but he refused. One of his quirks was that he hated writing for strings.

[@svrfan]

finally wonderful Poulenc; he shows you what great stuff you can do with traditional tonality

[@timyork6150]

I wonder how many others in this community has heard Francis Poulenc playing his own music. I attended a concert at the Liverpool Philharmonic, probably in John Pritchard's time, when he played one of his concertos. I don't recall which one but I do remember that he played with enormous verve. His music was hardly on my radar screen then and is still underrepresented on my shelves. Videos like this one impel me to remedy that. Thanks Dave!

[@nattyco]

Thanks for reminding me of this wonderful music. I think I once had the recording of the concerto for two pianos with the composer and Jacques Fevrier. It was very good and I must seek out these works again. Poulenc is very underrated. I like his amazing songs and inventive solo piano works.

[@bws6250]

I swear I heard The People United Will Never Be Defeated in that Larghetto from the Double Piano Concerto. Thank you so much for introducing me to Poulenc in the last couple years! I love the music.

[@robh9079]

Lovely works - thanks for covering. The Organ concerto opening haunted me as a young boy as it was used for the credits of a Horror series I watched on TV (UK)!

[@richfarmer3478]

So glad to hear my favorite Poulenc work, the piano concerto get some love.

[@scuunjieng]

Agree that is my favorite Poulenc concerto and one of my favorite Piano Concertos.

[@bloodgrss]

I am just so happy music composed to be a joy to the listener is highlighted, Dave. In my college days (I am a bit older than you), it seemed the only music that got academic kudo's was music that was intended to alienate the listener...

[@steveschwartz8944]

I wouldn't say that. But it definitely was aimed at a specialist audience.

[@bloodgrss]

@@steveschwartz8944 Yes; a narrow vs what is now a worldwide audience...

[@steveschwartz8944]

@@bloodgrss The classical music audience is, as I understand it, a sliver of the musical audience. Many more know Dylan than they do Debussy. The audience for the hegemonic music of the 50s through the 70s is a sliver of a sliver. As with other kinds of music, I like some of those pieces and not others.

[@bloodgrss]

@@steveschwartz8944 Not so sure many 21st-century souls even know much about Dylan! Music will have its heyday, then inevitably break into slivers of interest. Luckily we have our sound technologies and the ability to listen to all, like the particular music or not. Happy Dave highlights so much for us here that might otherwise remain more obscure...

[@steveschwartz8944]

@@bloodgrss Good points.

[@rogergersbach3300]

I prefer the Poulenc/Munch Organ Concerto Which has marvelously clear pipes and is, as you say, very individual. My backup recordings of the other concertos is Pretre, but Le Sage is on my want list.

[@zdl1965]

Sviatoslav Richter played the Aubade with J-F.Paillard. It was Emil Gilels who recorded the Concerto Champetre on the piano with Kondrashin (!).

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Heard one Russian, you've heard 'em all!

[@ultradmann2367]

I wasn't familiar with Poulenc until I really found your channel and you've talked about his awesome orchestral works discs. As a clarinetist myself, I was introduced to him through the clarinet concerto when I was in college which I wasn't entirely sold on at first because I didn't understand his style and what his music represented at the time. But thanks to your resources I have a clearly and way more careful knowledge of what I play and hear in his music after listening to you're suggestions. I've been in a runt wondering what other cool stuff he had and here you go always answer that question at some point. Dope upload as always!

[@WMAlbers1]

The organ concerto was played today in Helsinki on the new monster Rieger concert organ. It was AMAZING!!!

[@FREDGARRISON]

I heard LEROY ANDERSON composed a tune in honor of FRANCIS. It was called PO-LINK, POULENC, PO-LUNK !!!! They don't get any better folks.... Thanks Dave.

[@folanpaul]

Thanks David, some lovely recordings chosen here. I must check out the organ concerto which I am not familiar with. A suggestion for a video in this series, inspired by this review, would be an ideal list of Malcolm Arnold concertos. Lots to choose from hopefully

[@bingbongtoysKY]

I'm back in a Poulenc obsession again, this is perfect timing! I picked up the Pascal Roge disc of chamber works on Decca yesterday at Half Price books for 3$ and can't put it away! I hope you guys have a Half Price bookstore close to you, it's the closest thing to real record shopping, and the classical is always dirt cheap- great selection Dave!!!

[@johannesbluemink4581]

Delightful. I'm sure you would have recommended Les Biches, Sinfonietta and Les Animaux Modèles, if you had more time.

[@maxmachado8632]

Thank you for making my suggestion a reality! By the way, what do you think about Ozawa’s version of the Concerto for two pianos with the Labéque sisters? I couldn’t find a review on Classicstoday. Take care.

[@steveschwartz8944]

How does Cloyd Duff compare to Vic Firth? Duff is one of the only percussionists I know by name. Glennie is the other.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

They both have funny names.