Oh yes, this is one of the composers who make me bend my knees. I tried to get all he wrote in the time of LPs, and it was a tough undertaking in Austria. Poulenc is one of the composers, who have for me no favourite works, because I love them all. I just have a problem with the „Carmelites“: the finale is unbearable. When I saw the work for the first time live (it was in Linz), I burst into tears and wept the whole way to the rail station. And then, again, in Vienna, the same happened. (The other opera which has this effect on me is „Billy Budd“.) When you went through the box, I got my listening program for the next days. I‘ll have a Poulenc-week. Besides: I’m quite sure that Bernstein didn‘t the first performance of the „Tenebrae“, but gave it to Thomas Schippers.

Re: Sécheresses - I had the good fortune to perform this piece under Robert Page at the Blossom Festival School back in 1974. It was Poulenc’s first large-scale work for chorus and orchestra. The influence of Stravinsky is writ large. It’s too bad that Erato did not include the text and translation for this work, because Edward James’ poetry is quite unique. Sécheresses - the dry things. We come upon the citadel of the cicadas, with appropriate buzzing sounds in the orchestra. In the final movement, our protagonist happens upon the dried out skeleton of a crustacean (“forgotten by death, in the shadow of the cliff, who still moves one antenna out of despair”), and asserts that he will be at least as resilient as this dry thing. When I released this recording through the BMG Club under license from EMI, I included the French text and commissioned an English translation. I later released the recording thru MHS, again with the French text and a new translation. You can occasionally find those copies on ebay and amazon. BTW - while the Prêtre is the best available recording, there were two others, one with piano rather than orchestra, IIRC. Paul Paray conducted the world premiere of the piece, which was considered a failure. Poulenc wanted to destroy the work but was talked out of it by Georges Auric.

I've been enjoying this set for the last couple of months. Your review makes of it makes it all the better. Thanks much!!

Thank you David! Discovering treasures through your talks is fun and soul enriching!!!!

Many thanks for shining the spotlight on modern French composers. A couple of days ago we had Fauré, not it's Poulenc. How many of us were introduced to his unique style via the motets for Christmas and/or Holy Week, I wonder? They were my first exposure to this composer back in College; we sang both sets in our touring choir. Since then, I have gone on to familiarize myself with many of his works, with their distinctive blend of hilarity and pathos. If I were to cite just one example, a microcosm of that bittersweet paradox, it would be his setting of the line "vos fugam capietis" from one of the Passiontide motets. Christ is predicting that his disciples will flee when he is arrested, and Poulenc has them sneaking away to the rhythm of a tango! Who but Poulenc would have the subversive wit for such a setting? And who but Poulenc would have gotten away with it?

Thank you very much for this talk. I'm not a musically educated person, but I discovered many recordings of 20th C French music in a university library in the late 1970's (French radio I think), and with much delight, I discovered "Les Six" composers just at the right time because I had become a bit saturated by indulgence in the romantics. The refreshing, humanistic outlook of these composers, inconsistent as some might be,... but the love of the ordinary, the humorous smile at, and acceptance of the ups and downs of everyday life. I think it's a shame that, for example, Milhaud's chamber music is less well known, and sometimes not even performed very well by performers who mistake it for Debussy and try to polish the hard edges and lose the rhythmic integrity. For me these composer's provide a lot of good "breakfast music", short pieces to wake you up, inject a bit of energy and put a smile on your face to start the day. For example, Milhaud wrote a bunch of delightful short pieces for solo piano, and for me they are best given life by William Bolcom (a student of Milhaud) on the Nonsuch label (originally on vinyl). You try and find that recording now.

I discovered Poulenc listening to the Martinon Box set you reviewed recently and convinced me to buy. I had never heard any of Poulenc’s works before… man what a discovery! I simply had to get the Poulenc box set and so happy I did! BTW another composer I recently got interested more recently is Offenbach. It seems no one ever talks about him… Why?? LOL his Cello works are amazing and I ordered the Warner Opera box as well. I hope you get a chance to review more of his works one day :)

You speak with such affection, fluency, and granularity about Poulenc that it would be fitting that you write another one of your wonderful books on him.

"The Greeks were superficial - because they were profound!" -Nietzsche, The Birth of Tragedy. And so for Poulenc. The first time I heard Poulenc's Oboe sonata I cried.

The Organ Concerto and the Concerto for Two Pianos are two of my must haves.

Thanks for doing this Poulenc's box twice, because I can't understand the French language. I took a lot of good notes from your discussion of it. Thanks again, diane lewis

I just got my Poulenc box in the mail. This fills in repertoire gaps in my collection (several Poulenc works I still did not have a recording of). Thanks so much, Dave!!

I absolutely love the piano concerto, such wonderfully sensual, colourful music. So "serious" people dislike it? I didn't even know.

Ok…I MUST have this set. A hundred obsequious bows of homage for bringing this to our attention. David, I am a musical illiterate, or, to be charitable, just another nondescript member of the audience. These videos are finally educating me about the music I love. This is yet another video I shall listen to again, and yet again. Why do I love Poulenc so very much? He is the composer who entertains me while he prays.

I LOVE Poulenc. I remember when a friend brought me to a concert with his Organ Concerto, which I didn't know. When the piece started I thought "well, it OBVIOUSLY sounds like Bach", and then came the "chase scene", and I was astonished. Dialogues des Carmélites is also a great theatrical experience, it's a bit dry, but it has two killer scenes: the death of the Old Prioress (Anja Silja!) and obviously the Salve Regina. But my favourite Poulenc creation is the Vidit suum from the Stabat Mater. Incredible.

Thank you for your encouraging presentation. I agree on Poulenc extraordinary musical gift of setting words (or would I say meaning when there are no actual text as in the chamber works). Not sure to be of the heighth of this music though, it can be very subtle and allows no distraction. It seems to still speak afterwards. And I still do not ‘get into’ some major works. Even if am still haunted by the Scaffold scene Mr Honeck played as a sole item in Prague once (with soli from the choir), alongside the Stabat Mater. I have the same 'story" with Chopin, but as with him I come slowly to it, perhaps will end as Blanche ending. Though was blessed to hear the great Gabriel Tacchino and a bunch of illustrious French instrumentalists come play this music for Poulenc centenary( in an improbable seaside hotel), and for once that was not more than one hour from my place. Erato is full of treasures.

Ha! Still on Amazon a year later $60 - just got it - thanks Dave - always impressed by your objectivity😊

I've been listening to Poulenc's Les Biches recently - Rondeau always has me grinning from ear to ear as it's genuinely witty music (and to me has some striking similarities to the final Allegro assai movement in Stravinsky's Pulcinella). It's also music difficult to get out of your head - real ear worm stuff!

David, you have already reviewed Poulenc, Ravel and Berlioz Erato/Warner boxes, and quite interesting those reviews are. Are you going to continue with the Debussy box? I believe it is yet available and looks great...

I really love his sonatas, the clarinet sonata I played is hands on the most beautiful composition for modern clarinet.

Thank you for these videos; they are a treasure trove. I was wondering if you had any plans to review the Haydn masses recordings. I have the Bruno Weil collection and love them.

I wish Decca got their act together and used Pascal Roge's Poulenc recordings (songs, orchestral and piano) as a basis for what could be a killer Poulenc edition

Many, many thanks, David. Just one quibble - Seven Responsories was premiered at the NY Phil, but by Thomas Shippers. There was a frisson about the part of the text deriding "the Jews" and it's been suggested (I'm persuaded) Bernstein stepped aside and let Shippers do the performances. Meanwhile, indeed, Poulenc's songs are likely his most familiar repertoire. While I'm at it, one odd thing about Eluard's texts - I understand his heirs were lukewarm about Poulenc's settings. This is in contrast to Apollinaire's descendants, who were delighted. One of them said the poet's physical voice was sublimely echoed, a compliment that any songwriter would appreciate.

I don't know if the suggestion I'm about to make has already come up. Nevertheless, I think you should do a talk on the exquisite Jean Françaix. Thank you.

My favourite Poulenc piece is his composition called Gloria !

Hello Dave! Would you consider doing an Ideal Poulenc Concertos repertoire chat? I would be thrilled to watch it! Take care!

Now it's out of print, the Poulenc box is probably beyond my means, but I am considering Erato's Roussel Edition, which does contain historical recordings by the composer.