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POULENC Les Biches – Suite Les Animaux Modèles – Suite Sinfonietta

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POULENC Les Biches – Suite Les Animaux Modèles – Suite Sinfonietta POULENC Les Biches – Suite Les Animaux modèles – Suite Sinfonietta RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Jean-Luc Tingaud Francis Poulenc (1899–1963) ‘Prague’ is explicitly quoted towards the start, after which enter the fun-packed world of L’Homme entre deux âges Les Biches, FP 36 – Suite • Les Animaux modèles, FP 111 – Suite • Sinfonietta, FP 141 the music shifts to a theme that gives more than a passing et ses deux maîtresses (‘The Middle-aged Man and His nod to the conclusion of Stravinsky’s Pulcinella , then Two Mistresses’), where the composer is in his element, Francis Poulenc (1899–1963) was born into a reputable like side of certain of Marie Laurencin’s women, and on leads into a ragtime before returning to the quasi- demonstrating his natural flair for playfulness. In contrast family of industrialists in Paris. As a child of eleven he first the double entendre of the word “biche” in the French Pulcinella material to conclude this suite in a typically to this, Poulenc inserts several quizzical references to his encountered Stravinsky’s music, which was to have a language. “Biches”, for that reason, is untranslatable in mischievous vein. own Mass in G in La Mort et le Bûcheron (‘Death and the significant and lasting effect upon his own works. English. That is why in London the ballet is called House As with Les Biches , Poulenc wrote his own, non- Woodcutter’), whose opening closely resembles the Between 1914 and 1917 Poulenc studied piano with Party .’ 3 linear scenario for Les Animaux modèles (‘Animal Hosanna in excelsis from the Sanctus . Clear hints of Ricardo Viñes, through whom he met Darius Milhaud, The ambiguity of the term clearly gave the composer Models’), based on six fables by Jean de La Fontaine and Satie’s madcap Parade and Hens and Cocks from Saint- George Auric and Erik Satie. Several years later he not only a great deal of amusement but also inspiration for composed in 1940–42, during a time of global conflict. He Saens’ Le Carnaval des animaux are evident in Les Deux became acquainted with Arthur Honegger, Louis Durey, the structure of the ballet. Les Biches (which can mean began working on the ballet nine months after the Coqs (‘The Two Roosters’), which segues straight into the Germaine Tailleferre and Jean Cocteau, who was to either ‘female deer’ or ‘darlings’) has no real plot: it is, beginning of the Second World War, directly after France final movement, Le Repas de midi (‘Lunchtime’), where become the promoter of the group known as Les Six (of quite deliberately, a sequence of dances and songs was forced by the Nazis to agree to a bipartition in the we return to the dreamy music of Le Petit Jour . Despite which Poulenc was a member). Although Poulenc was (though the suite Poulenc arranged from the full ballet, Armistice of Compiègne, 22 June 1940. Poulenc these many and varied borrowings and self-borrowings, famously described by the critic Claude Rostand as ‘half- presented here, is purely orchestral). Instead of a endeavoured to look towards a better future for his Poulenc somehow turns this creative combination into a monk, half-rascal’, humour lies at the heart of much of his narrative, it explores a range of themes that were homeland and even included a rare musical act of colourful musical patchwork that is very much his own. As music, and even in his sacred works (for which he is considered taboo at the time, from voyeurism and female defiance: when it was premiered – to choreography by Honegger wrote in a review of the ballet’s premiere: ‘the perhaps best known) he often sounds as if he is writing sexual power to lesbianism and narcissism. Serge Lifar at the Paris Opera on 8 August 1942 – only influences that have worked upon him – Chabrier, Satie, with a glint in his eye. He co-composed two ballets 1, and The jovial, catchy Rondeau instantly reveals musically educated French audience members would Stravinsky – are now completely assimilated. Listening to wrote two by himself, the suites of which feature on this Poulenc’s gift for melody as well as orchestral colour, have noticed the signals of resistance within, namely the his music you think – it’s Poulenc.’ 5 recording, together with his Sinfonietta . while the following Adagietto has all the sensuality and quotation from the song Non, non, vous n’aurez pas Five years after Les Animaux modèles in June 1947, The initial impetus for Les Biches came about in shifting chromaticism of the composer’s most intoxicating l’Alsace et la Lorraine (‘No, no, you will not get Alsace and Poulenc wrote to Milhaud that he was about to embark on 1921, a decade after the highly successful/scandalous trio songs, and is used to accompany an androgynous Lorraine’) in Le Lion amoureux . a Sinfonietta for the BBC Third Programme, who of Stravinsky-Diaghilev collaborations at the Paris-based Garçonne, often referred to as The Girl in Blue. At the The ambiguous manner in which Poulenc refers to commissioned an orchestral piece as part of its tenth Ballet Russes. 2 Diaghilev – ever on the lookout for ‘the premiere of the ballet, the Rag-Mazurka was danced by animals in Les Biches is imitated in Les Animaux anniversary. Premiered on 24 October 1948 by the next big thing’ – secretly discussed a ballet project called Bronislava Nijinska (Nijinsky’s sister), who was also the modèles , and the work bears little resemblance to the Philharmonia Orchestra under Roger Désormière, the Les Demoiselles with Poulenc. By 1922 – against choreographer. This dance features a hostess who, literal representations exemplified in Saint-Saens’ Le Sinfonietta is in some ways a rather atypical work to come Diaghilev’s wishes – Poulenc was discussing the project despite her feminine apparel (pearls, headdress, etc.) Carnaval des animaux . Rather than anthropomorphising from a composer primarily known for elegant, witty songs with Stravinsky and Marie Laurencin, whose paintings dances in an emphatically masculine manner, the animals of La Fontaine’s fables, Poulenc transforms and piano miniatures. The result was ultimately an inspired the ballet. Asked in an interview in 1954 who contradicting the gender stereotype. Musically it points to them into human characters, to quote the composer entertaining piece – indeed, the composer himself was finally came up with the title of Les Biches , Poulenc the magpie-like nature of composers in Paris at this time, himself: ‘The grasshopper has become an old ballerina, somewhat shocked by the light-hearted result, and proudly answered that it was he himself: ‘I was looking for taking musical styles from various periods/genres and the ant an old maid from the provinces, the amorous lion a admitted that he might have ‘dressed too young for his an animal title, such as Les Sylphides , and suddenly I fusing them together. In the Rag-Mazurka Poulenc “marquereau” [pimp]. Death is an elegant woman – a sort years’ (he was 48 years old). Although Poulenc was 4 cried out “Why not Les Biches ?”, playing on the animal- includes a cheeky reference to Chopin3’s Polonaise in F of duchess in a mask.’ The drama begins at Le petit jour devoid of inspiration when the commission came about, sharp minor at about the halfway point ( 2:48), while the (‘Dawn’) with music loosely based on what is surely his penchant for musical recycling came to the rescue: he 1 These include L’Éventail de Jeanne , a children’s ballet, for which subsequent Andantino self-recycles material (rhythmically Poulenc’s most seductive song of all – the exquisite, quickly reconstructed from memory a string quartet which he composed the ‘Pastourelle’ and later transcribed as a stand-alone augmented) from the opening Rondeau . In the final dreamy Hôtel from Banalités (1940). After we briefly hear he had just thrown into the Parisian sewage system, and piano piece; and Les Mariés de la tour Eiffel , written in conjunction movement, the finale of Mozart’s Symphony No. 38 from the amorous lion and its covert political message, we turned it into the Sinfonietta . with four of the other members of Les Six, for which Poulenc composed the movements Discours du Général (Polka) and 3 La Baigneuse de Trouville . Poulenc, Francis, 1954 in Schmidt, Carl B. 2001. Entrancing Muse: A Documented Biography of Francis Poulenc. Boydell & 4 Poulenc, Francis, 1946 in Schmidt, Carl B. 2001. Entrancing 5 Honegger, Arthur in Schmidt, Carl B. 2001. Entrancing Muse: A 2 Comprising The Firebird (1910) , Petrouchka (1911) and The Rite Brewer: p. 126. Muse: A Documented Biography of Francis Poulenc. Boydell & Documented Biography of Francis Poulenc. Boydell & Brewer: p. of Spring (1913) Brewer: p. 273. 275. While two Russian composers feature prominently in influence of Stravinsky, specifically the more playful Francis Poulenc (1899–1963) this work, the opening pair of accented descending passages of Apollon musagète (1928). This was an Les Biches, FP 36 – Suite · Les Animaux modèles, FP 111 – Suite · Sinfonietta, FP 141 octaves instantly transports the listener into the world of influence that the composer himself was happy to admit: ‘I Poulenc (consider the start of the outer movements of the know very well that I am not the sort of musician who Francis Poulenc (1899–1963) naquit dans une famille en 1954, qui avait fini par trouver le titre des Biches , Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra ). An impetuous makes harmonic innovations, like Stravinsky, Ravel, respectable d’industriels parisiens. À onze ans, il Poulenc répondit fièrement que c’était lui, car il cherchait Allegro con fuoco follows, whose frantic energy is or Debussy, but I do think there is a place for découvrit la musique de Stravinsky, destinée à exercer un nom d’animal, comme Les Sylphides , et s’était alleviated by more restrained, lyrical melodies.
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