The consistent wit and charm of Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) has often led to an underestimation of its value, yet there is now a growing recognition of his stature to which this biography will add. Admired for his fine songs and relgious works, he is perhaps best known for his humorous, insouciant pieces. From the freshness of his ballet "Les Biches", composed for Diaghilev in 1924, to his ambitious 1956 opera, "Dialogues des Carmelites", the author discusses Poulenc's work in the context of his homosexuality and against the colourful background of Paris in the first half of the century. His friendships with such key figures of the time as Jean Cocteau, Igor Stravinksy and Darius Milhaud were complex, but always artistically enriching. For 25 years he toured as an accompanist to the great French baritone, Pierre Barnac, for whom he wrote many of his works, and also performed as piano soloist in some of his own compositions. Despite the contradition between Poulen'c frequent homosexual encounters and his Catholic piety, he accepted both aspects of his nature, and was directly inspired by his lovers when composing some of his best religious music. His own self-image as an ageing homosexual was expressed indirectly in his one-act opera, "La Voix humaine" (1958) and more explicitly in the vocal work "La Dame de Monte Carlo" (1961). The composer's love affairs with working-class men and his sensitivity about his role in wartime occupation France have always been somewhat obscured; in this fresh insight into Poulen'c life, the author uses recently published documents to shed new light on the composer and the man. A full range of existing documents is cited to form a three-dimensional portrait of the complex and sometimes contradictory composer.
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The French composer Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) is often dismissed as the lightweight composer of short, clever pieces, lumped in with the rest of "Les Six." In this volume--one of Phaidon's 20th-Century Composers series--author Benjamin Ivry argues for more consideration and respect for the man who wrote Dialogues of the Carmelites. As is the rule with Phaidon's series, the book is rich in photographs and integrates the composer's life and work in a relatively brief (240 pages, including index), very accessible form; there are no musical examples, although they might be helpful. Mr. Ivry approaches his task with more humor than some of his colleagues, and he is open throughout about Poulenc's homosexuality and its effect on the composer's work and personal life.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A good gossipy overview of Poulenc's life,
By A Customer
This review is from: Francis Poulenc (20th Century Composers) (Paperback)
A much needed book, as there is no new biography of Poulenc in English or for that matter in French since the Henri Hell book of 1958, which was subsequently revised in the late 1970s. Ivry is much franker about Poulenc's private life than earlier writers as the publication of unexpurgated editions of Poulenc's letters allows this now. I could have done with some more relevant pictures: for instance there is a two page spread devoted to a picture of a ballet version of the Gloria, a curious choice. There is another book out there waiting to be written about this fascinating and contradictory character.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
standard life of poulenc in english,
By guilhermo "billy" (manhattan) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Francis Poulenc (20th Century Composers) (Paperback)
This is by far the best written account of the compositions and life of the French composer Poulenc. It is readable, reliable, and amusing, and there is nothing like it currently available. There are other books like a professor's tedious and Germanic study which is about three times as long but this is the only book in the lighthearted spirit of Poulenc.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enigmatic French composer,
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This review is from: Francis Poulenc (20th Century Composers) (Paperback)
This is a terrific little book about an enigmatic French composer of the 20th century. Never having been a fan of his music, I wanted to learn more about him and find out what made him "tick". The author doesn't mince words about Poulenc's romantic liaisons but he also has done alot of research concerning Poulenc's music and the world around him during his lifetime and that's the important aspect of the volume. I plan on re-reading the book and I am sure I will find out even more about Poulenc than I did with the first reading. A great little book. I am most grateful to AMAZON for having this available. I was unable to locate in anywhere. Bravo, AMAZON..
Dr. Alan-Clarke Hudson
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