Poulenc vocal cycles. Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc: biography

My music is my portrait.
F. Poulenc

F. Poulenc is one of the most charming composers that France gave to the world in the 20th century. He went down in music history as a member of the creative union “Six”. In the “Six” - the youngest, having barely crossed the threshold of twenty years - he immediately won authority and universal love with his talent - original, lively, spontaneous, as well as purely human qualities - constant humor, kindness and sincerity, and most importantly - the ability to gift people with his extraordinary friendship. “Francis Poulenc is music itself,” D. Milhaud wrote about him, “I don’t know any other music that would act as directly, would be expressed as simply and would achieve its goal with the same accuracy.”

The future composer was born into the family of a major industrialist. His mother, an excellent musician, was Francis’s first teacher; she passed on to her son her boundless love for music and her admiration for W. A. Mozart, R. Schumann, F. Schubert, F. Chopin. From the age of 15, his musical education continued under the guidance of pianist R. Vignes and composer C. Quéclin, who introduced the young musician to modern art, to the works of C. Debussy, M. Ravel, as well as to the new idols of the young - I. Stravinsky and E. Sati. Poulenc's youth coincided with the years of the First World War. He was drafted into the army, this prevented him from entering the conservatory. However, Poulenc appeared early on the Parisian music scene. In 1917, the eighteen-year-old composer made his debut at one of the concerts of new music with “Negro Rhapsody” for baritone and instrumental ensemble. This work was such a resounding success that Poulenc immediately became a celebrity. They started talking about him.

Inspired by success, Poulenc, following “Rhapsody Negro,” creates the vocal cycles “Bestiary” (at the station of G. Apollinaire), “Cockades” (at the station of J. Cocteau); piano pieces “Perpetual Motions”, “Walks”; choreographic concert for piano and orchestra “Morning Serenade”; ballet with singing “Lani”, staged in 1924 in the enterprise of S. Diaghilev. Milhaud responded to this production with an enthusiastic article: “The music of “Laney” is exactly what you would expect from its author... This ballet is written in the form of a dance suite... with such a richness of shades, with such elegance, tenderness, charm, with which only Poulenc’s works so generously bestow us... The meaning of this music is eternal, time will not touch it, and it will forever retain its youthful freshness and originality.”

In Poulenc's early works, the most significant aspects of his temperament, taste, creative style, the special purely Parisian coloring of his music, its inextricable connection with Parisian chanson were already revealed. B. Asafiev, characterizing these works, noted “clarity... and vividness of thinking, perky rhythm, keen observation, purity of drawing, conciseness and concreteness of presentation.”

In the 30s, the composer's lyrical talent flourished. He enthusiastically works in the genres of vocal music: he writes songs, cantatas, and choral cycles. In the person of Pierre Bernac, the composer found a talented interpreter of his songs. With him as a pianist, he toured extensively and successfully throughout the cities of Europe and America for more than 20 years. Poulenc's choral works on spiritual texts are of great artistic interest: Mass, “Litanies to Our Lady of Black Rocamadour”, Four Motets for the Time of Penance. Later, in the 50s, “Stabat mater”, “Gloria”, and Four Christmas motets were also created. All compositions are very diverse in style, they reflect the traditions of French choral music of various eras - from Guillaume de Machaut to G. Berlioz.

Poulenc spent the years of the Second World War in besieged Paris and in his country mansion in Noise, sharing with his compatriots all the hardships of military life, deeply suffering for the fate of his homeland, his people, relatives and friends. The sorrowful thoughts and feelings of this time, but also faith in victory and freedom, were reflected in the cantata “The Human Face” for double choir a cappella based on the poems of P. Eluard. The poet of the French Resistance, Eluard, wrote his poems deep underground, from where he secretly sent them to Poulenc under an assumed name. The composer also kept the work on the cantata and its publication secret. In the midst of the war, this was an act of great courage. It is no coincidence that on the day of the liberation of Paris and its suburbs, Poulenc proudly displayed the score of “The Human Face” in the window of his house next to the national flag. The composer in the opera genre proved himself to be an outstanding master playwright. The first opera “Breasts Theresia” (1944, based on the text of a farce by G. Apollinaire) - a cheerful, light and frivolous opera-buffa - reflected Poulenc's penchant for humor, jokes, and eccentricities. The next 2 operas are in a different genre. These are dramas with deep psychological development.

“Dialogues of the Carmelites” (libr. J. Bernanos, 1953) reveals the gloomy story of the death of the inhabitants of the Carmelite monastery during the Great French Revolution, their heroic sacrificial death in the name of faith. “The Human Voice” (based on the drama by J. Cocteau, 1958) is a lyrical monodrama in which a living and reverent human voice sounds - the voice of melancholy and loneliness, the voice of an abandoned woman. Of all Poulenc's works, this opera brought him the greatest popularity in the world. It showed the brightest sides of the composer's talent. This is an inspired work, imbued with deep humanity and subtle lyricism. All 3 operas were created based on the remarkable talent of the French singer and actress D. Duval, who became the first performer in these operas.

Poulenc's career is completed by 2 sonatas - the Sonata for oboe and piano, dedicated to S. Prokofiev, and the Sonata for clarinet and piano, dedicated to A. Honegger. Sudden death cut short the composer's life during a period of great creative growth, in the midst of a concert tour.

The composer's legacy consists of about 150 works. His vocal music has the greatest artistic value - operas, cantatas, choral cycles, songs, the best of which are written to the poems of P. Eluard. It was in these genres that Poulenc’s generous gift as a melodist truly revealed itself. His melodies, like the melodies of Mozart, Schubert, Chopin, combine disarming simplicity, subtlety and psychological depth, serving as an expression of the human soul. It was this melodic charm that ensured the long and enduring success of Poulenc's music in France and beyond.

07 January 1899 - 30 January 1963

French composer, pianist, critic, most prominent member of the French Six

Poulenc's youth coincided with the years of the First World War. He was drafted into the army, this prevented him from entering the conservatory. However, Poulenc appeared early on the Parisian music scene. In 1917, the eighteen-year-old composer made his debut at one of the concerts of new music with Negro Rhapsody for baritone and instrumental ensemble. This work was such a resounding success that Poulenc immediately became a celebrity.

Inspired by success, Poulenc, following the Negro Rhapsody, creates the vocal cycle Bestiary (based on the verses of Guillaume Apollinaire), Cockades (based on the verses of Jean Cocteau); piano pieces Perpetual Motions, Walks; choreographic concert for piano and orchestra Morning Serenade; a ballet with Lani singing, staged in 1924 in the enterprise of Sergei Diaghilev. Milhaud responded to this production with an enthusiastic article:

Here is what Poulenc himself said about this time a quarter of a century later:

Beginning in 1933, he performed extensively as an accompanist with the singer Pierre Bernac, the first performer of many of Poulenc's vocal works. During World War II he participated in the Resistance movement.

He was buried in the Père Lachaise cemetery.

Music

The composer's legacy consists of about 150 works. His vocal music has the greatest artistic value - operas, cantatas, choral cycles, songs, the best of which were written to the poems of P. Eluard. It was in these genres that Poulenc's generous gift as a melodist was truly revealed. His melodies, like the melodies of Mozart, Schubert, Chopin, combine disarming simplicity, subtlety and psychological depth, serving as an expression of the human soul. It was this melodic charm that ensured the long and enduring success of Poulenc's music in France and beyond.

Poulenc entered the history of music as a member of the creative community “Six”. In the Six - the youngest, barely over the threshold of twenty years - he immediately won authority and universal love with his talent - original, lively, spontaneous, as well as purely human qualities - immeasurable humor, kindness and sincerity, and most importantly - the ability to bestow people with his extraordinary friendship .

The period when Francis Poulenc was in the group “Six” is the brightest in his life and work, which at the same time laid the foundations for his popularity and professional career. Here is what Poulenc himself said about this time a quarter of a century later:

Poulenc in Russia

Essays

Operas “Breasts Theresia” (1947), “Dialogues of the Carmelites” (1957), “The Human Voice” (1959).
Ballets “Lani” (French Les Biches; 1924, it would be more accurate to translate “Goats” or “Cuties”, since we are talking about frivolous girls), “Exemplary Animals” (1942).
Cantatas “Stabat mater” (1950), “Drought”, “The Human Face” (1943), “Masquerade Ball”,
Negro Rhapsody for piano, flute, clarinet, string quartet and voice (1917).
Two marches and interlude for chamber orchestra (1938).
Two intermezzos for piano (1934) No. 1 (C-dur) No. 2 (Des-dur)
Concerts: “Morning Serenade”, concert-ballet for piano and 18 instruments (1929), Country concert for harpsichord and orchestra (1938), Concerto for 2 pianos and orchestra (1932), Concerto for organ, string orchestra and timpani (1938).
Vocal cycles “Bestiary” to poems by Apollinaire and “Cockades” to poems by Cocteau (1919), Five Romances to poems by Ronsard, Mischievous Songs, etc.
Mass Gloria
Masquerade ball. Secular cantata for baritone and chamber orchestra
Sonata for two clarinets (1918)
Sonata for clarinet and bassoon (1922)
Sonata for horn, trumpet and trombone (1922)

Tools

Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc(fr. Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc; January 7, Paris - January 30, Paris) - French composer, pianist, critic, the most prominent member of the French “Six”.

Biography

Comes from a wealthy and famous (to this day) French bourgeois family of factory owners. Student of R. Vignes (piano) and S. Koecklin (composition). In the early 1920s. member of the creative community "Six". He was influenced by E. Chabrier, I. F. Stravinsky, E. Satie, C. Debussy, M. Ravel, Sergei Prokofiev, and gave presentations on the work of Mussorgsky. The period when Francis Poulenc was a member of the Six group is the most striking in his life and work, which at the same time laid the foundations for his popularity and professional career. Here is what Poulenc himself said about this time a quarter of a century later:

Composer and religion

As the musician recalled, the Poulenc family on his father’s side was distinguished by deep religious views, but “without the slightest dogmatism.” Francis's great-grandfather's brother, Abbot Joseph Poulenc, was the curate of the church of Ivry-sur-Seine, and his second cousin was a Franciscan monk. The composer's father, Emile Poulenc, was also a devout man, while for his wife, Jenny Royer, religiosity was only part of a good upbringing. And when, at the age of 18, Francis was left an orphan, his mother’s influence turned out to be stronger for him: young Poulenc forgot about the church for a while.

Only after almost two decades a new turning point occurred in the composer’s spiritual life. In August 1936, one of his colleagues, composer Pierre-Octave Ferru, tragically died in a car accident. Having a very impressionable character, Poulenc literally falls into a stupor: “reflecting on such frailty of our physical shell, I returned to spiritual life again.” His memory recalls his father's stories about the famous pilgrimage site near Aveyron. And in search of peace of mind, the composer goes there, to Rocamadour.

This small ancient village is nestled on the high mountain of Saint Amadour. Rocamadour has long been known among pilgrims as the abode of the miraculous and mysterious Black Virgin - a statue of the Madonna, who, unlike the usual canons, has a black complexion and hands. Researchers note that such statues made of stone, lead or black ebony became especially widespread in medieval Europe in the 12th century. But in the Rocamadour Church of Notre Dame (), in the main of seven ancient chapels built into the rock, a wooden figure of Our Lady of Rocamadour dates presumably to the 1st century AD.

What was the reason for Poulenc’s spiritual rebirth - whether it was the special energy of the holy place or the mystical mystery of the Black Virgin, but “one way or another, in Notre-Dame de Roque-Amadour, Francis Poulenc saw something that captured him.” As the composer himself said, “Rocamadour finally returned to me the faith of my childhood.” From that time on, pilgrimages to the monastery became an important part of his life. This unusually peaceful place helped to detach oneself from external hustle and bustle, cleanse the soul, and new creative ideas were born here. From now on, the Black Our Lady of Rocamadour became the composer's constant patroness, under whose protection he placed many of his works.

Essays (selection)

Operas “Breasts Theresa” (Paris, 1947), “Dialogues of the Carmelites” (Milan, 1957), “The Human Voice” (Paris, 1959).
Ballets "Lani" (fr. Les Biches; Paris, 1924), “Exemplary Beasts” (fr. Les Animaux modèles; Paris, 1942).
Sacred music: Litanies of the Black Madonna (fr. Litanies à la vierge noire, 1936, 2nd ed., 1947), Stabat Mater (1950), 7 dark responsorias (fr. Sept repons des tenèbres, 1962), 4 penitential motets, 4 Christmas motets, 2 masses, etc.
Cantatas "Drought" (fr. Secheresses, 1939), “The Human Face” (fr. Figure humaine, 1943), “Ballo in Masquerade” (fr. Le Bal masqué).
Negro Rhapsody for piano, flute, clarinet, string quartet and voice (1917).
Two marches and interlude for chamber orchestra (1938).
Two intermezzos for piano (1934) No. 1 (C-dur) No. 2 (Des-dur)
Concerts: “Morning Serenade”, concert-ballet for piano and 18 instruments (1929), “Rural Concert” for harpsichord and orchestra (1928), Concerto for 2 pianos and orchestra (1932), Concerto for organ, string orchestra and timpani ( 1938).
French Suite after Claude Gervaise for piano (Burgundy Branle, Pavane, Little Military March, Song of Lament, Champagne Branle, Siciliana, Chime)
Vocal cycles “Bestiary” to the poems of Apollinaire and “Cockades” to the poems of Cocteau (1919), Five Romances to the poems of Ronsard, “Naughty Songs”, etc.
Four Little Prayers of St. Francis of Assisi (1948) for a capella male choir
Sonata for cello and piano (1940-48)
Sonata for violin and piano (1943)
Sonata for two pianos (1952-53)
Sonata for flute and piano (1956)
Sonata for clarinet and piano (1962)
Sonata for oboe and piano (1962)
Sextet for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon and piano

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Notes

Literature

Medvedeva I. Francis Poulenc. M.: Sov. composer, 1969.-240 pp., ill.-(Foreign music. Masters of the 20th century).
Schneerson G. French music of the 20th century. M., 1970. P.264-284.
Dumenil R. Modern French composers of the group “Six” L., 1964. P.96-106.

Sources

Poulenc, Francis. Me and my friends. L. 1977.

Links

Excerpt characterizing Poulenc, Francis

– At what time was General Schmit killed?...
- At seven o'clock, I think.
- At 7:00. Very sad! Very sad!
The Emperor said his thanks and bowed. Prince Andrei came out and was immediately surrounded on all sides by courtiers. Kind eyes looked at him from all sides and gentle words were heard. Yesterday's adjutant reproached him for not staying at the palace and offered him his home. The Minister of War approached, congratulating him on the Order of Maria Theresa, 3rd class, which the Emperor had bestowed upon him. The Empress's chamberlain invited him to see Her Majesty. The Archduchess also wanted to see him. He didn’t know who to answer, and took a few seconds to collect his thoughts. The Russian envoy took him by the shoulder, took him to the window and began to talk to him.
Contrary to Bilibin’s words, the news he brought was received joyfully. A thanksgiving service was scheduled. Kutuzov was awarded the Grand Cross by Maria Theresa, and the entire army received decorations. Bolkonsky received invitations from all sides and had to make visits to the main dignitaries of Austria all morning. Having finished his visits at five o'clock in the evening, mentally composing a letter to his father about the battle and about his trip to Brunn, Prince Andrei returned home to Bilibin. At the porch of the house occupied by Bilibin, a britzka half-stuffed with belongings stood, and Franz, Bilibin’s servant, with difficulty dragging his suitcase, came out of the door.
Before going to Bilibin, Prince Andrei went to a bookstore to stock up on books for the trip and sat in the shop.
- What's happened? – asked Bolkonsky.
- Ach, Erlaucht? - said Franz, with difficulty loading the suitcase into the chaise. – Wir ziehen noch weiter. Der Bosewicht ist schon wieder hinter uns her! [Ah, your Excellency! We go even further. The villain is already on our heels again.]
- What's happened? What? - asked Prince Andrei.
Bilibin came out to meet Bolkonsky. There was excitement on Bilibin’s always calm face.
“Non, non, avouez que c"est charmant," he said, "cette histoire du pont de Thabor (bridge in Vienna). Ils l"ont passe sans coup ferir. [No, no, admit that this is a delight, this story with the Tabor Bridge. They crossed it without resistance.]
Prince Andrei did not understand anything.
- Where are you from that you don’t know what all the coachmen in the city already know?
- I am from the Archduchess. I didn't hear anything there.
– And didn’t you see that they are stacking everywhere?
- I haven’t seen it... But what’s the matter? – Prince Andrei asked impatiently.
- What's the matter? The fact is that the French crossed the bridge that Auesperg defends, and the bridge was not blown up, so Murat is now running along the road to Brunn, and today they will be here tomorrow.
- Like here? How come they didn’t blow up the bridge when it was mined?
– And this is what I’m asking you. Nobody, not even Bonaparte himself, knows this.
Bolkonsky shrugged.
“But if the bridge is crossed, it means the army is lost: it will be cut off,” he said.
“That’s the thing,” answered Bilibin. - Listen. The French are entering Vienna, as I told you. Everything is very good. The next day, that is, yesterday, gentlemen marshals: Murat Lann and Belliard, sit on horseback and go to the bridge. (Note that all three are Gascons.) Gentlemen,” says one, “you know that the Tabor Bridge is mined and counter-mined, and that in front of it is a formidable tete de pont and fifteen thousand troops, who have been ordered to blow up the bridge and not let us in.” But our sovereign Emperor Napoleon will be pleased if we take this bridge. The three of us will go and take this bridge. “Let’s go,” others say; and they set off and take the bridge, cross it and now with the entire army on this side of the Danube they are heading towards us, towards you and towards your messages.
“No more joking,” said Prince Andrei sadly and seriously.
This news was sad and at the same time pleasant for Prince Andrei.
As soon as he learned that the Russian army was in such a hopeless situation, it occurred to him that he was precisely destined to lead the Russian army out of this situation, that here he was, that Toulon, who would lead him out of the ranks of unknown officers and open the first path for him to glory! Listening to Bilibin, he was already thinking how, having arrived at the army, he would present an opinion at the military council that alone would save the army, and how he alone would be entrusted with the execution of this plan.
“Don’t be kidding,” he said.
“I’m not joking,” continued Bilibin, “there is nothing fairer and sadder.” These gentlemen come to the bridge alone and raise white scarves; They assure that there is a truce, and that they, the marshals, are going to negotiate with Prince Auersperg. The officer on duty lets them into the tete de pont. [bridge fortification.] They tell him a thousand Gascon nonsense: they say that the war is over, that Emperor Franz has appointed a meeting with Bonaparte, that they want to see Prince Auersperg, and a thousand Gasconades, etc. The officer sends for Auersperg; These gentlemen hug the officers, joke, sit on the cannons, and meanwhile the French battalion enters the bridge unnoticed, throws bags of flammable substances into the water and approaches the tete de pont. Finally, the Lieutenant General himself appears, our dear Prince Auersperg von Mautern. “Dear enemy! The flower of the Austrian army, the hero of the Turkish wars! The enmity is over, we can give each other a hand... Emperor Napoleon is burning with the desire to recognize Prince Auersperg.” In a word, these gentlemen, not for nothing Gascons, shower Auersperg with beautiful words, he is so seduced by his so quickly established intimacy with the French marshals, so blinded by the sight of Murat’s mantle and ostrich feathers, qu"il n"y voit que du feu, et oubl celui qu"il devait faire faire sur l"ennemi. [That he sees only their fire and forgets about his own, which he was obliged to open against the enemy.] (Despite the liveliness of his speech, Bilibin did not forget to pause after this mot to give time to evaluate it.) The French battalion runs into tete de pont, the guns are nailed down, and the bridge is taken. No, but what’s best,” he continued, calming down in his excitement by the charm of his own story, “is that the sergeant assigned to that cannon, at the signal of which the mines were supposed to be lit and the bridge blown up, this sergeant, seeing that the French troops running to the bridge, he was about to shoot, but Lann pulled his hand away. The sergeant, who was apparently smarter than his general, comes up to Auersperg and says: “Prince, you are being deceived, these are the French!” Murat sees that the matter is lost if the sergeant is allowed to speak. He turns to Auersperg with surprise (a real Gascon): “I don’t recognize the Austrian discipline so vaunted in the world,” he says, “and you allow a lower rank to talk to you like that!” C "est genial. Le prince d" Auersperg se pique d "honneur et fait mettre le sergent aux arrets. Non, mais avouez que c" est charmant toute cette histoire du pont de Thabor. Ce n"est ni betise, ni lachete... [This is brilliant. Prince Auersperg is offended and orders the arrest of the sergeant. No, admit it, it’s lovely, this whole story with the bridge. This is not just stupidity, not just meanness...]
“C”est trahison peut etre, [Perhaps treason,] said Prince Andrei, vividly imagining the gray greatcoats, wounds, gunpowder smoke, the sounds of gunfire and the glory that awaits him.
– Non plus. “Cela met la cour dans de trop mauvais draps,” continued Bilibin. - Ce n"est ni trahison, ni lachete, ni betise; c"est comme a Ulm... - He seemed to think, looking for an expression: - c"est... c"est du Mack. Nous sommes mackes, [Also no. This puts the court in the most absurd position; this is neither treason, nor meanness, nor stupidity; it’s like at Ulm, it’s... it’s Makovshchina. We dipped ourselves. ] - he concluded, feeling that he had said un mot, and a fresh mot, such a mot that will be repeated.
The folds on his forehead that had been gathered until then quickly dissolved as a sign of pleasure, and he, smiling slightly, began to examine his nails.
- Where are you going? - he said suddenly, turning to Prince Andrei, who stood up and headed to his room.
- I'm going.
- Where?
- To Army.
- Yes, you wanted to stay two more days?
- And now I’m going now.
And Prince Andrei, having given the order to leave, went to his room.
“You know what, my dear,” said Bilibin, entering his room. - I thought about you. Why are you going?

“His music is so frank that it immediately reaches its goal,” this is what contemporaries said about the work of the French composer Francis Poulenc, who is better known in the history of music as a member of the famous “Six” association. The youngest of its participants with immediate and original talent, possessing incredible charm, kindness, sincerity and a subtle sense of humor, he gained such respect and authority that many of the creative personalities sought friendship with him. The composer's multifaceted creativity, which absorbed the best not only from classical but also modern music, combined with the enchanting power of a natural melodic gift, ensured the success of Francis Poulenc's music for many years, not only in France, but throughout the world.

Read a short biography of Francis Poulenc and many interesting facts about the composer on our page.

Brief biography of Poulenc

Francis Jean Marcel - this is the name given to the boy who was born in the very center of Paris on January 7, 1899 in the family of the wealthy French manufacturer Emile Poulenc. The child grew up in an atmosphere of great reverence for art. His mother, whose name was Jeannie, was excellent at the piano and tried to instill in her children a taste and love for music. At home, she often performed works of great classics: Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Schubert And Griga. In addition, the theater, which little Francis began attending from the age of seven, had a significant influence on the formation of the future composer. The boy received very vivid impressions from the performances at the Opera-Comic.

Francis began his musical education at the age of eight, and since playing the piano gave him great pleasure, he spent every free minute playing the instrument. The young musician preferred sight-reading new works, but soon he had a desire to try to compose something himself. According to Poulenc's biography, in 1910, due to flooding, Francis's family was forced to leave Paris for a while and move to Fontainebleau. There, the young musician, with an insatiable thirst for learning new works, acquired on the occasion “ winter journey"F. Schubert - a vocal cycle that played a key role in Francis' decision to become a musician.

However, the desires of the young man did not coincide with the intentions of his father, who sent the young man to one of the best Parisian lyceums to receive a bachelor's degree. The boy had great difficulty mastering his studies, since he did not show much interest in the subjects taught at the educational institution, but he spent every free minute at the piano and at the age of 16 he finally set a goal for himself: to devote his entire life to music. Initially, Poulenc was very lucky: the outstanding virtuoso pianist Ricardo Vines, who had a great influence on the development of the future composer, agreed to study with him. The teacher developed in his student not only performing skills, but also helped in his composing endeavors, and also introduced him to Erik Satie and Georges Auric, who later became very close friends of Francis.

Scorched youth and the beginning of a creative path

In the summer of 1914, the First World War began. The front constantly had to be replenished with new forces; seventeen-year-old Poulenc, who was mobilized in 1916, did not escape a military fate. At first he remained in Paris, then was seconded to the vicinity of Vincennes, to an anti-aircraft unit, which was later transferred to the island of Saint-Martin. Even here Francis, not forgetting about his favorite pastime, found an old piano that helped him compose “Continuous Movements”, a sonata for four hands, and a little later - “Three Pastorals”.

Around the same time, the appearance of Negro Rhapsody, a work for baritone, was first successfully performed at the end of 1917. And the day after the premiere, all of musical Paris was talking about the newly emerging young talented composer. From the summer of 1919 to the autumn of 1921, Poulenc served in the Ministry of Aviation, which was located in the capital. While in Paris, he actively participated in concerts that featured works by young composers supported by E. Soti, who became extremely popular in the cultural environment of that time. After one of these concerts, the birth of the famous “Six” was proclaimed, which included Darius Milhaud, Arthur Honegger, Germaine Taillefer, Louis Durey, Georges Auric and Francis Poulenc. This association began to be perceived as an independent aesthetic community, representing a new fashion trend. Poulenc, who was always actively composing, by 1920 was the author of a three-color suite and five impromptu songs, and in 1921 he wrote ten piano pieces called “Promenades” and a comedy-buffe “The Incomprehensible Gendarme.”

At the same time, after demobilization from the army, Francis decides to seriously improve his theoretical knowledge in the field of harmony and counterpoint, for which he turns to the best composition teacher in Paris, Charles Koechlin, whose lessons greatly helped in polishing Poulenc’s compositional skills.

In 1923, the composer received an order from theater figure S.P. Diaghilev for the troupe " Russian seasons» write the ballet “Lani”, in the music of which Poulenc’s creative individuality and style were already clearly visible. The premiere of the play was a success in Monte Carlo in early January 1924, and almost six months later in Paris. Approximately from the same creative period of the composer are “Songs” based on poems by the French poet of the 16th century Pierre de Ronsard, “Merry Songs” based on poems by anonymous authors of the 17th century, “Trio for piano, oboe and bassoon”, “Pastoral”, “Two piano novelettes” ", "Harpsichord" and "Rural" concertos, written for the famous harpsichordist Wanda Landowska." A little later, from the pen of Poulenc, at the request of the poetess Anne de Noailles, the ballet “Morning Star” was published, as well as the secular cantata “Un ballo in maschera”.

War again

In the mid-30s, when the fascist threat loomed over Europe, anti-fascist fighters in France created the “People's Front”, and the advanced artistic intelligentsia united in an organization called the “People's Musical Federation”. Francis Poulenc did not join any of the parties, however, the composer’s works of this period such as “Drought”, Organ Concerto”, “Litanies to Our Lady of Rocamadour Black” and “Mass” are filled with special drama. The autumn of 1939 came, England and France, in response to the attack of Hitler's troops on Poland, declared war on Germany. For this reason, Francis Poulenc was again drafted into the army, where he served until June 1940, until an armistice was declared, under the terms of which the Germans occupied all of France. Having been demobilized, the composer stayed with his cousins in Bordeaux until the fall, working there on new works: a cello sonata and a series of children's piano pieces, “The Story of Babar the Elephant.” In October, he returned to his country house in the town of Noiseuil and began composing a one-act ballet “Exemplary Animals”, the plot of which was based on the fables of Jean La Fontaine. The play premiered in August 1942 at the Paris National Opera.

In the summer of 1943, after a pilgrimage to the sanctuaries of the medieval town of Rocamadour, Poulenc settled in the city of Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, where he came up with the idea of writing a work of protest against the occupation regime - the cantata “The Human Face”, then publishing it illegally, thereby presenting it to the French gift for the day of liberation from the German invaders. In the spring of 1944, the composer returned to his home Noisey, where he began work on the opera-buffe “The Breasts of Tiresias” based on the unrestrainedly cheerful work of the French avant-garde poet Guillaume Apollinaire. The opera was accepted for production at the National Theater of Comic Opera in 1945, but the premiere took place only two years later. Poulenc's creative activity has not weakened since the mid-40s, one work after another comes from his pen, among them: the vocal cycle “Calligrams” (poems by G. Apollinaire) and the work for a cappella choir “Four Little Prayers to Francis of Assisi” .

Touring in the USA

Poulenc's biography says that in the fall of 1948, Francis, together with the vocal baritone Pierre Bernac, went on his first concert tour of the United States of America, where Poulenc's music was often performed and therefore was quite popular. The tour lasted two months, covering many cities of the country. The composer was lucky enough to perform at the famous Carnegie Hall in New York, where he performed his “Rural Concerto” with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The trip to America left Poulenc with a lot of impressions. Here he met his friend from his youth, Wanda Landowska, met and listened to the performance of the outstanding pianist Vladimir Horowitz, talked with Igor Stravinsky , whom he considered a complete genius. Returning to Paris in January 1949, the composer immediately began composing a piano concerto, for which he received an order from the management of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The premiere performance of this work took place in Boston in early 1950 during repeated tours throughout the United States.

The last stage of the creative journey

In the fifties, Poulenc lost his best friends one after another, because of this his creative direction changed noticeably: the composer delved into philosophical reflections and human experiences. An example of this is the work “Stabat mater”, which Francis dedicated to the memory of his friend, the talented artist Christian Berard. In 1953, after another tour of the USA, Canada, and then Italy, Poulenc began work on the opera “Dialogues of the Carmelites”, the plot of which was based on the work of the same name by the French writer Georges Bernanos. The play premiered with great triumph at Milan's La Scala theater at the end of January 1957. In the last years of his life, Francis continues to work just as intensively. His most significant work of this period is the mono opera “The Human Voice”, written based on the play by Jeanne Kakto - a great creation in which the composer realistically depicted the whole tragedy of human feelings. At the beginning of 1963, returning home after another concert tour in Holland, Francis called his friends and said that he could not meet with them because he was a little sick. This happened on the morning of January 30, and on the afternoon of the same day the composer died - his heart suddenly stopped.

Interesting facts about Francis Poulenc

Francis received his very first musical instrument - a small toy piano - as a gift at the age of two. Not yet able to speak very well, the boy called him “my do, re, mi,” laid out colorful advertising brochures for stores and explained to everyone that these were the notes he played by.
Francis's mother, being a good pianist, gradually began to study music with the boy when he was four years old. The child’s abilities could not be called any special, but at the age of five he could already play something on the instrument.

Brought up on the works of great composers, which were constantly performed by Francis’s mother, the boy experienced special feelings when listening to music V.A. Mozart, and these impressions from childhood remained with Poulenc for the rest of his life.
Once in his youth, while relaxing in the summer months with his parents in a country house near Paris, Poulenc accidentally met Darius Milhaud. Francis asked for an autograph from the then-famous composer, but was refused. A few years later they became good friends and members of the famous creative association “Six”.
From Poulenc's biography we learn that the composer did not study at any special music educational institution. His entire education consisted of private lessons, which he took in piano, and then in composition.
“Negro Rhapsody,” written by eighteen-year-old Poulenc, was successfully performed at one of the evenings of the creative intelligentsia. Inspired by public recognition, Francis decided to seriously engage in composing practice. To replenish his theoretical knowledge, he turned to Paul Antuau Vidal, a famous composer and conductor. Vidal, having watched the first bars of “Negro Rhapsody,” became very indignant, cursed the young man and drove him away.

In 1922, at the request of an American acquaintance, Poulenc was to write a choral work for students at Harvard University. The composer, who happily accepted the order, zealously set about performing it, choosing for this the texts of the Bacchic hymns of the 17th century. When the composition, which Francis called “Drinking Songs,” was completed, Poulenc sent it to America, eagerly awaiting an answer. And what a disappointment the author was when he received a message saying that, unfortunately, the work could not be performed, since it glorified alcoholic beverages, which were prohibited at that time in the United States. “Drinking Songs” were first performed only 28 years later in 1950.
Francis Poulenc was very proud of his friendship with Sergei Prokofiev. They loved to play bridge and chess, and before Prokofiev’s performances they always rehearsed together on two pianos: they played piano concertos from beginning to end (Poulenc performed the orchestral part on the instrument). For each of them, such music-making was very valuable: Prokofiev repeated the concert work, and Poulenc became familiar with the works of the composer, whom he greatly appreciated.

In 1944, Francis Poulenc, together with the singer Pierre Bernac, traveling through German-occupied Belgium, at the end of one of the concerts they performed a work by the composer, in which words were heard about the suffering of the people of France. The audience, having listened to the song, stood up defiantly, and the German officers present at the performance did not understand the text and did not attach any special significance to this episode. Fortunately, there were no Gestapo men at the concert, otherwise the musicians would have had very big problems.
Francis Poulenc never hid or was ashamed of his unconventional orientation. However, he had relationships not only with men, but also with women, for example, from an affair with Frederica Lebedeff, his daughter Marie-Ange was born in 1946, who after the death of her father became the beneficial owner of his property.

The work of Francis Poulenc

The creative life of Francis Poulenc, which lasted almost half a century, can be called happy in comparison with other composers. He did not experience bitter disappointments due to publishers’ refusal to publish his works, and his compositions did not lie dormant for a long time and were almost immediately performed with success. Poulenc left his descendants a large legacy, which includes more than one hundred and forty works written in different genres. These are operas, ballets, cantatas, vocal cycles, concertos, piano and chamber vocal works. His work is very multifaceted and sometimes even seems quite contradictory. For example, comparing the composer’s operas: the comedy-buffa “Breasts of Tiresias”, the tragic mystery poem “ Dialogues of the Carmelites"and lyrical tragedy" Human voice", it is not easy to believe that these three popular works were written by the same author.

The composer’s world-famous vocal masterpieces are the cantatas: “The Human Face”, “Drought” and “Masquerade Ball”, and from sacred music: “Stabat Mater”, motets and masses. In addition to vocal and choral music, in which Poulenc most clearly expressed his melodic gift, the composer composed quite a lot of works for the piano - from small pieces to large concerts, as well as in duets with such instruments as cello, flute, clarinet, French horn And bassoon.

Poulenc's music in cinema

The music of Francis Poulenc can often be heard in films. For some films such as:

“Miarka, Girl with a Bear” (1937), “Coming to America” (1951), “Symphony in White” (1942), “Duchess of Lange” (1942), the composer wrote the music specifically. In addition, many directors use excerpts from the composer's works, including them in film soundtracks, for example:

Movie	Work
"Journey of Time", 2016	Mass "Gloria"
"Great Beauty", 2013	"Three Perpetual Motions"
"Final Destination City", 2009	sonata for violin and piano
"Head in the Clouds", 2004	"Litany to Our Lady of Rocamadour Black"

"Born of Fire", 1987	flute sonata
"Joyful Noise", 1961	Mass "Gloria"

Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (January 7, 1899, Paris - January 30, 1963, Paris) - French composer, pianist, critic, the most prominent member of the French "Six". Comes from a wealthy and famous French bourgeois family manufacturers, in which they loved and appreciated art and contributed to the development of their son’s artistic inclinations. The atmosphere of prosperity, strong moral principles and long-standing cultural traditions that reigned in the friendly family determined Poulenc’s range of interests and worldview. Pupil of R. Vignes (ph.) and III. Köcklen (composition). Poulenc was largely self-taught, although during his student years, rather than complying with his parents' strict orders regarding his education, he successfully used his free time to study piano and composition. Francis Poulenc - Due to my poor health as a child, the need to receive a classical education, which my father insisted on, and, finally, due to my early departure to the front in 1918, my music studies were very uneven. When I was five years old, my mother put my fingers to the keyboard, but soon invited a lady to help her, whose name I have forgotten, and who impressed me much more with her huge sequined hats and gray dresses than with her very mediocre lessons. Fortunately, when I was eight years old, I was entrusted with daily lessons to Mademoiselle Boutet de Montviel, the niece of Cesar Franck, who had a very good school. Every evening after returning from the lyceum, I seriously studied with her for an hour, and when I had a few free minutes during the day, I ran to the piano and played from sight. The lack of technology did not prevent me from getting out of difficulties quite deftly and therefore already in 1913 - I was then fourteen years old - I could enjoy Schoenberg's "Six Little Pieces", Bartok's "Allegro Barbaro", everything that I could get my hands on by Stravinsky, Debussy and Ravel.

In the early 1920s. member of the creative community "Six". Subsequently, Poulenc remained faithful to the aesthetic program of this group and continued to compose good music that cultivated simplicity, artlessness, used “music hall” motifs and often hid feeling under the guise of irony. Poulenc wrote a lot on the texts of contemporary poets (Cocteau, Eluard, Aragon, Apollinaire and Anouilh), as well as on the texts of the 16th century poet. Ronsard. The vocal cycles Poems of Ronsard (1924–1925) and Gallant Celebrations (1943) are among the composer's most frequently performed works. Poulenc was a first-class accompanist when performing his own vocal compositions. Poulenc's brilliant mastery of the piano was reflected in a number of Poulenc's plays for this instrument, such as Perpetual Movements (1918) and Evenings at Nazelle (1936). But Poulenc was not only a miniaturist. His legacy also includes works of large form - for example, Mass (1937), a witty concert for two pianos and orchestra (1932), Concerto for organ and orchestra (1938) and other successful choral and instrumental cycles. Poulenc also wrote music for theater, cinema, and ballet; composed two operas - The Breasts of Tiresia (1944) and Dialogues of the Carmelites (1957), as well as the mono-opera The Human Voice (1959).

He was influenced by E. Chabrier, I. F. Stravinsky, E. Satie, C. Debussy, M. Ravel, Sergei Prokofiev, and gave presentations on the work of Mussorgsky. The period when Francis Poulenc was in the group “Six” is the most striking in his life and work, at the same time laying the foundations for his popularity and professional career.

Beginning in 1933, he performed extensively as an accompanist with the singer Pierre Bernac, the first performer of many of Poulenc's vocal works.

During the Second World War he was a member of the Resistance movement. Having done a lot for the development of opera in France, Poulenc at the same time willingly worked in other genres - from sacred music and ballet to instrumental and vocal plays of an entertaining nature. Poulenc's music is distinguished by subtle melodicism, inventive instrumentation, and elegance of form. Among the composer's main works are 4 operas (the best of them is “The Human Voice” based on the monodrama by J. Cocteau, 1958), 3 ballets, Concerto for soloists. with orchestra, patriotic cantata “The Human Face” (to lyrics by P. Eluard, 1943), “Rural Concert” for cymbal and orchestra, Concerto for organ with orchestra, over 160 songs based on poems by famous French poets, many chamber music instrumental ensembles, etc.

P. wrote in different. genres (php., voc., chamber-instrumental op.). He took part in the collective works of the composers "Six" (dance divertissement "Newlyweds on the Eiffel Tower" - "Les mariés de la Tour Eiffel", 1921). The first large production P. - ballet "Lani" (1923, commissioned by S. P. Diaghilev for the Russian Ballet troupe). In his work, P. evolved from entertaining, perky ("Negro Rhapsody", 1917), sometimes shallow in content op. to significant themes, dramas. and tragic. by the nature of the works. The composer paid great attention to melody; For the richness and beauty of the cantilena, he is called in his homeland the “French Schubert.” Based on the traditions of the French. adv. songfulness, he also developed the principles of music. prosody of K. Debussy and vocal-declamatory methods of M. P. Mussorgsky. P. has repeatedly spoken about the influence of the latter’s music on him: “I tirelessly play and replay Mussorgsky. It’s incredible how much I owe to him.” All of P.'s best wok finds. and orc. music is concentrated in his three operas: the buffoonish “Breasts of Tiresias” (based on the play by G. Apollinaire, 1944), the tragic “Dialogues of the Carmelites” (based on J. Bernanos, 1953-56) and the lyrical-psychological “The Human Voice” (based on the monodrama by J. Cocteau, 1958). Deeply national composer, P. entered the history of music as a progressive artist and exponent of humanism. ideals of his era. His contribution to opera art is especially significant.

Essays: operas - Breasts of Tiresia (opera buffa, 1944, post. 1947, stage "Opera Comique", Paris), Dialogues of the Carmelites (1953-56, post. 57, stage "La Scala", Milan and "Grand -Opera, Paris), The Human Voice (lyrical tragedy in one act, 1958, post. 1959, Opera Comique, Paris); ballets - Lani (ballet with singing, 1923, post. 1924, Russian Ballet troupe, Monte Carlo), Morning Serenade (choreographic concert for piano and 18 instruments, 1929, post. 1930, "Theater of the Champs-Elysees", Paris), Exemplary Animals (Les animaux modiles, after J. Lafontaine, 1941, post. 1942, "Grand Opera", Paris); for soloists, choir and orchestra. - cantata Drought (on poems by E. James, 1937), Stabat Mater (1950), Gloria (1959), Sept Répons des ténibres (for soprano (children's voice), children's and men's choirs, 1961); for orc. - symphonietta (1947), suites, etc.; concerts with orchestra - Rural concert for harpsichord (with small orchestra, 1928, dedicated to V. Landovskaya), for organ, strings. orc. and timpani (1938), for 2 fp. (1932), for FP. (1949); for fp. - Continuous movements (1918), 5 intermezzos (1920-21), Walks (1924), French suite (1935; themes from the collection of dances by the 16th century composer C. Gervaise were used), 8 nocturnes (1929-38), 15 improvisations (1932-59), etc.; chamber instruments ensembles; choirs with instruments resistance - Litany to the Black Mother of God (for women’s or children’s choir and organ or string orchestra, 1936); a cappella choirs - 7 choirs on poems by G. Apollinaire and P. Eluard (1936), Mass in G major (1937), cantata The Human Face (on poems by Eluard, for double mixed choir, 1943), 8 French. songs on ancient folklore texts (1945); for voice with orc. - Secular cantata Ball in Masquerade (to the text of M. Jacob, for baritone or mezzo-soprano and chamber orchestra, 1932), Peasant Songs (to the verses of M. Fombeur, 1942); for voice with instrument ensemble - Negro Rhapsody (for baritone, 1917), Bestiary (6 songs on poems by Apollinaire, 1919), Cockades (3 songs on poems by J. Cocteau, for tenor, 1919); for voice with FP. - romances based on poems by Eluard, Apollinaire, F. Garcia Lorca, Jacob, L. Aragon, R. Desnos; music for dramas. t-ra, cinema, etc.

I composed my first religious work, “The Litany of the Black Botome of Rocamadour.”

What composers influenced you as a musician in your youth?

F.P. - I answer without hesitation - Chabrier, Satie, Ravel and Stravinsky.

S.O.-Which composers do you love more than others?

F.P. -I love Monteverdi, Scarlatti, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Weber, Verdi, Mussorgsky, Debussy, Ravel, Bartok and so on.

I need to work in solitude to collect my thoughts. That is why I cannot work in Paris and, on the contrary, I feel great in a hotel room if there is a piano there. With all this, I need to have a joyful, cheerful landscape before my eyes - I am very prone to melancholy, and the visual impression can throw me off balance. My best working hours are mornings. After seven o'clock in the evening, with the exception of concert activities, I am not fit for anything. But getting to work at six in the morning is a joy for me. As I already told you, I work a lot at the piano, like Debussy, Stravinsky and many others. Contrary to what people usually think of me, I work hard. My drafts - a kind of strange musical shorthand - are full of erasures. Each melodic thought arises in me in a certain key, and I can present it (for the first time, of course) only in this key. If I add to this that I found the least bad of all my music between eleven o'clock in the morning and noon, then I think I have told you everything.

In his work, the combination of tenderness and irony is one of the charming features of his lyrics. Poulenc has the talent (or maybe the art?) to easily communicate with people of different social classes. His music is also “social”, directly perceived by a wide variety of listeners. From the very first steps, Poulenc combined his composing activities with his performing ones, but unlike many of his contemporaries, he did not immediately decide to make his thoughts about music public. Only in adulthood and not without hesitation does the composer begin to share his views in articles, books and on the radio in carefully prepared conversations, which were then turned into books, which, however, retained the original form of a relaxed exchange of thoughts with an inquisitive interlocutor. Poulenc first appeared in print in 1941 with a short memoir article entitled “The Heart of Maurice Ravel” (1941, I).

In a similar vein, the article “In Memory of Bela Bartok” (1955) was written in 1955. And the tone of remembrance prevails in it, although Poulenc had little contact with Bartok, but was often present at his concerts and admired him as a pianist and composer. Poulenc’s article “The Piano Music of Erik Satie” (1932) is of a more specialized and detailed nature, in which he explains what exactly was the power of Satie’s innovation and the secret of its influence on young people in the 40-20s. The article “Prokofiev’s Piano Music” is quite well known in our country, as it has been published several times. In it, Poulenc examines Prokofiev's works as a composer and pianist, identifies the features of Prokofiev's unique originality and expresses his admiration for him. The most extensive among the articles is the essay “Music and Russian Ballet of Sergei Diaghilev” (1960). In it, Poulenc mobilized all his memories of personal communication with Diaghilev and his troupe and, with amazing impartiality, stated the enormous significance that Diaghilev’s work and his personal impact on French musicians had for French musical art.

The most significant work in musicology is Poulenc's monograph on Emmanuel Chabrier (1961). It is intended for a wide and at the same time enlightened reader; its purpose is to protect Chabrier, unfairly forgotten and underestimated in his historical role. The book is written vividly, passionately and simply, although behind this simplicity lies an exhaustive knowledge of Chabrier's heritage and his environment, a careful selection of facts, the boldness of analogies and comparisons, and the accuracy of assessments. The text is replete with many subtle and insightful remarks about the themes of Chabrier’s works, about his style, the nature of his language, about the bold interpretation of genre and folk principles, about Chabrier’s successive connections with Ravel and with modern musicians, among whom he mentions himself as a “musical grandson.” Chabrier. Of greatest interest are his two books, which arose from conversations, and the “Diary of My Songs”, posthumously published by friends, occupies a very special place. Back in 1954, Poulenc’s book “Conversations with Claude Rostand” was published, which is a recording of conversations heard in a series of broadcasts of the French National Radio and Television from October 1953 to April 1954. Conversations of this kind with various prominent figures have become a new common form of telling stories about oneself and one’s business. Thus, in 1952, “Conversations of Darius Milhaud with Claude Rostand” appeared, and among the later ones, “Conversations of Olivier Messiaen with Claude Samuel” (1967) should be mentioned. A whole series of books published by the Conquistador publishing house takes the form of conversations or stories about oneself. In “Conversations with Claude Rostand” Poulenc talks about his childhood, teachers, friends, his creative formation and the history of the creation of his works, his artistic tastes and philosophical views.

Ten years later, Poulenc returned to this form of communication with the audience, preparing a series of programs at the suggestion of Radio Switzerland in the form of conversations with the young musicologist Stéphane Audel. Their recording did not take place due to the sudden death of the composer. These conversations turned into the book “Me and My Friends,” prepared for publication by Odel.

In the initial recordings, Poulenc returns to his first experiments in the vocal genre, dating back to 1918; and then, while composing songs, he writes down his thoughts about them along the way. Poulenc writes about poetry, the choice of poems and the difficulties that arise in their musical embodiment, about the genre of vocal lyrics, about the features of chamber vocal performance, about the indispensable condition of equality and interpenetration between the vocal and piano principles, about the requirements he places on the performers of his songs, about the best and worst their performers. More than once he mentions the name of the singer Pierre Bernac, considering him an ideal performer not only of his “songs, but also of many other, primarily French composers. Poulenc dedicated “The Diary of My Songs” to Bernac. The composer and singer had a long-term creative friendship - 25 years of joint concert performances, which played an important role in the musical life of that time. According to many critics, their ideal duet contributed to the widespread acquaintance of many countries around the world with French vocal music at all stages of its development, as well as with the vocal works of Schubert, Schumann, Wolf and Beethoven.

Poulenc intended his “Diary” primarily for performers. He calls the considerations he expresses, based on his rich personal experience, advice that are undoubtedly essential for every artist. Poulenc gives interesting, subtle instructions on the details of performance - word articulation, vocal intonation, pedaling, rhythm, tempo, texture, the role of piano introductions and conclusions mainly in his songs. The close creative friendship that arose between Poulenc and the poets is noteworthy. Max Jacob calls young Poulenc his favorite musician. Paul Eluard was the first to send him his poems for review. Cocteau and Aragon introduce him to their new works.

songs based on their poems occupy a significant place among his vocal compositions. But the composer devotes an equally significant place in his vocal lyrics to Guillaume Apollinaire. At different periods, Poulenc found poems diametrically opposed in content from Apollinaire: the playful aphorisms of “Bestiary” (1918) and the nostalgia of “Montparnasse” (1945), the daring eccentricities of “Breasts” Theresia" (1947) and the mournful bitterness of "Cornflower" (1939).

The name of Francis Poulenc is associated with the "Great Hill", a beautiful house built in the 18th century, where everything was so thoughtfully landscaped, comfortable and cozy. Poulenc found peace and quiet in this house, which was conducive to his work.

“Big Hill” leans against a low, rocky mountain, carved by ancient, deep caves that may have once been inhabited by people. The large windows of the house open onto a terrace overlooking the French park. On the right side is a greenhouse that serves as a summer dining room, on the left are century-old linden trees that provide shade and coolness on hot days, and right in front of the terrace is a lower garden with vegetable beds, a vineyard that produces light golden wine, and, most importantly, flowers , an abundance of flowers.

The interior decoration of the house reflected the impeccable taste of its owner. Every piece of furniture, every painting, every trinket was carefully selected and placed in such a way that the whole created the impression of complete harmony. The rich library with many books on art and rare publications was in no way inferior to the discotheque, the diversity of which testified to Poulenc’s eclecticism.

A large office, where there was a piano and a grand piano next to it, lined with photographs of friends, was decorated with a huge fireplace. When evening came, the logs were burning in it, crackling merrily. Vocal and orchestral sounds flowed from the electric player, and Francis, sank into a deep armchair, followed the scores of the operas of Verdi, Puccini, symphonies of Mahler, Hindemith, concerts of Bartok, de Falla, Debussy, Chabrier (his dear Chabrier!), Mussorgsky, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, works of Viennese dodecaphonists.

Poulenc subordinated his days to a fixed schedule. A man of order in everything, he kept books, scores, collections of photographs, autographs, and letters just as neatly placed in their places as he strictly observed the hours devoted to work. Rising early in the morning, after a light breakfast of toast with jam and tea, Francis Poulenc locked himself in his office. Turning his back to the windows through which the sun streamed in, he worked at the table or at the piano. From my room I could hear him playing chords, starting a musical phrase, changing it, repeating it tirelessly - and so on until a sudden deep silence indicated that, having approached his bureau, he was writing something. on music paper or scrapes off what did not satisfy him with a knife with a blade half worn off from constant use.

This hard work lasted until breakfast. Then Francis went up to his room, quickly performed his toilet, and from that moment devoted himself to friendship. Dressed in tweed and flannel, like a true gentleman on his estate, he checked that all the vases were filled with magnificent bouquets. He composed them himself with an art that the most sophisticated florist could envy.

I love only real aristocrats and ordinary people,” he once admitted to me. He should have added: and my friends, but it was so obvious to him that he did not even consider it necessary to mention it. There was no friendship more faithful, more constant, than the friendship of this great egocentric. From the moment Francis bestowed his friendship, it remained unchanged forever. He showed his friendly attitude wherever he was, regardless of his work and the responsibilities imposed on him by fame. His friends received news from him from America, England, Italy or any other country where his concert performances or concerts in which his works were performed were called. Poulenc never forgot to inform his friends about his plans, was interested in their plans, invited them a month in advance to breakfast in his Parisian apartment, from the windows of which the entire Luxembourg Gardens were visible. Correspondence was an urgent need for him, an obligation from which he did not try to evade. He devoted the afternoon to her, having first paid tribute to breakfast, which for this lover of good food was sure to be tasty and plentiful. On fine days, coffee, and later tea, was drunk on the terrace, where a harmonious landscape spread out before our eyes, marked, so to speak, by purely Cartesian clarity and balance. There was no talk of walking; Poulenc did not recognize them. In return, he enjoyed funny stories, social and theatrical gossip, and travel memories. How many times did he ask me about South America, where I had to live for quite a long time, although I had absolutely no intention of going there. He stated: “I was once on a concert tour in North Africa. This exoticism is quite enough for me!”

Human voice(fr. "La voix humaine" listen)) is a one-act opera for one performer, music by Francis Poulencand libretto by Jean Cocteau, based on his 1932 play. The first production took place in Paris at the Opéra-Comique on February 6, 1959. Poulenc wrote operas for Denise Duval, a French soprano, and the premiere was conducted by Georges Prêtre.

February 17, 1959 First performance in Russia - concert, conducted by G. Rozhdestvensky, 1965; theatrical premiere: Moscow, Bolshoi Theater, June 28, 1965, with the participation of G. Vishnevskaya.

“The Human Voice” is a musical monodrama. A woman left by her lover talks to him on the phone for the last time. She is alone on stage. The remarks of her interlocutor are not audible, and the listener can guess about them from the heroine’s reaction. The entire action consists of her large dialogue with her absent partner, a dialogue embodied in the form of a dramatic monologue. There is no external action in the opera; everything is focused on revealing the internal drama. An expressive vocal part, in which the melody flexibly conveys the shades of the heroine’s feelings and state of mind, and the orchestra, rich in timbres, reveal the theme of a woman’s suffering, her longing for happiness.

Poulenc's opera is a work of high humanism and dramatic power. It is included in the concert repertoire of many outstanding singers. One of the last productions was in 1992 at the Edinburgh Festival (soloist - E. Söderström).

History of creation

A year after the premiere of the opera “Dialogues of the Carmelites,” which in 1957 was a huge success in several cities in Europe and America, Poulenc, at that time one of the most authoritative composers of the 20th century, began creating his last opera, which became the crown of his operatic creativity. He again turned to the work of Jean Cocteau (1889-1963), a fruitful collaboration with whom began exactly forty years ago. Cocteau - writer, artist, theater figure, screenwriter and film director, member of the French Academy - was one of the most interesting figures in French art of the first half of the 20th century. Many experiments in the field of poetry, painting, and ballet are associated with his name. In the early 1920s, he wrote a libretto for Diaghilev’s troupe, and was friends with Stravinsky, Satie, Picasso, and the young members of the Six. Honegger wrote the opera Antigone based on his text, and Orik wrote the ballet Phaedra based on his libretto. Poulenc turned to Cocteau’s work for the first time back in 1919, when he wrote three songs based on his poems under the general title “Cockades.” In 1921, he created the music for the comedy-buffe by Cocteau and Radigueu “The Misunderstood Gendarme”; in the same year, together with other members of the “Six”, he composed the music for Cocteau’s play “The Newlyweds from the Eiffel Tower”.

The idea for the last opera arose spontaneously. Poulenc, together with the representative of the famous Italian publishing house Ricordi in Paris, Hervé Dugardin, was at one of the performances given in Paris by the troupe of the Milanese Da Scala Theater. The composer saw how, as the evening continued, the legendary Maria Callas gradually pushed her partners into the background. At the end of the performance, she already went out alone to the public's calls, as the only heroine. Dugardin, impressed by this phenomenon, immediately suggested that Poulenc write an opera for one performer based on the plot of Cocteau’s monodrama “The Human Voice.” Later, in an interview with Musical America magazine, the composer humorously remarked: “Perhaps the publisher was thinking about the time when Callas would quarrel with all the performers so much that no one would want to perform with her. And then an opera with one character will be suitable for a magnificent, but too capricious soprano.” However, the opera was not created for Callas. The heroine was supposed to be the French singer Denise Duval. “If I had not met her, and if she had not entered my life, The Human Voice would never have been written,” the composer continued in the interview. The monodrama is dedicated to the eternal female tragedy - the betrayal of a loved one. This is not a special case. Cocteau emphasizes the generality of the image by not giving his heroine a name. The whole play consists of a telephone conversation with a lover who is getting married to someone else tomorrow. “The only role of the “Human Voice” should be played by a young, elegant woman. This is not about an elderly woman abandoned by her lover,” Poulenc emphasizes in the preface to the score. The play is full of reticence: it seems that the telephone is the only thing that still connects the abandoned woman with life; when the tube falls out of her hands, she falls herself. And it is unclear whether she faints from despair, or this last conversation literally kills her, or perhaps she took poison before the phone rang.

In gratitude for the suggested plot, Poulenc dedicated the opera to Desi and Hervé Dugardin. The premiere of "The Human Voice" took place on February 8, 1958 at the Paris Opera Comic Theater. Sung by Denise Duvall. The famous critic Bernard Gavoti wrote about her: “How many musicians, starting with Debussy, spoke the same soul-grabbing language, just as passionate and restrained, just as ordinary? Recitative for 45 minutes against a backdrop of colorful harmony - and that's it. Rich music, truthful in the nakedness of its feelings, beating on the continuous rhythm of the human heart.<...>Alone in an empty room, like an animal in a locked cage<...>Nightmare-ridden, wide-eyed, approaching the inevitable, pathetic and superbly simple, Denise Duval has found the role of her life.” After the brilliant success in Paris, the opera, defined by the author as a lyrical tragedy in one act, was performed in the same performance and with the same success in Milan. Over the following years, she conquered many stages around the world.