The Concert champêtre was completed in 1928, having been originally developed as a concerto for harpsichord and orchestra. It was composed for the legendary harpsichordist Wanda Landowska, whose pioneering performances and teaching played a significant role in the 20th-century revival of the instrument. As the liner notes explain, Poulenc later expanded the solo part for the piano, a version he frequently performed himself. He also arranged a reduction of the orchestral score, effectively creating an authorised version for two pianos. Interestingly, Karl B Schmidt in his indispensable catalogue recalls Poulenc’s comments that “the piano version of the Concert champêtre is only a poor substitute, you hear me right, a poor substitute.” Yet, fittingly, Landowska gave the work its private premiere, with Poulenc himself accompanying her on a second piano.
The concerto unfolds in three
distinct movements. The opening is introduced by slow, solemn, and slightly discordant
measures, which quickly give way to an Allegro molto in a bright,
18th-century style full of the cheerful irreverence typical of Poulenc at this
time. This is followed by the central Andante, a tender, melodically and
harmonically exquisite inspiration. Finally, the Presto finale (très
gai) masterfully sets Handelian brilliance against Stravinskian bite, all
held firmly under Poulenc’s neo-classically disciplined control.
The Élégie for 2 pianos is one of the most heart-breaking numbers that Poulenc composed. It was written during the summer of 1959 to commemorate the death of his friend, the French aristocrat, soprano, pianist, and patron of the arts, Marie-Blanche de Polignac. The piece begins wistfully before building up into a considerable climax with increasingly “bittersweet” chords. The subtitle of Élégie is “en accords alternés,” and this is represented by chords being passed back and forth between the players until they come together for the tormented coda. It is given a suitably tragic performance here. Amusingly, Poulenc left a note in the score instructing the pianists to perform it with a relaxed, spontaneous feel: "as if you were improvising it, a cigar in your mouth, a glass of cognac on the piano."
The ambitious Sonata for two pianos takes a little bit of effort to fully unearth. This is not an example of Poulenc’s lighter, satirical style but instead demands engagement with weighty and often emotionally charged music. Here we have drama, darker episodes, chorale-like textures, and not a few “soaring” melodies thrown in for good measure. Aggressive dissonances are sharply contrasted with passages of achingly beautiful material. Composed between 1952, Poulenc wrote the piece for the above mentioned “Les Boys,” who premiered it during a BBC broadcast in London on November 2, 1953. Poulenc later noted that it was begun in a room at the Hôtel Beauvau in Marseille during December of 1952 which was the same hotel that Chopin stayed at with George Sand upon returning from Majorca.
Structurally, the sonata is built
around its emotional core: the third movement lyrical Andante lyrico.
The Prologue introduces contrasting, stormy themes, while the Allegro
molto offers a dynamic scherzo with a cool centre. After the Andante
provides the work’s reflective heart, the Epilogue revisits earlier
material, framing the entire sonata with a haunting final thought.
One of the reasons I looked forward to reviewing this disc was to hear Le Voyage en Amerique. I knew about the score but have never had the opportunity to hear it. Poulenc devised the music for the eponymous film in 1951. Wikipedia explains that its plot deals with a French couple travelling to America for their daughter’s childbirth - she had married a GI - confronting culture shock and rediscovering their quiet life’s value back in La Belle France.
As to the music, much of it is in
a “popular dance hall style” with lots of swing, panache, and vivacity. Yet, on
the other hand, there is a touch of the “melancholic” acting as a kind of
sympathetic undercurrent. The performance as presented here is made up of
noticeably short cues, sometimes only a handful of bars long. Is that a
“pistol” shot in the fourth section, a piano lid falling shut or a box of bolts
falling on the floor?
The final part of the “suite”
gives a reprise of L'Embarquement pour Cythère this time with the
addition of an accordion. Very Gallic.
What makes this release truly
remarkable, however, is that the liner notes explain the original holograph
(manuscript) was lost. The present transcription had to be produced “by ear”
entirely from the film’s audio soundtrack. This kind of ability always
impresses me; a touch of genius is required to make such a realisation.
Poulenc provided Yvonne Printemps, an old friend and collaborator, with two songs for the film: Chanson de marin and Adieu maison. Only the latter has been included on this disc, as there has been a previous recording made of the former. This is a pity.
This release is an essential addition to any French music enthusiast’s library. Antony Gray and Rob Hao navigate Poulenc’s distinct sound world with complete assurance, balancing his trademark music-hall irreverence against the profound, darker undercurrents of the Sonata and Élégie. Alise Seliņa’s brief accordion contribution adds a wonderful touch of Parisian nostalgia, while Helen Miles delivers a poignant Adieu maison. Even if Poulenc grumbled about the two-piano Concert champêtre, it sounds marvellous here. Combined with the remarkable “ear-transcription” of the lost Le Voyage en Amérique score, this beautifully recorded disc offers a deeply rewarding, thoroughly authoritative recital.
Track Listing:Francis Poulenc (1889-1963)
L'Embarquement pour Cythère (1951)
Concert champetre (version for 2 pianos) (1928)
Élégie for 2 pianos (1959)
Sonata for 2 pianos (1953)
Voyage en Amérique (transcr. Antony Gray) (1951)
Adieu Maison (1951)
Antony Gray (piano); Rob Hao (piano); Alise Seliņa (Accordion); Helen Miles (soprano)
rec. 2025, Wathen Hall, Lonsdale Road, London.
Divine Art ddx 21149
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