Francis Poulenc – Kammermusik

Francis Poulenc's fondness for writing for wind instruments is the focus of this album by Ensemble arabesques and pianist Paul Ravinius, which presents five of the composer's chamber works, two from early in his career and three from late. The Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano and the Sextet for Wind Quintet and Piano date from the years of Les Six in the 1920s and 30s, while the Sonatas for Flute, Clarinet and Oboe were among the composer's last works, the latter two written in 1962, the year before his death.

Featuring

Paul Rivinius
Nicolas Thiébaud
Christian Kunert
Eva Maria Thiébaud
Gaspare Buonomano
Pascal Deuber

Ensemble arabesques
Francis Poulenc

Did you know?

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Performer Biography

Paul Rivinius, the pianist on this album, was a member of the Clemente Trio, which won the prestigious ARD Music Competition in Munich in 1998 and performed in major concert halls worldwide.

Composition History

The Sonata for Oboe and Piano, dedicated to Sergei Prokofiev, was Poulenc's penultimate work and was premiered posthumously in June 1963, a few months after his death.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Francis Poulenc, a pianist and lover of singing, was fond of wind instruments because of their resemblance to the human voice.

Composition History

The Trio for Piano, Oboe, and Bassoon by Francis Poulenc was dedicated to Manuel de Falla, a Spanish composer, and took five years to compose.

Composition History

The Sextet for Piano, Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, Bassoon, and Horn was premiered during the Occupation in late 1940 and dedicated to Georges Salles, curator of the Louvre Museum.

Composer Biography

Poulenc once discarded a string quartet manuscript into a sewer because he couldn't find inspiration for the string instruments, feeling wind instruments would be better suited.

Composition History

Poulenc's last work, the Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, was also premiered posthumously in April 1963 by Benny Goodman and Leonard Bernstein at Carnegie Hall, New York.