Poulenc, a great pianist, never attended the Conservatoire and was taught by his amateur pianist mother and later by the eccentric Eric Satie.
Composer Biography
Poulenc returned to his childhood Catholic faith after losing both parents and several close friends, and making a pilgrimage to the Black Madonna in Rocamadour.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Poulenc's music was sometimes dismissed as 'poppish' or 'perfumed music' by snobs who were loath to admit him to the serious musical world of Europe.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Poulenc stated his artistic guideline was instinct, proudly having no principles and composing without a system, which he viewed as 'cheap tricks'.
Compositional Technique
Poulenc's early music often combined classical forms from Haydn and Mozart with elements of Stravinsky, folk music, jazz, and Parisian café music.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Poulenc described himself as having both a 'monk and a street urchin' in him, reflecting his personality.
Composer Biography
Francis Poulenc, a declared homosexual and devout Catholic in the first half of the twentieth century, was considered a man of contradictions.
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