Poulenc abandoned his Roman Catholic faith after his father's death in 1917, but returned to the Church in 1936 following the death of fellow composer Pierre-Octave Ferroud.
Compositional Technique
The Mass in G major is a virtuosic choral work, made difficult by the lack of organ accompaniment, frequent time signature changes, and extremely high-pitched soprano passages.
Composition History
Poulenc's return to faith in 1936, sparked by the death of composer Pierre-Octave Ferroud and a visit to the pilgrimage site Rocamadour, led him to compose his first choral work in over a decade.
Compositional Technique
Poulenc's Mass in G major, dedicated to his father's memory, is noted for its striking opening and extreme, unexpected chromatic shifts, characteristic of his choral output.
Composer Biography
Francis Poulenc, a French composer, first gained attention at age eighteen as a member of 'Les Six', a group of six French composers.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Poulenc's early aesthetics, influenced by Jean Cocteau, rejected 19th-century European models like Wagner in favor of a nationalistic flavor, incorporating jazz and circus music.
Performer Biography
The Elora Festival Singers (EFS), founded in 1980 by Noel Edison, is a GRAMMY®- and two-time Juno-nominated chamber choir, recognized as one of Canada's finest professional choirs.
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Poulenc: Mass in G Major, Motets for Christmas and Lent & Four Short Prayers of Saint Francis
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Musica sacra, Vol. 9
Rheinberger: Missa et Motetti
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