The piano used for this recording is a Pleyel from 1905, part of the Balleron collection.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Francis Poulenc, the composer, was drawn to the poetry of Guillaume Apollinaire for its irony veiled in tenderness and melancholy.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Poulenc had a complex relationship with the poet Jean Moréas, stating he "adored to detest" him and chose his poems for Airs chantés because they were "propitious to mutilation."
Composer's Artistic Vision
Poulenc stated that the poet Paul Éluard was responsible for introducing lyricism into his vocal works due to the warmth of his imagery.
Performer Biography
Emmanuel Olivier, the pianist, is a professor of vocal accompaniment at the CNSM de Paris and has given masterclasses on French repertoire in Beijing and Karlsruhe.
Album & Artwork
The album title, "Le Cœur en forme de fraise" (The Heart in the Shape of a Strawberry), is taken from a line in Poulenc's Fiançailles pour rire, a cycle of melodies for female voice.
Composition History
In 1939, Francis Poulenc composed Fiançailles pour rire as a female counterpart to his earlier work Tel Jour telle nuit, dedicating it to Louise de Vilmorin.
