Rob Hao, the other pianist, is an Australian pianist and composer whose musicianship has been described as ranging from 'absolute stillness' to 'stirring and impetuous'.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Poulenc believed that film music should always take second place to the story and action, which influenced his approach to scores like Le Voyage en Amérique.
Performer Biography
Antony Gray, one of the pianists on this album, is an Australian pianist who also teaches violin and makes beetroot wine.
Composition History
The Sonata for Two Pianos was commissioned by American soprano and arts patron Alice Etsy and is considered one of Poulenc's most important works.
Composer Biography
Francis Poulenc, the composer, was an extraordinary pianist who enjoyed a parallel career as both composer and performer, particularly of his own music.
Compositional Technique
Poulenc instructed performers of his Élégie for two pianos to play it "as if you were improvising it, a cigar in your mouth, a glass of cognac on the piano."
You might also enjoy...
Stranger Things: Piano Works from a Young Refugee's Backpack
Erkki Melartin: Piano Works, Op. 8, 9, 11, 34 & 35
