Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)
Piano Music
Valse for l’Album des Six FP17 (1919)
Napoli, Suite pour piano, FP40 (1922-1925)
Huit nocturnes, FP56 (1929-1938)
Villageoises, petites pièces enfantines FP 65 (1933)
Trois novelettes FP47 (1, 2) FP173 (3) (1927-1928, rev. 1939 (1, 2) 1959 (3))
Trois mouvements perpétuels, FP14a (1918, rev. 1962)
Valse-improvisation sur le nom de Bach, FP62 (1932)
Chiara Cipelli (piano)
rec. 2023, Classical Recording Studio, Perugia, Italy
Piano Classics PCL10217 [53]
This is a rewarding selection of Francis Poulenc’s piano music. The recital begins with the Valse FP17 which was his contribution to the L’Album des Six. It is easy to guess that the other composers were Milhaud, Honegger, Durey, Auric and Tailleferre. The Valse is exuberant, intriguing and sheer fun. It nods to the ubiquitous Parisian Boulevardier and hints at Petrushka.
The suite Napoli is the fuit of a trip to Italy which Poulenc took with Darius Milhaud. The opening Barcarolle suggests a boat moored in the Bay of Naples. The usual tranquillity is mocked by edgy harmonies and changes of time signature. The Nocturne also gives the impression of the sea, this time with moonlight. It has a magical effect. The final movement, Caprice italien, is more about gin joints and night clubs than land or seascapes. Inspired by Chabrier’s Bourrée fantastique, it is a fast, sassy tarantella, concluding with a long cadenza. Chiara Cipelli invests the entire suite with Neapolitan magic and swagger.
The eight Nocturnes were composed over ten years. This prolonged period of gestation may have led to unevenness in effect. Mostly short, these pieces contain lovely melodies and some delicious pianism. Those that impressed me most were the romantic Bal de jeunes fils which recalls a Parisian ballroom, and the Bal fantôme which is a ghostly waltz. The seventh Nocturne, Assez allant (With enough motion) is poised, and played here at a pleasing speed. The entire group is a satisfying exploration of moods, tempi and keys. I feel that they ought to be played as a group, not excerpted.
Villageoises were created for younger pianists but there is nothing childlike about the six numbers. Each movement captures a different mood or scene. They display Poulenc’s ability to put miscellaneous emotions in a concise and concentrated form. The Suite opens with a vivacious Valse Tyrolienne, followed by a brisk Staccato and an idyllic Rustique. The next three movements are a tumultuous Polka, a graceful Petite ronde and a short Coda. The Suite was dedicated to the playwright Jean Giraudoux and the actor Louis Jouvet.
Poulenc devised Trois novelettes devised over a long period. The first is in ternary form, and the two sections balance mischief with grace. The second Novelette is really a little scherzo, witty and rhythmically energetic. The third piece, finished thirty years later, is based on a melody taken from Manuel de Falla’s El amor brujo. It is thoughtful and a touch melancholic.
The best-known piano work by Poulenc may be Trois mouvements perpétuels. They premiered in 1918 in Paris by the Spanish pianist Ricardo Viñes. They were dedicated to the French artist and author Valentine Gross. Poulenc once said that they represented “a brisk stroll by the Seine”. Certainly, they successfully conjure a vivacious Parisian mood. The finale, Alerte, is by far the most dynamic, with lots of changes of rhythms and sly nods to Erik Satie. If anything, these Mouvements also nod towards Stravinsky. They are played here with no condescension and with considerable spontaneity that balances the influence of the eighteenth-century clavecinists with the harmonic spice of the post-World War One era.
The recital concludes with the short but fascinating Valse-improvisation sur le nom de Bach. This is characterised by many modulations and an adventurous key structure. Strangely, at the time of writing, it was regarded as “critically unsuccessful”. Bach is reflected in the use of his initials, B-flat, A, C, B-natural to create the theme. The work was included in an album Hommage à Bach with contributions by Alfredo Casella, Albert Roussel, Gian Francesco Malipiero and Arthur Honegger.
The liner notes, in English and Italian, give a decent overview of Poulenc and his piano music, but present little information about each piece. There is a short resume of the soloist. Her discography includes a disc of Bruno Bettinelli’s piano works and another of Olivier Messiaen’s Préludes.
The performances reflect Poulenc’s earlier devotion to the “precise, economical, lean and at times witty” style that was a characteristic of Les Six. Chiara Cipelli responds vividly to the lyricism, wit and occasional melancholy of these diverse pieces.
John France
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