Thou singest ye carol

This last part of our mini-series on the life and works of Francis Poulenc features his last songs and some cycles such as “Tel Jour Telle Nuit” and the music he wrote for lyrics by Paul Éluard that were inspired by works of famous paintings by Picasso, Paul Klee and others. “La Travail du Peintre”.

Poulenc himself kept meticulous records of what he composed and when. But in 1995, Carl B. Schmidt published a catalogue of his works, and made a detailed history of compositions and performances and gave them an FP number, chronologically ordered. You will find the titles of these numbers on the playlist of this series.

Playlist:

1. Francis Poulenc – “Le travail du peintre” FP161 lyrics: Paul Éluard. 1. Pablo Picasso 2. Marc Chagall
3. Georges Braque 4. Juan Gris 5. Paul Klee 6. Joan Miró 7. Jaques Villon.

Baritone Bernard Kruysen and pianist Noël Lee.

Paul Éluard  Jacques Villon, “Fillette au piano” (1912)

2. Francis Poulenc – “La dame de Monte-Carlo” FP180 lyrics: Jean Cocteau
Soprano Nicole Tibbels and pianist Graham Johnson

3. Francis Poulenc – “Nos souvenirs qui chantent” FP182 lyrics: Robert Tatry
Soprano Marie Devellereau with Emmanuel Strosser on piano.

4. Francis Poulenc – “La Courte Paille” FP178 lyrics: Maurice Carême
1. Le sommeil 2. Quelle aventure ! 3. La reine de cœur 4. Ba, be, bi, bo, bu 5. Les anges musiciens 6. Le carafon 7. Lune d’avril

Soprano Elly Ameling with pianist Dalton Baldwin.

5. Francis Poulenc – “Tel jour telle nuit” FP86 lyrics: Paul Éluard
1. Bonne journée 2. Une ruine coquille vide 3. Le front comme un drapeau perdu 4. Une roulotte couverte en tuiles 5. A toutes brides 6. Une herbe pauvre 7. Je n’ai envie que de t’aimer 8. Figure de force brûlante et farouche 9. Nous avons fait la nuit

Soprano Sarah Fox with pianist Graham Johnson.

6. Francis Poulenc- “Miroirs brûlants” FP98 lyrics: Paul Éluard
1. Tu vois le feu du soir 2. Je nommerai ton front

Baritone William Parker and pianist Dalton Baldwin.

Funeral monument Poulenc (Père Lachaise, Paris)