The Improvisations and Novelettes recorded here look like sets, but both groups were composed over long stretches of time; the Improvisations span more than 25 years. This goes to show the remarkable consistency of Poulenc's oeuvre, which showed a few thematic shifts (for example, in the direction of religious music), but generally tended to deepen rather than change direction. The Improvisations are a virtual catalog of the composer's relationship with the musical past; many of these little pieces, not just the ones ...
Read More
The Improvisations and Novelettes recorded here look like sets, but both groups were composed over long stretches of time; the Improvisations span more than 25 years. This goes to show the remarkable consistency of Poulenc's oeuvre, which showed a few thematic shifts (for example, in the direction of religious music), but generally tended to deepen rather than change direction. The Improvisations are a virtual catalog of the composer's relationship with the musical past; many of these little pieces, not just the ones designated as homages, are in the style of some other composer (or, in the melancholy Improvisation No. 15 in C minor, a singer, Edith Piaf). Sample the Schubert homage, where Poulenc's humor keeps poking its head around the corner. Even the larger works are almost miniatures; the three movements of the Sonata for Four Hands last less than six minutes. Others have recorded these intimate works, but pianist Lucille Chung perhaps captures their dimensions best. She is elegant, suave, and...
Read Less
Portions of content provided by Rovi Corporation. © 2024 Rovi Corporation.