Meet a Composer: Francis Poulenc

 Meet a Composer:  Francis Poulenc

Years Lived: 1889-1963

Period of Composing: Modern

Country: France

Francis Poulenc was a French composer in the modern era. He is known for his vocal songs, piano music, ballets, and orchestral music. He was part of "Les Six", a group of French composer friends—including Milhaud, Honneger, Auric, Durey, and Tailleferre—known for their contributions to music.

Francis Poulenc was the son of a manufacturer and being the only son was expected to go into the same field, but he chose music instead. At the age of five he began piano lessons with his mother who was an amateur pianist.  When he was eight, Poulenc first heard and was fascinated by the music of Debussy. He wanted to play Debussy's music but it was too advanced for his current level of playing. At fourteen he decided he wanted to be a composer. Poulenc did not go to music college, but studied in France with Ricardo Viñes. He became known for his creativity and unique composition style.

One of Poulenc's most famous works is his sonata for flute and piano, considered to be a right of passage for many flute players. Other famous pieces include his two ballets, Les biches, and Les Animaux modèles. He is known for his mostly tuneful and consonant music, which was in direct contrast of French contemporaries Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy whose music ventured into more dissonant harmonies.

 

Did you Know?

Poulenc's first work, Rapsodie nègre for voice (baritone) and instrumental ensemble (flute, clarinet, string quartet and piano) was very well received at its premiere when Poulenc was only 18 years old.

 

Poulenc wrote L’Histoire de Babar, le petit éléphant (The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant), for narrator and piano based on the story Histoire de Babar by Jean de Brunhoff. It has also been transcribed for orchestra and for chamber orchestra.

This Kiddle article includes pictures and more information about Poulenc.  Classics for Kids also has a short article about him. 

You can hear Poulenc's Les biches (The Does) in this short story Classical Kids Storytime: Stone Soup from Classical MPR. 

 

Here is some of L’Histoire de Babar, le petit éléphant, which Poulenc was inspired to compose after his cousins put the Histoire de Babar story book on his piano and asked him to "play" the story.

Hear flutist Sir James Galway perform Poulenc's famous Sonata for Flute and Piano on this YouTube video.