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POULENC, Francis
b Paris, 7 January 1899
d Paris, 30 January 1963, aged sixty-four

His mother gave him his first piano lessons, but afterwards he had little formal musical education. However, his friendships with other composers, particularly Milhaud, Honegger, Satie, Schoenberg, Berg and Webern, were influential. He inherited a strong religious feeling from his father, which is apparent in his works. He was high-spirited and witty, and very popular. Apart from time spent in the Army during World War I, he devoted his life to composing.

1917 (18)

Rapsodie negre, for cello, piano, flute and string quartet

1918 (19)

Sonata for two clarinets

Sonata for piano (four hands)

Trois mouvements perpetuelles, for piano

Toréador, songs (1918-32)

1919 (20)

Valse, for piano

Le Bestaire au cortege d'Orphée, songs

Cocardes, songs

1920 (21)

Cinq impromptus, for piano

Suite in C major for piano 1

921 (22)

La Baigneuse de Trouville and Discours du General, for orchestra: two numbers of a group work composed by all members of 'les Six' (except Louis Durey)

for a play by Jean Cocteau

1922 (23)

Sonata for trumpet, horn and trombone

Sonata for clarinet and bassoon

Chanson a boire, for a cappella male choir

1923 (24)

Les Biches, ballet

1924 (25)

Promenade, for piano

Poemes de Ronsard (1924-5)

1925 (26)

Napoli Suite, for piano 1

926 (27)

Trio for oboe, bassoon and piano

Chansons Gaillardes

1927-8 (28-9)

Concert champetre, for harpsichord and orchestra

Deux novelettes, for piano

Airs chantes

1928 (29)

Trois pieces, for piano 1

929 (30)

Aubade, for piano and eighteen instruments

horn mage a Roussel, for piano

Huit nocturnes, for piano (1929-38)

1930 (31)

Epitaphe, song

1931 (32)

Bagatelle, for violin and piano

Trois poemes de Louise Lalanne, songs

Four Songs

Five Songs

1932 (33)

Concerto in D major, for two pianos and orchestra

Sextet for piano and wind quintet (1932-40)

Improvisations for piano (1932-43)

Intermezzo, in D minor, for piano

La bal masqué, cantata

1933 (34)

Feuillets d'album, for piano (Ariette, Reve, Gigue)

Villageoises, children's piano pieces

1934 (35)

Intermezzo, in Db major, for piano

Intermezzo, in C major, for piano

Presto, Badinage and Humoresque, for piano

Huit chansons polonaises

Quatre chansons pour enfants (1934-5)

1935 (36)

Suite francaise, for chamber orchestra

Cinq poemes (Paul Eluard)

'A sa guitaré (Ronsard), song

Margot, incidental music (in collaboration with Auric)

1936 (37)

Sept chansons, for a cappella mixed choir

Litanies a la Vierge noire, for women's or children's voices and organ

Petites voix, five choruses for three-part a cappella children's choir

Les soirees de Nazelles, for piano 1

937 (38)

Deux marches et un intermede, for chamber orchestra

Mass in G major

Sécheresses, cantata

Bourée d'Auvergne, for piano

Tel jour telle nuit, songs

1938 (39)

Concerto in G major, for organ, strings and timpani

Four Penitential Motets (1938-9)

1939 (40)

Fiançailles pour rire, songs

1940 (41)

Melancolie, for piano

Banalities, songs

Histoire de Babar le petit éléphant, for piano and narrator (1940 5)

Cello Sonata (1940-8)

1941 (42)

Salve regina, for four-part a cappella mixed choir

Exultate Deo, for four-part a cappella mixed choir

Les animaux modeles, ballet

La fille du jardinier, incidental music

1942 (43)

Violin Sonata (1942-3)

Chansons villageoises, songs

1943 (44)

Figure humaine, cantata

Metamorphoses, songs

Deux poemes, songs

'Montparnasse', song

1944 (45)

Les mamelles de Tiresias, opera bouffe

Le Voyageur sans bagage, incidental music

La nuit de la Saint-lean, incidental music

Un soir de neige, cantata

1945 (46)

Chansons francaises, for a cappella mixed choir

Le soldat et la sorciere, incidental music

1946 (47)

Two Songs

1947 (48)

Flute Sonata

1948 (49)

Quatre petites prieres (St Francis), for a cappella male choir

1949 (50)

Piano Concerto

1950 (51)

Stabat Mater, for soprano, mixed choir and orchestra

1953 (54)

Sonata for two pianos

Dialogues des Carmelites, opera (1953-6)

1954 (55)

La Guirlande de Campra (Matelote provencale), for orchestra, in

collaboration with other composers

Variations sur le nom de Marguerite Long (Bucolique), for orchestra,

in collaboration with other composers

1956 (57)

Le travail du peintre, song cycle

Deux mélodies, songs

1957 (58)

Elegy, for horn and piano

1958 (59)

La voix humaine, Lyric tragedy, monodrama for soprano

1959 (60)

Gloria, for soprano, mixed choir and orchestra

1960 (61)

Elegy, for two pianos

1961 (62)

La dame de Monte Carlo, monologue for soprano and orchestra

1962 (63)

Sept répons des tenebres, for soprano, choir and orchestra

Oboe Sonata

Clarinet Sonata

 

 

 

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