Francis Poulenc: Aubade, Le Bal masqué, Flute Sonata & Sextet - RES10276

Francis Poulenc: Aubade, Le Bal masqué, Flute Sonata & Sextet

£12.99
Total playing time [67:53]

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Mark Bebbington (piano)
Roderick Williams (baritone)
Emer McDonough (flute)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Jan Latham-Koenig (conductor)

In this second album in his French series, pianist Mark Bebbington is joined by baritone Roderick Williams, flautist Emer McDonough, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Jan Latham-Koenig, in a further programme of music by Francis Poulenc.

Featuring some of Poulenc’s most characteristic works, the programme begins with his 1929 chamber piano concerto Aubade originally written with a choreographed ballet element for a private fancy-dress party. The following year saw the composer set Surrealist poems by his friend Max Jacob in his work Le Bal Masqué, which Poulenc described as a ‘secular cantata’. Written in 1956 the Flute Sonata was described by the composer himself as being ‘simple but subtle’. Completing the album is the 1931 Sextet for piano and wind quintet, later revised in 1939.

Album Booklet (PDF)

Tracklist

Aubade, FP51a
1. Toccata
2. Récitatif
3. Rondeau
4. Presto
5. Récitatif
6. Andante
7. Allegro feroce
8. Conclusion

Le Bal masqué, FP60
9. Préambule et air de bravure
10. Intermède
11. Malvina
12. Bagatelle
13. La dame aveugle
14. Finale

Flute Sonata, FP164
15. Allegro malinconico
16. Cantilena
17. Presto giocoso

Sextet, FP100
18. Allegro vivace
19. Divertissement
20. Finale

“

'But the madcap insouciance of the music, fizzing with comic-strip immediacy, is splendidly recreated by the small chamber ensemble, and Williams bosses the syllabic onslaught with a nimble relish. All told, a delectable addition to the Poulenc discography.'

- BBC Music Magazine

'But the madcap insouciance of the music, fizzing with comic-strip immediacy, is splendidly recreated by the small chamber ensemble, and Williams bosses the syllabic onslaught with a nimble relish. All told, a delectable addition to the Poulenc discography.'
BBC Music Magazine

'Poulenc’s Flute Sonata is a very distinctive piece, well loved and often heard. It is good to have it placed here alongside less familiar works, all of which show life and colour in performances which show the brilliance of this music.'
Lark Reviews

Credits
© 2021 Resonus Limited
Ⓟ 2021 Resonus Limited
Catalogue No. RES10276
Producer & editor: Adam Binks
Engineer: Dave Rowell
EAN: 5060262793077
Cover image by Jack Liebeck
Release date: 30 April 2021