Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)
- Concerto for Two Pianos
The
key to converting promising talents into
well-rounded composers is, surely, comprehensive
education. Hum! If that was law the world
would be a poorer place, because then the
likes of Francis Poulenc would be illegal!
His unique qualities are the product of
a scant, lop-sided education: piano lessons
from Maman, some study with Ricardo
Vines and, somewhat belatedly, a spot of
harmony under Koechlin. With scarcely an
inkling of matters formal, he pretty well
invented his own. Guided by an innate lyrical
facility, he created larger structures using
lots of “tiles” to make mesmerising “mosaics”.Whilst
the method is similar to Messiaen’s, the
results aren’t! His natural-born feel for
sonority conspired with the street-wise
and arguably dubious influence of Les
Nouveux Jeunes to give his music a vaguely
sleazy, but dangerously seductive, charm.
The
Concerto for Two Pianos (1932) has
it all. The first movement’s “form” is R-S-R-E,
or “Rowdy-Sleazy-Rowdy-Exotic”, that last
an ear-tickling idea gleaned from a gamelan
at the 1931 Paris Exposition. The second
movement starts off like Mozart, though
Poulenc’s admiration doesn’t linger over-long
- he soon wanders off into a garden of enchantment
all his own. Finally more rowdy, rondo-esque
romping - and a reminiscence of the “gamelan”.
No doubt some musicologist will say this
merely lends some semblance of coherence
to a formal shambles. Me? I just love
it to bits!
Note
originally commissioned by the Vancouver
Symphony for a concert given on 31 January
2004
.
© Paul Serotsky
29, Carr Street,
Kamo,
Whangarei 0101,
Northland,
New Zealand
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