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Poulenc From First to Last: Sarah Fox (soprano), Robert Murray (tenor), Stéphane Degout (baritone), Malcvolm Martineau (piano). Wigmore Hall, London, 2.7.2008 (BBr)

Francis Poulenc: Le bestiaire (1919)
Cocardes (1919)
Cinq poèmes de Max Jacob (1931)
Priez pour paix (1938)
Deux poèmes de Louis Aragon (1943)
Bleuet (1939)
Banalités (1940)
La Grenouillère (1938)
Deux poèmes de Guillaume Apollinaire (1938)
Miroirs brûlants (1938)
Calligrammes (1948)
Le pont (1946)
Un poème (1946)
Parisiana (1954)
La Dame de Monte Carlo (1961)


I always love my visits to the Wigmore Hall! What a wonderful piece of programming this was! A trip from Poulenc’s first song (actually from his second) to his last with lashings of his other chansons in between. With three young singers, whose voices, I am pleased to report, were admirably free from wobble, and, the ever reliable Malcolm Martineau at the keyboard keeping the proceedings in order, this was an evening to cherish.

It has been said that Poulenc’s style, once set, didn’t develop, but these songs proved his growing mastery and maturity as a composer and the sharing of the songs between the singers, so one never had too much of the same vocal colour for too long, helped us to follow the development of Poulenc’s art.

Looking at the texts in the programme book, one can only marvel at how Poulenc was drawn to words which would seem to deny the addition of music. The Apollinaire words which make up Le bestiaire verge on the nonsensical but with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek Poulenc makes them seem to be quite logical statements. Degout sang them with a straight face making them all the more fantastical.

The absurd continued with the next two sets, Cocteau’s and Jacob’s words inviting Poulenc to really stretch his musical imagination. I wonder if we’d ever have heard of Max Jacob were it not for Poulenc’s settings of his words? Murray and Fox, respectively, gave sturdy accounts of both works.

The rest of part one was rather more sensible. The beautiful Priez pour paix, setting words by the 15^th century Charles, Duc d’Orléans (who was wounded at the Battle of Agincourt and was subsequently kept hostage in England for the next 25 years), was simplicity itself, chaste and perfect. Murray sang it as if it were a lullaby and his understated performance was a true highlight. Likewise the moving setting of Apollinaire, Bleuet, concerning young men in the war. Between these serious songs Sarah Fox gave the marvelous Louis Aragon settings, bringing some levity to an otherwise serious moment.

To end the first half Degout returned with the wonderful Banalités, which must be the least banal utterance of Poulenc’s life! I especially enjoyed his interpretation of Hotel, in which a man would rather enjoy a cigarette than work. I know how he feels!

The second half treated us to, amongst other things, twelve more Apollinaire settings. The men were the lucky recipients of these songs and in general gave fine interpretations but, for some reason, in Calligrammes Degout seemed to forget himself and raised his voice, which led to some overloud and rather unpleasant singing. I suspect that he had simply forgotten that in the Wigmore Hall, with its superb acoustic, you don’t need to raise your voice to be heard or make a point. A slight miscalculation, I feel, which slightly spoiled an otherwise enjoyable set.

Sarah Fox made two appearances. First with Miroirs brûlants, which contrasted well with the Apollinaire settings and, to end the show, dressed in a very sexy bustier, complete with Boa, she told us the strange and sad tale of the lady from Monte Carlo who, having lost everything at the gaming tables, throws herself into the sea. Truth to tell, this isn’t really a song, it’s a true operatic scena and Fox acted, as well as sang, the piece. It was a dramatic end to a well planned and superbly executed recital.

Well, not quite the end for the three singers returned and, it must be said, hammed it up with a riotous performance of Nous voulons une petite soeur from the Quatre Chansons pour enfants (1934/1935).A good time was had by all – performers and audience alike.

Bob Briggs 

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