Poulenc Francis. Francis Poulenc: biography, interesting facts, video, creativity. Music for dramatic performances and films

Francis Poulenc is one of the most significant figures among French musicians of the past decade. He passed away quite recently, in 1963, and now it is still difficult to fully appreciate his versatile work, marked by a clearly expressed individual style. In the Soviet Union, interest in the composer's vocal, symphonic and piano works is very great; his music is also played by those who come on tour foreign performers, and our Soviet artists.

The outstanding Soviet pianist E. Gilels included Poulenc’s “Rural Concert” in his repertoire. The ensemble conducted by R. Barshai performed “Negro Rhapsody”. In the spring of 1966, in the Small Hall of the Conservatory, Adolf and Mikhail Gottlieb successfully performed piano sonata four hands; a recording of a concert for two pianos was made (played by L. Brook and M. Taimanov); there is a recording of Poulenc's violin and flute sonatas. The “French Suite” (conductor G. Rozhdestvensky) and “Morning Serenade” (conductor V. Kin, soloist L. Berman) were performed on the Soviet stage. Poulenc's works occupied a prominent place in concert programs during the French exhibition in Moscow, in Sokolniki Park.

But, perhaps, most of all, the Soviet listener fell in love with Francis Poulenc’s one-act lyrical opera-tragedy “The Human Voice” (In 1967, the Moscow publishing house “Music” published the score of the opera, calling it “The Human Voice”; the opera was performed on stage under the same name. It seems to us more correct to call the opera “The Human Voice”, which more accurately conveys the emotional coloring of the work.) performed in concert in the 1965/66 season from the stages of the Hall of Columns of the House of Unions, Great Hall Conservatory performed by N. Yureneva and G. Vishnevskaya. This opera was later staged at the Bolshoi Theater and continued to be performed in concert. Leningradskaya academic chapel introduced listeners to the cantata for double choir a cappella “The Human Face” to the words of Poll Eluard (the score was published in the USSR in 1965 with the Russian text by Vs. Rozhdestvensky). In the 1967 season, Honored Artist of the RSFSR A. Lapauri and choreographer of the Bolshoi Theater of the USSR O. Tarasova, based on the libretto they created, staged one-act ballet"I your name I’m writing..." in Odessa academic theater opera and ballet. The basis of the ballet was music Organ concert Francis Poulenc and the poems of Paul Eluard; this performance is dedicated to wrestling French people against the fascist invaders. Often performed in the USSR and chamber music vocal works Poulenc.

The composer lived and worked in difficult times. Poulenc is a contemporary of both world wars. He participated in the First World War as a soldier. Second world war he had to observe through the eyes of a resident of occupied Paris, through the eyes of an eyewitness to Nazi atrocities. One of the composer’s favorite poets, his friend Max Jacob, to whose words Poulenc wrote over fifteen songs, died in a concentration camp. Many of Poulenc's friends and his co-authors took the uncompromising path of struggle. Paul Eluard, the greatest poet of modern France, joined the Communist Party and joined the Resistance movement. Poulenc was not so decisive in his actions. But he did not remain just an inactive observer. Already a month after Colonel Rolle-Tanguy, on behalf of the Resistance fighters, and General Leclerc, on behalf of the Government of Free France, accepted the German surrender in Paris, Francis Poulenc’s exciting cantata “The Human Face” was heard on the radio - a solemn hymn to Freedom, which the composer had secretly prepared for day of liberation. Poulenc’s work, like a drop of water, reflected the events of the last half century French history: the sorrows of defeats and the joys of victories left their mark on him. Creative heritage the composer is largely heterogeneous and contradictory. For example, it is difficult for us to accept his religious tendencies and aspirations, but we admire Poulenc’s love of freedom, life-affirming, overflowing optimism and Gallic sparkling humor, mastery of a melodist.

The composer's chamber and vocal work earned him the fame of the “French Schubert.” The skill with which Poulenc musical means achieves maximum expressiveness of the text, emphasizing the slightest nuances human speech. The choice of libretto for Poulenc's major operatic works seems paradoxical at first glance; he chooses texts that are so seemingly unacceptable for this purpose that it sometimes seems incomprehensible how they could be set to music. This applies to the “Dialogues of the Carmelites”, and to the “Breasts of Tiresias”, and to the “Voice of Man”. In fact, it is in these operas that the composer’s unique talent is most clearly demonstrated. The words of Paul Eluard in a poem dedicated to Francis Poulenc look very indicative in this regard:

I didn’t know how to listen to myself, Francis, -
Thank you, Francis, from now on I can hear my voice..."

IN creative biography Poulenc can distinguish several distinct periods. In the twenties, during the existence of the “Six” - a group of young French musicians that included Honegger, Auric, Durey, Milhaud, Taillefer and Poulenc - the composer paid tribute to the fashionable trends of the post-war period. He is interested in eccentricity, music hall aesthetics, and the ideas of urbanism. A city dweller to the core, Poulenc draws his music almost entirely from the life of the city: the works of early Poulenc are rooted in the noisy crowd of streets and the serene silence of the labyrinthine alleys of Paris. In the thirties, a clearly defined turning point was outlined in Poulenc’s work. He has a tendency to vocal genre. The composer's works become much more serious and deep. In the second half of the thirties, Poulenc wrote his first works of a religious nature. During the years of occupation, patriotic motives appeared most clearly in his work. Finally, after the Second World War, we have before us a thoughtful, serious master with a broad outlook, capable of conveying deep human grief and enthusiastic love. Poulenc's works acquire the features of critical realism.

Francis Poulenc carried his music through all trials. As a young man, he absorbed the best traditions of French national music, a mature master - multiplied and developed them. Taking advantage figuratively French poet XVII century Théophile de Vio, I. I. Sollertinsky once said that Hector Berlioz was born under a “mad star.” It is difficult to say under what star Poulenc was born, but one thing can be stated with confidence: the star of his fame rose early and brightly illuminated his entire life and creative path.

“I admire a musician and a person who creates natural music that sets you apart from others. In the whirlpool of fashionable systems, dogmas that are trying to impose the mighty of the world Therefore, you remain yourself - a rare courage worthy of respect" - these words of Arthur Honegger can serve as the key to understanding the work of Francis Poulenc (Letter from Arthur Honegger to Francis Poulenc; quoted from the book: F. Poulenc. Correspondence, 1915-1963. Paris, 1967, p. 221.).

IN this work an attempt has been made to highlight the main stages creative path composer. Chapters three - seven are devoted to an analysis of its most significant works. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of such major works by Poulenc as the vocal cycle “Both Day and Night”, ballets “Lani”, “Morning Serenade”, cantatas “Drought” and “The Human Face”, operas “Dialogues of the Carmelites” and “The Human Voice” .

The author takes this opportunity to express gratitude to the staff of the Department of History foreign music Moscow State Conservatory, whose advice he had the opportunity to use throughout the work on the book. The author expresses deep gratitude to I.V. Nestiev and M.D. Sabinina. For the opportunity to get acquainted with rare sheet music, books, photographs, unpublished materials, recordings of some works, as well as for kind consultations, the author thanks F. Poulenc’s sister Madame J. Manso, the niece of the composer Madame J. Serange, the President of the International Music Council, Mr. V.M. Fedorov, French musicologists R. Hoffmann and J. Philip. For consultations in preparing translations of French texts and selecting literature, the author is grateful to the head. department foreign languages MOLGK im. P.I. Tchaikovsky G.B. Rabinovich and head. reading room Scientific library them. Taneyeva I.A. Adamova.

Poulenc was largely self-taught, although student years Instead of following his parents' strict orders regarding his education, he successfully used his free time to study piano and composition.

POULENC, FRANCIS (Poulenc, Francis) (1899–1963), French composer and pianist. Born January 7, 1899 in Paris. Poulenc was largely self-taught, although during his student years, rather than complying with his parents' strict orders regarding his education, he successfully used his free time to study piano and composition. Quite anti-romantic, he came under the influence of E. Satie and in the 1920s was a member of the famous French “Six”. Poulenc subsequently remained faithful aesthetic program this group and continued to compose good music, which, rejecting the excesses of the Wagner-Strauss era, cultivated simplicity, artlessness, used “music hall” motifs and often hid feelings under the guise of irony. Poulenc wrote a lot on the texts of contemporary poets (Cocteau, Eluard, Aragon, Apollinaire and Anouilh), as well as on the texts of the 16th century poet. Ronsard. Vocal cycles Poems of Ronsard (Pomes de Ronsard, 1924–1925) and Gallant festivities(Ftes galantes, 1943) – among the most common performed works composer. Poulenc was a first-class accompanist when performing his own vocal compositions. Poulenc's brilliant mastery of the piano was reflected in a number of Poulenc's pieces for this instrument, such as Perpetual motions(Mouvements perptuels, 1918) and Evenings in Nazelles (Soires de Nazelles, 1936). But Poulenc was not only a miniaturist. His legacy also includes works of large form - for example, Mass (1937), a witty concert for two pianos and orchestra (1932), Concerto for organ and orchestra (1938) and other successful choral and instrumental cycles. Poulenc also wrote music for theater, cinema, and ballet; composed two operas - The Breasts of Tiresias (Les Mamelles de Tirsias, 1944) and Dialogues of the Carmelites (Les Dialogues des Carmlites, 1957), as well as the mono-opera The Human Voice (La voix humaine, 1959). Poulenc died in Paris on January 30, 1963.

Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (January 7, 1899, Paris - January 30, 1963, Paris) - French composer, pianist, critic, the most prominent member of the French "Six". Comes from a wealthy and famous French bourgeois family manufacturers, in which they loved and appreciated art and contributed to the development of their son’s artistic inclinations. The atmosphere of prosperity, strong moral principles and long-standing cultural traditions that reigned in the friendly family determined Poulenc’s range of interests and worldview. Pupil of R. Vignes (ph.) and III. Köcklen (composition). Poulenc was largely self-taught, although during his student years, rather than complying with his parents' strict orders regarding his education, he successfully used his free time to study piano and composition. Francis Poulenc - Due to my poor health as a child, the need to receive a classical education, which my father insisted on, and, finally, due to my early departure to the front in 1918, my music studies were very uneven. When I was five years old, my mother put my fingers to the keyboard, but soon invited a lady to help her, whose name I have forgotten, and who impressed me much more with her huge sequined hats and gray dresses than with her very mediocre lessons. Fortunately, when I was eight years old, I was entrusted with daily lessons to Mademoiselle Boutet de Montviel, the niece of Cesar Franck, who had a very good school. Every evening after returning from the lyceum, I seriously studied with her for an hour, and when I had a few free minutes during the day, I ran to the piano and played from sight. The lack of technology did not prevent me from getting out of difficulties quite deftly and therefore already in 1913 - I was then fourteen years old - I could enjoy Schoenberg's "Six Little Pieces", Bartok's "Allegro Barbaro", everything that I could get my hands on by Stravinsky, Debussy and Ravel.

In the early 1920s. member of the creative community "Six". Subsequently, Poulenc remained faithful to the aesthetic program of this group and continued to compose good music that cultivated simplicity, artlessness, used “music hall” motifs and often hid feeling under the guise of irony. Poulenc wrote a lot on the texts of contemporary poets (Cocteau, Eluard, Aragon, Apollinaire and Anouilh), as well as on the texts of the 16th century poet. Ronsard. The vocal cycles Poems of Ronsard (1924–1925) and Gallant Celebrations (1943) are among the composer's most frequently performed works. Poulenc was a first-class accompanist when performing his own vocal compositions. Poulenc's brilliant mastery of the piano was reflected in a number of Poulenc's plays for this instrument, such as Perpetual Movements (1918) and Evenings at Nazelle (1936). But Poulenc was not only a miniaturist. His legacy also includes works of large form - for example, Mass (1937), a witty concert for two pianos and orchestra (1932), Concerto for organ and orchestra (1938) and other successful choral and instrumental cycles. Poulenc also wrote music for theater, cinema, and ballet; composed two operas - The Breasts of Tiresia (1944) and Dialogues of the Carmelites (1957), as well as the mono-opera The Human Voice (1959).

He was influenced by E. Chabrier, I. F. Stravinsky, E. Satie, C. Debussy, M. Ravel, Sergei Prokofiev, and gave presentations on the work of Mussorgsky. The period when Francis Poulenc was in the group “Six” is the most striking in his life and work, at the same time laying the foundations for his popularity and professional career.

Beginning in 1933, he performed extensively as an accompanist with the singer Pierre Bernac, the first performer of many of Poulenc's vocal works.

During the Second World War he was a member of the Resistance movement. Having done a lot for the development of opera in France, Poulenc at the same time willingly worked in other genres - from sacred music and ballet to instrumental and vocal plays of an entertaining nature. Poulenc's music is distinguished by subtle melodicism, inventive instrumentation, and elegance of form. Among the composer's main works are 4 operas (the best of them is “The Human Voice” based on the monodrama by J. Cocteau, 1958), 3 ballets, Concerto for soloists. with orchestra, patriotic cantata “The Human Face” (to lyrics by P. Eluard, 1943), “Rural Concert” for cymbal and orchestra, Concerto for organ with orchestra, over 160 songs based on poems by famous French poets, many chamber music instrumental ensembles, etc.

P. wrote in different. genres (php., voc., chamber-instrumental op.). He took part in the collective works of the composers "Six" (dance divertissement "Newlyweds on the Eiffel Tower" - "Les mariés de la Tour Eiffel", 1921). The first large production P. - ballet "Lani" (1923, commissioned by S. P. Diaghilev for the Russian Ballet troupe). In his work, P. evolved from entertaining, perky ("Negro Rhapsody", 1917), sometimes shallow in content op. to significant themes, dramas. and tragic. by the nature of the works. The composer paid great attention to melody; For the richness and beauty of the cantilena, he is called in his homeland the “French Schubert.” Based on the traditions of the French. adv. songfulness, he also developed the principles of music. prosody of K. Debussy and vocal-declamatory methods of M. P. Mussorgsky. P. has repeatedly spoken about the influence of the latter’s music on him: “I tirelessly play and replay Mussorgsky. It’s incredible how much I owe to him.” All of P.'s best wok finds. and orc. music is concentrated in his three operas: the buffoonish “Breasts of Tiresias” (based on the play by G. Apollinaire, 1944), the tragic “Dialogues of the Carmelites” (based on J. Bernanos, 1953-56) and the lyrical-psychological “The Human Voice” (based on the monodrama by J. Cocteau, 1958). Great place in creativity. P.'s heritage is occupied by a chamber-vok. prod. (st. 160 songs based on words by Apollinaire, P. Eluard, M. Jacob, L. Aragon, Cocteau, R. Desnos, etc.). His music based on contemporary poetry. French poets are closely connected with the text, the composer relies on phonetics. the sound of poetry and a new, “uninhibited” rhythm. He managed to overcome the deliberate illogicality and eccentricity of surrealism. poems and turn them into harmonious music. form. Into his wok. miniatures and choir. Civil themes were also reflected in the music. During the years of fascist occupation, P. wrote a patriotic. cantata “The Human Face” (on lyrics by Eluard, 1943, secretly published), in which the coming freedom was prophetically glorified and contempt for the conquerors was expressed. P.'s sacred music (mass, Stabat Mater, Gloria, motets, etc.) is not limited to the narrow world of religions. images; there is no archaization and cultivation of the church. psalmody, Gregorian chant, and a wide range of aria-songs and recitations are used. intonation. A lyricist composer by nature, P. brings lyricism to sacred music as well. Remaining preem. within the stylistic norms of the tonal system, P. sought to develop harmonic means. It is characterized by an appeal to folk and archaic modes, the enrichment of modal diatonics, and the complication of chords of the tertian structure with alterations and additional tones. Deeply national composer, P. entered the history of music as a progressive artist and exponent of humanism. ideals of his era. His contribution to opera art is especially significant.

Essays: operas - Breasts of Tiresia (opera buffa, 1944, post. 1947, stage "Opera Comique", Paris), Dialogues of the Carmelites (1953-56, post. 57, stage "La Scala", Milan and "Grand -Opera, Paris), The Human Voice (lyrical tragedy in one act, 1958, post. 1959, Opera Comique, Paris); ballets - Lani (ballet with singing, 1923, post. 1924, Russian Ballet troupe, Monte Carlo), Morning Serenade (choreographic concert for piano and 18 instruments, 1929, post. 1930, "Theater of the Champs-Elysees", Paris), Exemplary Animals (Les animaux modiles, after J. Lafontaine, 1941, post. 1942, "Grand Opera", Paris); for soloists, choir and orchestra. - cantata Drought (on poems by E. James, 1937), Stabat Mater (1950), Gloria (1959), Sept Répons des ténibres (for soprano (children's voice), children's and men's choirs, 1961); for orc. - symphonietta (1947), suites, etc.; concerts with orchestra - Rural concert for harpsichord (with small orchestra, 1928, dedicated to V. Landovskaya), for organ, strings. orc. and timpani (1938), for 2 fp. (1932), for FP. (1949); for fp. - Continuous movements (1918), 5 intermezzos (1920-21), Walks (1924), French suite (1935; themes from the collection of dances by the 16th century composer C. Gervaise were used), 8 nocturnes (1929-38), 15 improvisations (1932-59), etc.; chamber instruments ensembles; choirs with instruments resistance - Litany to the Black Mother of God (for women’s or children’s choir and organ or string orchestra, 1936); a cappella choirs - 7 choirs on poems by G. Apollinaire and P. Eluard (1936), Mass in G major (1937), cantata The Human Face (on poems by Eluard, for double mixed choir, 1943), 8 French. songs on ancient folklore texts (1945); for voice with orc. - Secular cantata Ball in Masquerade (to the text of M. Jacob, for baritone or mezzo-soprano and chamber orchestra, 1932), Peasant Songs (to the verses of M. Fombeur, 1942); for voice with instrument ensemble - Negro Rhapsody (for baritone, 1917), Bestiary (6 songs on poems by Apollinaire, 1919), Cockades (3 songs on poems by J. Cocteau, for tenor, 1919); for voice with FP. - romances based on poems by Eluard, Apollinaire, F. Garcia Lorca, Jacob, L. Aragon, R. Desnos; music for dramas. t-ra, cinema, etc.

I composed my first religious work, “The Litany of the Black Botome of Rocamadour.”

What composers influenced you as a musician in your youth?

F.P. - I answer without hesitation - Chabrier, Satie, Ravel and Stravinsky.

S.O.-Which composers do you love more than others?

F.P. -I love Monteverdi, Scarlatti, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Weber, Verdi, Mussorgsky, Debussy, Ravel, Bartok and so on.

I need to work in solitude to collect my thoughts. That is why I cannot work in Paris and, on the contrary, I feel great in a hotel room if there is a piano there. With all this, I need to have a joyful, cheerful landscape before my eyes - I am very prone to melancholy, and the visual impression can throw me off balance. My best working hours are mornings. After seven o'clock in the evening, with the exception of concert activities, I am not fit for anything. But getting to work at six in the morning is a joy for me. As I already told you, I work a lot at the piano, like Debussy, Stravinsky and many others. Contrary to what people usually think of me, I work hard. My drafts - a kind of strange musical shorthand - are full of erasures. Each melodic thought arises in me in a certain key, and I can present it (for the first time, of course) only in this key. If I add to this that I found the least bad of all my music between eleven o'clock in the morning and noon, then I think I have told you everything.

In his work, the combination of tenderness and irony is one of the charming features of his lyrics. Poulenc has the talent (or maybe the art?) to easily communicate with people of different social classes. His music is also “social”, directly perceived by a wide variety of listeners. From the very first steps, Poulenc combined his composing activities with his performing ones, but unlike many of his contemporaries, he did not immediately decide to make his thoughts about music public. Only in adulthood and not without hesitation does the composer begin to share his views in articles, books and on the radio in carefully prepared conversations, which were then turned into books, which, however, retained the original form of a relaxed exchange of thoughts with an inquisitive interlocutor. Poulenc first appeared in print in 1941 with a short memoir article entitled “The Heart of Maurice Ravel” (1941, I).

In a similar vein, the article “In Memory of Bela Bartok” (1955) was written in 1955. And the tone of remembrance prevails in it, although Poulenc had little contact with Bartok, but was often present at his concerts and admired him as a pianist and composer. Poulenc’s article “ Piano music Erik Satie" (1932), in which he explains what exactly was the power of Satie's innovation and the secret of its impact on young people in the 40s and 20s. The article “Prokofiev's Piano Music” is quite well known in our country, as it has been published several times. In it, Poulenc examines Prokofiev's works as a composer and pianist, identifies the features of Prokofiev's unique originality and expresses his admiration for him. The most extensive among the articles is the essay “Music and Russian Ballet of Sergei Diaghilev” (1960). In it, Poulenc mobilized all his memories of personal communication with Diaghilev and his troupe and, with amazing impartiality, stated the enormous significance that Diaghilev’s work and his personal impact on French musicians had for French musical art.

The most significant work in musicology is Poulenc's monograph on Emmanuel Chabrier (1961). It is intended for a wide and at the same time enlightened reader; its goal is to protect Chabrier, unfairly forgotten and underestimated in his historical role. The book is written vividly, passionately and simply, although behind this simplicity lies an exhaustive knowledge of Chabrier's heritage and his environment, a careful selection of facts, the boldness of analogies and comparisons, and the accuracy of assessments. The text is replete with many subtle and insightful remarks about the themes of Chabrier’s works, about his style, the nature of his language, about the bold interpretation of genre and folk principles, about Chabrier’s successive connections with Ravel and with modern musicians, among whom he mentions himself as a “musical grandson.” Chabrier. Of greatest interest are his two books, which arose from conversations, and the “Diary of My Songs”, posthumously published by friends, occupies a very special place. Back in 1954, Poulenc’s book “Conversations with Claude Rostand” was published, which is a recording of conversations heard in a series of broadcasts of the French National Radio and Television from October 1953 to April 1954. Conversations of this kind with various prominent figures have become a new common form of telling stories about oneself and one’s business. Thus, in 1952, “Conversations of Darius Milhaud with Claude Rostand” appeared, and among the later ones, “Conversations of Olivier Messiaen with Claude Samuel” (1967) should be mentioned. A whole series of books published by the Conquistador publishing house takes the form of conversations or stories about oneself. In “Conversations with Claude Rostand” Poulenc talks about his childhood, teachers, friends, his creative formation and the history of the creation of his works, his artistic tastes and philosophical views.

Ten years later, Poulenc returned to this form of communication with the audience, preparing a series of programs at the suggestion of Radio Switzerland in the form of conversations with the young musicologist Stéphane Audel. Their recording did not take place due to the sudden death of the composer. These conversations turned into the book “Me and My Friends,” prepared for publication by Odel.

In the initial recordings, Poulenc returns to his first experiments in the vocal genre, dating back to 1918; and then, while composing songs, he writes down his thoughts about them along the way. Poulenc writes about poetry, the choice of poems and the difficulties that arise in their musical embodiment, about the genre of vocal lyrics, about the features of chamber vocal performance, about the indispensable condition of equality and interpenetration between the vocal and piano principles, about the requirements he places on the performers of his songs, about the best and worst their performers. More than once he mentions the name of the singer Pierre Bernac, considering him an ideal performer not only of his “songs, but also of many other, primarily French composers. Poulenc dedicated “The Diary of My Songs” to Bernac. The composer and singer had a long-term creative friendship - 25 years of joint concert performances, which played an important role in musical life that time. According to many critics, their ideal duet contributed to the widespread acquaintance of many countries around the world with French vocal music at all stages of its development, as well as with the vocal works of Schubert, Schumann, Wolf and Beethoven.

Poulenc intended his “Diary” primarily for performers. He calls the considerations he expresses, based on his rich personal experience, advice that are undoubtedly essential for every artist. Poulenc gives interesting, subtle instructions on the details of performance - word articulation, vocal intonation, pedaling, rhythm, tempo, texture, the role of piano introductions and conclusions mainly in his songs. The close creative friendship that arose between Poulenc and the poets is noteworthy. Max Jacob calls young Poulenc his favorite musician. Paul Eluard was the first to send him his poems for review. Cocteau and Aragon introduce him to their new works.

songs based on their poems occupy a significant place among his vocal compositions. But the composer devotes an equally significant place in his vocal lyrics to Guillaume Apollinaire. At different periods, Poulenc found poems diametrically opposed in content from Apollinaire: the playful aphorisms of “Bestiary” (1918) and the nostalgia of “Montparnasse” (1945), the daring eccentricities of “Breasts” Theresia" (1947) and the mournful bitterness of "Cornflower" (1939).

The name of Francis Poulenc is associated with the "Great Hill", a beautiful house built in the 18th century, where everything was so thoughtfully landscaped, comfortable and cozy. Poulenc found peace and quiet in this house, which was conducive to his work.

“Big Hill” leans against a low, rocky mountain, carved by ancient, deep caves that may have once been inhabited by people. The large windows of the house open onto a terrace overlooking the French park. WITH right side- a greenhouse that serves as a summer dining room, on the left are century-old linden trees, providing shade and coolness on hot days, and right in front of the terrace is a lower garden with vegetable beds, a vineyard that produces light golden wine, and, most importantly, flowers, an abundance of flowers .

The interior decoration of the house reflected the impeccable taste of its owner. Every piece of furniture, every painting, every trinket was carefully selected and placed in such a way that the whole created the impression of complete harmony. The rich library with many books on art and rare publications was in no way inferior to the discotheque, the diversity of which testified to Poulenc’s eclecticism.

A large office, where there was a piano and a grand piano next to it, lined with photographs of friends, was decorated with a huge fireplace. When evening came, the logs were burning in it, crackling merrily. Vocal and orchestral sounds flowed from the electric player, and Francis, sank into a deep armchair, followed the scores of the operas of Verdi, Puccini, symphonies of Mahler, Hindemith, concerts of Bartok, de Falla, Debussy, Chabrier (his dear Chabrier!), Mussorgsky, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, works of Viennese dodecaphonists.

Poulenc subordinated his days to a fixed schedule. A man of order in everything, he kept books, scores, collections of photographs, autographs, and letters just as neatly placed in their places as he strictly observed the hours devoted to work. Rising early in the morning, after a light breakfast of toast with jam and tea, Francis Poulenc locked himself in his office. Turning his back to the windows through which the sun streamed in, he worked at the table or at the piano. From my room I could hear him playing chords, starting a musical phrase, changing it, repeating it tirelessly - and so on until a sudden deep silence indicated that, having approached his bureau, he was writing something. on music paper or scrapes off what did not satisfy him with a knife with a blade half worn off from constant use.

This hard work lasted until breakfast. Then Francis went up to his room, quickly performed his toilet, and from that moment devoted himself to friendship. Dressed in tweed and flannel, like a true gentleman on his estate, he checked that all the vases were filled with magnificent bouquets. He composed them himself with an art that the most sophisticated florist could envy.

I love only real aristocrats and ordinary people,” he once admitted to me. He should have added: and my friends, but it was so obvious to him that he did not even consider it necessary to mention it. There was no friendship more faithful, more constant, than the friendship of this great egocentric. From the moment Francis bestowed his friendship, it remained unchanged forever. He showed his friendly attitude wherever he was, regardless of his work and the responsibilities imposed on him by fame. His friends received news from him from America, England, Italy or any other country where his concert performances or concerts in which his works were performed were called. Poulenc never forgot to inform his friends about his plans, was interested in their plans, invited them a month in advance to breakfast in his Parisian apartment, from the windows of which the entire Luxembourg Gardens were visible. Correspondence was an urgent need for him, an obligation from which he did not try to evade. He devoted the afternoon to her, having first paid tribute to breakfast, which for this lover of good food was sure to be tasty and plentiful. On fine days, coffee, and later tea, was drunk on the terrace, where a harmonious landscape spread out before our eyes, marked, so to speak, by purely Cartesian clarity and balance. There was no talk of walking; Poulenc did not recognize them. In return, he enjoyed funny stories, social and theatrical gossip, and travel memories. How many times did he ask me about South America, where I had to live for quite a long time, although I had absolutely no intention of going there. He stated: “Once I was on a concert tour around North Africa. This exoticism is quite enough for me!”

Human voice(fr. "La voix humaine" listen)) is a one-act opera for one performer, music by Francis Poulencand libretto by Jean Cocteau, based on his 1932 play. The first production took place in Paris at the Opéra-Comique on February 6, 1959. Poulenc wrote operas for Denise Duval, a French soprano, and the premiere was conducted by Georges Prêtre.

February 17, 1959 First performance in Russia - concert, conducted by G. Rozhdestvensky, 1965; theatrical premiere: Moscow, Grand Theatre, June 28, 1965, with the participation of G. Vishnevskaya.

“The Human Voice” is a musical monodrama. A woman left by her lover talks to him on the phone for the last time. She is alone on stage. The remarks of her interlocutor are not audible, and the listener can guess about them from the heroine’s reaction. The entire action consists of her large dialogue with her absent partner, a dialogue embodied in the form of a dramatic monologue. There is no external action in the opera; everything is focused on revealing the internal drama. An expressive vocal part, in which the melody flexibly conveys the shades of the heroine’s feelings and state of mind, and the orchestra, rich in timbres, reveal the theme of a woman’s suffering, her longing for happiness.

Poulenc's opera is a work of high humanism and dramatic power. She enters concert repertoire many outstanding singers. One of the last productions was in 1992 at the Edinburgh Festival (soloist - E. Söderström).

History of creation

A year after the premiere of the opera “Dialogues of the Carmelites,” which in 1957 was a huge success in several cities in Europe and America, Poulenc, at that time one of the most authoritative composers of the 20th century, began creating his last opera, which became the crown of his operatic creativity. He again turned to the work of Jean Cocteau (1889-1963), a fruitful collaboration with whom began exactly forty years ago. Cocteau - writer, artist, theater figure, screenwriter and film director, member of the French Academy - was one of the most interesting figures in French art of the first half of the 20th century. Many experiments in the field of poetry, painting, and ballet are associated with his name. In the early 1920s, he wrote a libretto for Diaghilev’s troupe, and was friends with Stravinsky, Satie, Picasso, and the young members of the Six. Honegger wrote the opera Antigone based on his text, and Orik wrote the ballet Phaedra based on his libretto. Poulenc turned to Cocteau's work for the first time back in 1919, when he wrote three songs based on his poems common name"Cockades". In 1921, he created the music for the comedy-buffe by Cocteau and Radigueu “The Misunderstood Gendarme”; in the same year, together with other members of the “Six”, he composed the music for Cocteau’s play “The Newlyweds from the Eiffel Tower”.

The idea for the last opera arose spontaneously. Poulenc, together with the representative of the famous Italian publishing house Ricordi in Paris, Hervé Dugardin, was at one of the performances given in Paris by the troupe of the Milanese Da Scala Theater. The composer saw how, as the evening continued, the legendary Maria Callas gradually pushed her partners into the background. At the end of the performance, she already went out alone to the public's calls, as the only heroine. Dugardin, impressed by this phenomenon, immediately suggested that Poulenc write an opera for one performer based on the plot of Cocteau’s monodrama “The Human Voice.” Later, in an interview with Musical America magazine, the composer humorously remarked: “Perhaps the publisher was thinking about the time when Callas would quarrel with all the performers so much that no one would want to perform with her. And then an opera with one character will be suitable for a magnificent, but too capricious soprano.” However, the opera was not created for Callas. The heroine was supposed to be the French singer Denise Duval. “If I had not met her, and if she had not entered my life, The Human Voice would never have been written,” the composer continued in the interview. The monodrama is dedicated to the eternal female tragedy - the betrayal of a loved one. Is not special case. Cocteau emphasizes the generality of the image by not giving his heroine a name. The whole play consists of telephone conversation with a lover who is getting married to someone else tomorrow. “The only role of the “Human Voice” should be played by a young, elegant woman. It's about not about an elderly woman abandoned by her lover,” Poulenc emphasizes in the preface to the score. The play is full of reticence: it seems that the telephone is the only thing that still connects the abandoned woman with life; when the tube falls out of her hands, she falls herself. And it's unclear whether she's losing consciousness in despair, or whether this last conversation is literally killing her, or maybe she's taken poison before the phone rings.

In gratitude for the suggested plot, Poulenc dedicated the opera to Desi and Hervé Dugardin. The premiere of "The Human Voice" took place on February 8, 1958 at the Paris Opera Comic Theater. Sung by Denise Duvall. The famous critic Bernard Gavoti wrote about her: “How many musicians, starting with Debussy, spoke the same soul-grabbing language, just as passionate and restrained, just as ordinary? Recitative for 45 minutes against a backdrop of colorful harmony - and that's it. Rich music, truthful in the nakedness of its feelings, beating on the continuous rhythm of the human heart.<...>Alone in an empty room, like an animal in a locked cage<...>Nightmare-ridden, wide-eyed, approaching the inevitable, pathetic and superbly simple, Denise Duval has found the role of her life.” After the brilliant success in Paris, the opera, defined by the author as a lyrical tragedy in one act, was performed in the same performance and with the same success in Milan. Over the following years, she conquered many stages around the world.

07 January 1899 - 30 January 1963

French composer, pianist, critic, most prominent member of the French Six

Poulenc's youth coincided with the years of the First World War. He was drafted into the army, this prevented him from entering the conservatory. However, on music scene Poulenc appeared early in Paris. In 1917, the eighteen-year-old composer made his debut at one of the concerts new music Negro Rhapsody for baritone and instrumental ensemble. This work was such a resounding success that Poulenc immediately became a celebrity.

Inspired by success, Poulenc, following the Negro Rhapsody, creates the vocal cycle Bestiary (based on the verses of Guillaume Apollinaire), Cockades (based on the verses of Jean Cocteau); piano pieces Perpetual Motions, Walks; choreographic concert for piano and orchestra Morning Serenade; a ballet with Lani singing, staged in 1924 in the enterprise of Sergei Diaghilev. Milhaud responded to this production with an enthusiastic article:

Here is what Poulenc himself said about this time a quarter of a century later:

Beginning in 1933, he performed extensively as an accompanist with the singer Pierre Bernac, the first performer of many of Poulenc's vocal works. During World War II he participated in the Resistance movement.

He was buried in the Père Lachaise cemetery.

Music

The composer's legacy consists of about 150 works. Its greatest artistic value is vocal music- operas, cantatas, choral cycles, songs, the best of which were written to poems by P. Eluard. It was in these genres that Poulenc's generous gift as a melodist was truly revealed. His melodies, like the melodies of Mozart, Schubert, Chopin, combine disarming simplicity, subtlety and psychological depth, serve as an expression human soul. It was this melodic charm that ensured the long and enduring success of Poulenc's music in France and beyond.

Poulenc entered the history of music as a member of the creative community “Six”. In the Six - the youngest, barely over the threshold of twenty years - he immediately won authority and universal love with his talent - original, lively, spontaneous, as well as purely human qualities - immeasurable humor, kindness and sincerity, and most importantly - the ability to bestow people with his extraordinary friendship .

The period when Francis Poulenc was in the group “Six” is the brightest in his life and work, which at the same time laid the foundations for his popularity and professional career. Here is what Poulenc himself said about this time a quarter of a century later:

Poulenc in Russia

Essays

• Operas “Breasts Theresia” (1947), “Dialogues of the Carmelites” (1957), “The Human Voice” (1959).
• Ballets “Lani” (French Les Biches; 1924, it would be more accurate to translate “Goats” or “Cuties”, since we are talking about frivolous girls), “Exemplary Animals” (1942).
• Cantatas “Stabat mater” (1950), “Drought”, “The Human Face” (1943), “Masquerade Ball”,
• Negro Rhapsody for piano, flute, clarinet, string quartet and voices (1917).
• Two marches and an interlude for chamber orchestra (1938).
• Two intermezzos for piano (1934) No. 1 (C-dur) No. 2 (Des-dur)
• Concerts: “Morning Serenade”, concert-ballet for piano and 18 instruments (1929), Country concert for harpsichord and orchestra (1938), Concerto for 2 pianos and orchestra (1932), Concerto for organ, string orchestra and timpani (1938).
• Vocal cycles “Bestiary” to poems by Apollinaire and “Cockades” to poems by Cocteau (1919), Five Romances to poems by Ronsard, Mischievous Songs, etc.
• Mass Gloria
• Masquerade ball. Secular cantata for baritone and chamber orchestra
• Sonata for two clarinets (1918)
• Sonata for clarinet and bassoon (1922)
• Sonata for horn, trumpet and trombone (1922)

Francis Poulenc is a French composer of the 20th century. He was in creative association“Six” was the youngest participant in it. His talent was lively and spontaneous, which made the composer a favorite of the public and colleagues. He was also distinguished by excellent human qualities: honesty, an excellent sense of humor, openness, and the ability to make selfless friends.

Poulenc's father was a major industrial figure, and his mother was a musician. She began to teach little Francis music and instilled in him a love for beauty. It was to her that he owed his acquaintance with creativity greatest composers: , . After fifteen years, the Spanish pianist Ricardo Vignes and the French composer Charles Ququelin took up his studies. Thanks to two masters, Poulenc became familiar with musical creativity of his time, works, and. During the First World War, Poulenc served in the army and was unable to enter the conservatory. However, immediately after the end of the war, his star shone brightly on the musical horizon of Paris. As an eighteen-year-old boy, he won the hearts of listeners by playing “Negro Rhapsody” (1917) at a concert. This contributed to his creative growth. Following "Negro Rhapsody" are created vocal loops“Bestiary” and “Cockades” (1919), plays “Perpetual Motions” (1918), “Walks” (1924), piano concerto “Morning Serenade” (1929), ballet “Lani” (1924). The latter's production met with incredible critical acclaim.

It should be noted that even early works The composer's works were distinguished by their refined musical taste and close connection with Parisian songs.

In the 1930s, the composer began a twenty-year collaboration with singer Pierre Bernac. Together they gave concerts in Europe and America, Poulenc accompanied the performer who sang works written by him.

Poulenc also created choral works based on religious texts: “Litanies to Our Lady of Rocamadour Black” (1936), “Four Little Prayers of St. Francis of Assisi” (1948). A few years later they were created Stabatmater(1950), Four Christmas Motets, cantata Gloria. In these works, different in style, traditions and trends can be traced choral music different eras.

During World War II, the composer did not leave the capital and shared with the Parisians their fate of living in a besieged city. At this time, he created the cantata “The Human Face” (1943) based on the poems of the underground poet of the Resistance Paul Eluard, which reflected the hope for victory and freedom of people, suffering about fate native land, grief over the fate of the native people.

Poulenc expressed his talent in opera art. The first opera, “Breasts Theresia,” written in 1944 to a text by Guillaume Apollinaire, is distinguished by its sparkling humor, in contrast to the two subsequent works, “Dialogues of the Carmelites” (1953) and “” (1958). These are dramas filled with deep psychologism. She performed the title role in all three operas French singer Denise Duval, whose talent admired the composer.

Before his unexpected death, while actively touring, Poulenc wrote a Sonata for clarinet and piano and a Sonata for oboe and piano.

In total, the composer created about one hundred and fifty works, among which vocal music stands out the most. It is distinguished by simplicity and melody, depth and soulfulness. Francis Poulenc is still famous in France and throughout the world.

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