Poulenc: The Life in the Songs [Hardcover]

Francis Poulenc (18991963) is widely acknowledged as one of the twentieth centurys most significant masters of vocal music solo, choral, and operatic quite apart from his achievements in instrumental spheres. But what it cost him, and the determined bravery it took for his unusual talent to thrive, has always been underestimated. In this seminal biography, which will serve as the definitive guide to the songs, acclaimed collaborative pianist Graham Johnson shows that it is in Poulencs extraordinary songs, and seeing how they fit into his life which included crippling guilt on account of his sexuality that we discover?Poulenc heart and soul. With Jeremy Samss vibrant new song translations, the first in over forty years, and the insight that comes from a lifetime of performing this music, Johnson provides an essential volume for singers, pianists, listeners, and readers interested in the artistic milieu of modernism in the first half of the twentieth century.One of the greatest modernist composers comes alive in this illuminating biography, a must-have for musicians and music-lovers alike. An incredibly detailed account of the work of the French composer.... A biography ofand paean toFrancis Poulenc (1899-1963).... There are numerous gems scattered throughout... What principally emerges, however, is Poulencs undeniable brilliance as a pianist and composer as well as his work ethic and strength... Astonishing research and devotion will make this an enduring work of musical history and biography. Graham Johnson has produced a superbly written and compellingbook that links the life and work of a major twentieth-century composer withimagination and nuance. Owing to Johnsons musicianship and graceful prose, readers will come away with a differentiated andinspiring sense of the man, the music, and the world of the mid-century. This book is essential for all who love Poulencs inimitable body of song and who cherish superb scholarship, superbly written. Where el“