Tír Na HiFi

Poulenc, oh dear! There lies another big gap in my collection. I don't have any recordings of his music and have often pondered on getting this set, do you know it? If so do you have an opinion on it?



http://www.amazon.fr/Poulenc-Concertos- ... enc+dutoit

earlier this morning.....

Seán wrote:Poulenc, oh dear! There lies another big gap in my collection. I don't have any recordings of his music and have often pondered on getting this set, do you know it? If so do you have an opinion on it?



http://www.amazon.fr/Poulenc-Concertos- ... enc+dutoit

I have some but not all of this recordings, any way Dutoit is a sound and reliable conductor for this music and with opulent DECCA sound I don't see why it should not be recommended. Pascal Rogé too is a Poulenc specialist.

Jose Echenique wrote:

Seán wrote:Poulenc, oh dear! There lies another big gap in my collection. I don't have any recordings of his music and have often pondered on getting this set, do you know it? If so do you have an opinion on it?



http://www.amazon.fr/Poulenc-Concertos- ... enc+dutoit

I have some but not all of this recordings, any way Dutoit is a sound and reliable conductor for this music and with opulent DECCA sound I don't see why it should not be recommended. Pascal Rogé too is a Poulenc specialist.

The advice that I would offer is to listen to some of Poulenc's music on Youtube if you have not already done so Seán. As I have mentioned his sound world may not be to everyone's taste. That set seems like a good one for the bigger works, containing the concertos, the Stabat Mater and the Gloria. It also contains the very modern harpsichord concerto Concert Champetre which quite a lot of people dislike from what I have read but it depends on how it is played and recorded in my humble opinion. It must say however that for me Poulenc shines brightest in his chamber music which is very beguiling.
Best of luck with your venture Seán.

Jose Echenique wrote: I love Poulenc, no wonder mostly his operas, but everything he wrote is sophisticated, imaginative and French chic. His Stabat Mater for soprano is hauntingly beautiful, and his organ concerto and 2 pianos concerto hugely enjoyable. Also his songs, so urbane and elegant are lovely.
By the way, did you know Fergus that Poulenc was probably the wealthiest composer who ever lived?
Not because of royalties but because he was heir to the gigantic Rhone-Poulenc Pharmaceuticals. In fact he was outrageously rich.

I did not know that Pepe. Perhaps the freedom that his wealth brought him was the reason that he was able to write the type music that he wrote. He seems like an interesting person to research which I should do as I know nothing of his personal details; I simply enjoy his chamber music quite a lot at the moment.

DaveF wrote:

Is that a good version Dave? I have Haitink performing it with the Concertgebouw Orchestra which I like.

Beautiful singing from René Jacobs.

I have the above record both on both vinyl and CD. I cannot say categorically that Jussi Bjoerling is my favourite tenor because I do not know nor have I heard enough tenors to make such a claim. However, I love his voice finding it very pleasant and easy to listen to. The above is a lovely compilation of duets principally from Verdi and Puccini operas and all are wonderfully sung. Listening to "Au fond du temple saint" from Bizet's "The Pearl Fishers" reminds me that I have not listened to that work in quite a while and I must do so again soon.

Although Dialogues de Carmelites is Poulenc´s greatest opera, even his greatest masterpiece, I´m extremely fond of this little gem of an opera, it´s the closest you can get to a 20th Century Rossini: funny, chaotic, rebellious , provocative and very chic.
There´s a classic 1950´s recording in EMI in mono with Poulenc´s favorite soprano, Denise Duval, but this Japanese recording with Barbara Bonney and Wolfgang Holzmair is superb too.

Like others around here Beethoven would never be far from my playlist. I have recently listened to a set of his complete piano trios and today's offering is the Mass in C major....





This is a fine work and the above is a good version.