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Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Francis Poulenc - Mélodies (Michel Piquemal; Christine Lajarrige)


Information

Composer: Francis Poulenc
  • Banalités
  • Montparnasse
  • Rosemonde
  • Bleuet
  • Quatre poèmes d'Apollinaire
  • Tel jour telle nuit
  • Chansons gaillardes
  • C'est ainsi que tu es
  • C
  • Dernier poème
  • Priez pour paix
  • Chansons villageoises

Michel Piquemal, baritone
Christine Lajarrige, piano

Date: 2000
Label: Naxos

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Review

The performers on this disc are new to me and given that the programme notes provided with my copy are completely in French I am none the wiser as to their credentials (it is at times like this that you regret not taking languages more seriously at school!!!!**). However one is immediately struck by the fact that Piquemal has a strong voice, demonstrating excellent contrast with clear diction, even in the more fleeting songs some of which demand considerable vocal dexterity! He is ably accompanied by Christine Lajarrige who again plays with a firm tone but demonstrates considerable sensitivity when required.

The songs set poems by several poets who were particularly important to the composer notably Guillaume Apollinaire and Paul Eluard and are logically (though not chronologically) arranged on the disc with the Apollinaire settings grouped together at the beginning. Of these the two cycles Banalités and Quatre poèmes de Guillaume Apollinaire are separated by three individual settings, Montparnasse, Rosemonde and Bleuet. If any evidence is needed of the sheer variety of expression which Poulenc poured into these delightful songs compare the languid sensuality of Rosemonde (track 7) with the fleeting quirkiness of Avant le Cinema or 1904 ( tracks 11 and 12) from the Quatre poèmes de Guillaume Apollinaire. By his own admission the composer was very much at home in this repertoire. I found the Apollinaire cycle Banalités a particular delight ranging from the almost cabaret-like fun of Voyage à Paris (track 4) to the beautifully wistful setting of Sanglots (track 5) which whilst being unquestionably Poulenc bears fleeting Ravellian reminiscences.

The Eluard cycle which follows is a complete contrast, fundamentally more serious stylistically and demonstrating a different side to the composer's nature. Once again Piquemal sings with sensitivity and passion, notably in the third song Une herbe pauvre which is particularly beautiful.

Of the remaining settings the cycle Chansons gaillardes is the odd one out in that it uses anonymous seventeenth century texts but these little gems (the longest of the eight comes in at only 2:31, the shortest a mere 0:39) are simply wonderful. From the opening La maitresse volage, which utilises a lively folk-like melody through the stately Invocation aux Parques to the rumbustiously cheeky Couplets bachiques Piquemal sings with impressive contrast and, where required, humour.

This is a disc to which I will return regularly. Poulenc's wide ranging settings are a delight in themselves but even more so when given the excellent advocacy they receive here by a singer who clearly relishes every nuance and revels in the subtleties of his native language. At budget price this disc is a must for Poulenc devotees but will also give much enjoyment to a wider audience. Recommended.

-- Christopher Thomas

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Francis Poulenc (7 January 1899 – 30 January 1963) was a French composer and pianist. He was one of a group of young composers known collectively as Les Six. His compositions include songs, solo piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, operas, ballets, and orchestral concert music. Among the best-known are the ballet Les biches (1923), the Concert champêtre (1928), and the Organ Concerto (1938). In addition to his work as a composer, Poulenc was an accomplished pianist. He toured in Europe and America with the baritone Pierre Bernac and the soprano Denise Duval, and made a number of recordings.

***

Michel Piquemal (born 15 April 1947) is a French conductor. He studied at the Boulogne Conservatory and the Mozarteum in Salzburg, as well as with Pierre Bernac and Denise Duval. In 1978 he founded his own choral group, the Ensemble Vocal Michel Piquemal. From 1985 to 1994, he taught at the Conservatoire de Paris. His discography is rich and diversified, and he always seek to discover or rediscover works from the repertoire of forgotten classical music. He has recorded both as a baritone and with his various formations. Piquemal has also been invited to conduct many national and international orchestras.

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