Like many of his keyboard works, it mingles the light, urbane character of 18th-century French keyboard music with 20th-century harmonies. 9. Poulenc studied with the composer and teacher Charles Koechlin from 1921 to 1924. Despite achieving fame, Poulenc continued to learn music, studying under composer Charles Koechlin between 1921 and 1924. His mother, Jenny Royer, is from a family of artisans whose Parisian roots date back several generations. Other widely performed works by Poulenc were the Sextet for piano and wind quintet (1930–32), Organ Concerto (1938), and Oboe Sonata (1962). In 1914, while continuing his studies at Lycée Condorcet, Poulenc began to take piano lessons from Ricardo Viñes, studying under him until 1918. Viñes taught him contemporary music of Debussy, Stravinsky and Satie. Composed in 1929 as a ballet, it was also premiered as a ballet on June 18. He was a member of a pious Roman Catholic family from Espalion in the département of Aveyron. His father, Emile Poulenc, born in 1855, is an industrialist from the Aveyron region who, with his two brothers, runs a chemical factory. After teaching Poulenc for three years, his mother took him to a professional piano teacher called Mlle Melon in 1907. In her memory, he wrote 'Épitaphe', which according to pianist Graham Johnson was "a profound song in every sense”. Versatile composer whose works included art song, solo piano, chamber, oratorio, choral, opera, ballet, and orchestral. Although he monetarily supported Marie-Ange and made her the principal beneficiary of his will, he never revealed his paternity to her, preferring to be known as her godfather. We will update this article. Born: Jan 7, 1899 Died: Jan 30, 1963 Five facts: • Poulenc was born into a rich family of pharmaceutical manufacturers. His father Émile Poulenc was a Roman Catholic from Espalion. While his earlier works were light-hearted, he now wrote a number of somber pieces, composing many scores based on liturgy and religious themes. During the 1930s Poulenc wrote many religious works, including Litanies à la Vierge Noire de Rocomadour (1936), Mass in G Major (1937), and Stabat Mater (1951). Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc was a noted French composer and pianist who was known for his mélodies, operas, choral pieces, piano works and ballets. Francis Poulenc (7 January 1899 in Paris – 30 January 1963 in Paris) was a French composer. He wrote a few more pieces; but they got either lost or destroyed. The piece was premiered on April 10 by Ricardo Viñes in the Paris Conservatory. Poulenc went on his first tour to Great Britain with Bernac in 1938. As the 1920s progressed, he continued to churn out music, composing song cycles ‘Poèmes de Ronsard’ in 1924 and ‘Chansons gaillardes’ in 1926. He composed music in many different forms: song, chamber music, oratorio, opera, ballet music and orchestral music. The duo remained close friends until Poulenc’s death. Francis Poulenc's height is Unknown & weight is Not Available now. He composed music in many different forms: song, chamber music, oratorio, opera, ballet music and orchestral music. His mother was a fine pianist, and Francis began lessons at the age of 5. Jenny Poulenc was from a Parisian family with wide artistic interests. His ballet Les Biches (English title The Houseparty) was produced by Serge Diaghilev in 1924. Search for Francis Poulenc on your computer and the topic that turns up most often is Les Six.Poulenc was a member of this influential group of young avant garde composers that flourished in the artistic hothouse that was Paris after World War I. Paris in those years was the city of Picasso, Stravinsky, Serge Diaghilev and James Joyce. On 30 January 1963, Poulenc suffered a fatal heart attack and died in his home near Jardin du Luxembourg. “You have changed my life, you are the sunshine of my thirty years, a reason for living and for working.” This is how Francis Poulenc openly inscribed the score to his Concert champêtre, a work that is dedicated to the painter Richard Chanlaire. French composer Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) Example: Clarinet Sonata (excerpt) 3’05” Francis Poulenc is one of the best- known French composers of the Modern period. His father, Emile Poulenc, and his two brothers headed a chemical-pharmaceutical plant. In the same year, he completed ‘Le Bestiaire’, a song cycle based on Guillaume Apollinaire’s poem; and ‘Cocardes’, inspired from Jean Cocteau’s works. Mention the name Francis Poulenc and the image of a musical wiseacre is summoned up. Concurrently, he also continued to write light musical pieces like ‘Tel jour, telle nuit’, a song cycle based on the poems of the surrealist poet Paul Éluard. He was born in France towards the end of the 19th century into a well-to-do family. Premiered in January 1924 in Monte Carlo and in May in Paris, it was an instant success, becoming one of his best-known works. In 1945, he visited England and completed an opéra bouffe called ‘Les mamelles de Tirésias’. He served as a typist for the air force before he was released in January 1921. After being demobilized in 1940, Francis Poulenc returned home to write ‘L'Histoire de Babar, le petit éléphant’, ‘Cello Sonata’, ‘Les Animaux modèles’ and ‘Banalités’. Francis Poulenc height 3 Feet 9 Inches (Approx) & weight 335 lbs (151.9 kg) (Approx.). The relation between them was rather complex, with paternal feelings being part of the equation. His second lover was a bisexual man called Raymond Destouches, whom he met in the early 1930s. It was based on a play written by Guillaume Apollinaire and was premiered in Paris on 3 June 1947. Émile and his two brothers were joint owners of Poulenc Frères, a successful manufacturer of industrial chemicals. In 1930, Francis Poulenc returned to writing music. In January 1918, during the First World War, Poulenc was conscripted in the French Army. Why does Francis Poulenc come, for many, so far down the roll of honour of 20th-century French composers, below Debussy, below Ravel, below Messiaen, perhaps even below Fauré and Boulez? His Concert champêtre for harpsichord (or piano) and orchestra (1928) was written at the suggestion of harpsichordist Wanda Landowska. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. He was buried at Père Lachaise Cemetery, where his grave continues to be an attraction for the music lovers. There followed more than 100 songs, chiefly on poems by Apollinaire (e.g., “Banalités,” 1940), and Paul Éluard (e.g., “Tel jour, telle nuit,” 1937). Francis Poulenc, (born Jan. 7, 1899, Paris, France—died Jan. 30, 1963, Paris), composer who made an important contribution to French music in the decades after World War I and whose songs are considered among the best composed during the 20th century. Émile was also passionate about art … His father Émile Poulenc was a Roman Catholic from Espalion. Versatile composer whose works included art song, solo piano, chamber, oratorio, choral, opera, ballet, and orchestral. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Francis-Poulenc, Naxos Records - Biography of Francis Poulenc, Undiscovered Scotland - Biography of Alexander Selkirk, Classical Net - Biography of Francis Poulenc, Francis Poulenc - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). His first compositions—Rapsodie Nègre (1917), Trois Mouvements Perpétuels, for piano, and Sonata for Piano Duet (1918) and his settings of Guillaume Apollinaire’s poem Le Bestiaire and Jean Cocteau’s Cocardes (1919)—were witty pieces with streaks of impudent parody. In the early 1920s, Poulenc’s fame, both as a composer and performer, began to spread beyond France, especially in England. He participated in the French resistance movement during World War II. Sometime between 1914 and 1918, he met avant-garde poets like Guillaume Apollinaire, Max Jacob, Paul Éluard, Louis Aragon; and composers like Georges Auric, Erik Satie and Darius Milhaud. He was one of the group of six composers who became known as Les Six. Cherished as a masterpiece by critics, the composition is believed to be his best work. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership. Despite this, he proposed to his friend Raymonde Linossier, who rejected his proposal. While writing both vocal and instrumental music, he reached another landmark in his career when his ‘Sonata for clarinet and bassoon’ became one of the first musical pieces to be broadcast on television in 1932. ‘Les Six’ was formally launched in January 1920. His position as a known homosexual made his pro-French anti-German performances during the Nazi occupation of France all the more impressive as similarl… Inheriting artistic and musical inclinations from his parents, he started learning music at the age of five and decided to become a composer when he turned 14. As a child he learned music from other members of his wealthy family. Francis began learning piano from his mother in January 1904 while also deriving considerable artistic stimulus by eavesdropping on his mother’s chats with her brother Marcel Royal. Among his first compositions were Rapsodie nègre (1917) for voice and ensemble, Trois mouvements perpétuels (1918) for piano, and a … Concurrently, he continued to write music, completing ‘Dialogues des Carmélite’ in 1956. In the same year, Poulenc composed ‘Processional pour la crémation d'un mandarin’ for solo piano. One of his major works was ‘Aubade’, a choreographic concerto for piano and 18 instruments. Francis Poulenc (Composer) Born: January 7, 1899 - Paris, France. January’s composer of the month is Francois Poulenc. Poulenc. However, his style changed remarkably. In January of the same year, his long-time friend Raymonde Linossier passed away all of a sudden, leaving him devastated. As a homosexual musician, he was in a vulnerable position; and yet, he showed his defiance to the German occupation through his music. Also Known As: Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc, See the events in life of Francis Poulenc in Chronological Order. Poulenc’s teacher in the 1910s was the pianist Ricardo Viñes, renowned as a champion of the music of Debussy and Ravel. He finished it sometime in 1928, and it was premiered on May 3, 1929 at the Salle Pleyel in Paris under the baton of Pierre Monteux, with Landowska playing the solo part. Corrections? https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/francis-poulenc-467.php, Top NBA Players With No Championship Rings, Celebrities Who Look Beautiful Even Without Makeup. His mother was a fine pianist, and Francis began lessons at the age of 5. Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc was born on 7 January 1899 in Paris. He was discharged from the army on 18 July 1940. Francis Poulenc belonged to the 1890s generation, a generation whose education was cut short by WWI, who often participated on the periphery of this first global conflict but experienced loss; they were the youth of the 1920s who helped to shape the image of the apparently carefree and secular Années folles, which masked the trauma, search for spirituality, quest for formal order … Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The period between 1914 and 1918 was very tough for Poulenc, as he lost his mother in 1915 and father in 1917. It is believed that ‘Déploration’, the last movement of ‘Oboe Sonata’, is the last piece he wrote before his death. In February 1919, Poulenc’s composition ‘Trois Mouvements Perpétuels’ was performed by Ricardo Viñes and became quite popular, making the young pianist justly famous. Poulenc was largely self-taught. The piece, played by Reginald Kell and Gilbert Vinter, was broadcast by BBC. With the onset of the Second World War, he was conscripted into the army on 2 June 1940, serving in an anti-aircraft unit at Bordeaux. Satie formed the ‘Group of Six’ or ‘Les Six’ in 1919. His songs, which range from parody to tragedy, are admired for their lyricism and for their sensitive integration of vocal line and accompaniment. Ernest Newman, noted music critic from England, wrote in 1921 that Poulenc was likely to become a magnificent composer, and that he was a musician to watch out for. She possessed excellent technique and under her supervision, he started practicing piano for one hour every afternoon after lycée (school). The same year saw him writing three more songs; 'Trois poèmes de Louise Lalanne', 'Quatre poèmes de Guillaume Apollinaire' and 'Cinq poèmes de Max Jacob'. His mother supported his ambition and agreed to let him enroll in the Paris Conservatory, but his father refused, insisting that he finish his general education first. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. He was famous for being a Composer. Shortly after the Second World War, he had a brief affair with a woman called Fréderique Lebedeff, and fathered a daughter named Marie-Ange with her. Meanwhile in 1923, he was commissioned by Serge Diaghilev, the founder-director of Ballets Russell, to write a full-length ballet score. He chose to create a modern version of the classical French fête galante, writing ‘Les biches’. The brilliant French composer, Francis (Jean Marcel) Poulenc, was born into a wealthy family of pharmaceutical manufacturers. Jenny Poulenc, Francis’s mother, who sang and played the piano, arranged for him to have piano lessons when he was five. In the same year, the violent death of his fellow composer Pierre-Octave Ferroud reawakened his religious faith, prompting him to contemplate the frailty of human life. In the late 1940s, he had a new partner, a travelling salesman named Lucien Roubert. But due to his father’s opposition, he could not join the Paris Conservatory; and instead, he started taking lessons from Ricardo Viñes. Later he studied with Ricardo Vines, a friend of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel who had played the first performances of much of their piano music. Compact Disc 1 — Métamorphoses (Songs 1931–1963) Women and children first! His music is easy to enjoy at first hearing: it is much simpler than the music of many other … Omissions? In 1937, he wrote his first major liturgical work ‘Mass in G major for soprano and mixed choir a cappella’. The Gloria by Francis Poulenc, FP 177, scored for soprano solo, large orchestra, and chorus, is a setting of the Gloria text from the mass ordinary. Émile Poulenc was a joint owner of Poulenc Frères, a successful manufacturer of pharmaceuticals (later Rhône-Poulenc). He composed his song cycles Poèmes de Ronsard and Chansons gaillardes in 1924 and 1926. Francis Poulenc, (born Jan. 7, 1899, Paris, France—died Jan. 30, 1963, Paris), composer who made an important contribution to French music in the decades after World War I and whose songs are considered among the best composed during the 20th century. He died at the age of 63, leaving a rich legacy behind him. The other unique source is Poulenc’s diary (JdmM), in which one can find data on the origins of the songs, interesting facts, technical and performance advice, and private reflections. In 1907, he was first exposed to contemporary music when he heard Claude Debussy’s ‘Danse sacrée et danse profane’. Very soon, they jointly published ‘L'Album des Six’, an album of piano pieces, and ‘Suite en 3 mouvements in C major’ was Poulenc’s contribution to it. In the postwar period, his military duties became lighter, giving him enough time to compose music. Published: 1945 (age 45-46) Revised: 1939 (age 39-40) Dedication: à Georges Salles. In the 1920s he began an affair with the painter Richard Chanlaire which lasted until 1931. Died: January 30, 1963 - Paris, France. Who Is The Greatest Female Warrior In History? Francis Poulenc was born in Paris to a family that was artistic, musical, and affluent. His last works are thought to be 'Sonate pour hautbois et piano de Poulenc' (Oboe Sonata) and 'Sonate pour clarinette et piano' (Clarinet Sonata), both written in 1962. Poulenc was largely self-taught. Francis Poulenc was born in France on January 7, 1899. Who is Francis Poulenc Dating? Versatile composer whose works included art song, solo piano, chamber, oratorio, choral, opera, ballet, and orchestral. Émile was also passionate about art and music. Right now we don't know about body measurements. 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