Starter Packs

Complete your collection with these curated titles, grouped at a special discount.

Shop Now
SOMM Recordings

Poulenc Plays Poulenc and Satie

$18.99

Details

Composer
Francis Poulenc, Erik Satie
Artist
Francis Poulenc, Jacques Fevrier, Orchestre National de la RTF, Orchestre des concerts Straram
Format
CD
Label
SOMM Recordings
Released
Jul 18, 2025
Catalog #
ARIADNE 5041
UPC
758871504126

About

SOMM Recordings highlights the pianistic mastery of Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963) with a release of extraordinary historic recordings including two of his four major concertante works and selected solo piano pieces. To mark the 100th anniversary of the death of Erik Satie (1866 - 1925), this recording also features Poulenc performing piano gems by Satie, whose distaste for academic routine and Romanticism had a profound influence on Poulenc and the other members of the ad hoc music group, Les Six. These performances, ranging from 1930 to 1950, have been brilliantly remastered by long-time SOMM collaborator, Lani Spahr, about whose work Gramophone has said, "There are historic releases that make the grade because they are just that - 'historic' - and there are releases that make history because they are musically overwhelming." This release opens with Poulenc's Concerto in D minor for two pianos and orchestra, commissioned by American-born heiress Princess Edmond de Polignac specifically to be premiered by the composer and his friend, Jacques Fevrier, at the International Festival of Contemporary Music in Venice in 1932. The vibrant colouration inherent in the piece was inspired by Balinese musicians whom Poulenc had heard at the Paris Colonial Exhibition of 1931. The performance heard here with Georges Pretre conducting the Orchestre National de France was recorded the year before Poulenc's sudden death, and again pairs Poulenc and Fevrier, thirty years after they created the world premiere. While on tour in New York during the winter of 1949 /1950, Poulenc recorded selections of his piano music along with twelve of his favourite compositions by Erik Satie. Poulenc's own music ranges from his earliest works, Trois mouvements perpetuelles, to the C major Nocturne from a set of eight, and the neo-classical Suite francaise of 1935-a homage to his 16th century compatriot, Claude Gervaise. Erik Satie was not as gifted a pianist as Poulenc, and his technical limitations largely confined his output to the shorter forms, particularly for piano, where his singular creative genius shone at it's brightest. Amongst some of Satie's deliberately absurd titles-like "Tyrolean Turk" and "Skinny Dance"-Poulenc also chose to record one each of Satie's exquisitely crafted Gymnopedie and Gnossienne. Aubade (Morning Song), a 1929 concerto for piano and chamber orchestra of eighteen instruments, is the final work on this release. It exists as both a Concerto choreographique, based on the Roman myth of the virgin huntress Diana, and also a concert version, as heard here. The positive response to Aubade led to a commercial recording with the Orchestre Straram conducted by Walther Straram, the 78rpm discs capturing Poulenc's only recording of this work.

Tracklist 34 tracks

  1. 1 I. Allegro ma non troppo 07:49
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro ma non troppo
    Duration
    07:49
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc, Jacques Fevrier
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de l'RTF
    Conductor
    Georges Prêtre
  2. 2 II. Larghetto 05:10
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Larghetto
    Duration
    05:10
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc, Jacques Fevrier
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de l'RTF
    Conductor
    Georges Prêtre
  3. 3 III. Finale: Allegro molto 05:53
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Finale: Allegro molto
    Duration
    05:53
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc, Jacques Fevrier
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de l'RTF
    Conductor
    Georges Prêtre
  4. 4 I. Assez modéré 01:14
    Track
    4
    Title
    I. Assez modéré
    Duration
    01:14
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
  5. 5 II. Tres modéré 01:12
    Track
    5
    Title
    II. Tres modéré
    Duration
    01:12
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
  6. 6 III. Alerte 02:32
    Track
    6
    Title
    III. Alerte
    Duration
    02:32
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
  7. 7 Nocturnes, FP 56: No. 1 in C Major 03:21
    Track
    7
    Title
    Nocturnes, FP 56: No. 1 in C Major
    Duration
    03:21
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
  8. 8 I. Bransle de Bourgogne 01:08
    Track
    8
    Title
    I. Bransle de Bourgogne
    Duration
    01:08
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
  9. 9 II. Pavane 02:55
    Track
    9
    Title
    II. Pavane
    Duration
    02:55
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
  10. 10 III. Petite marche militaire 01:00
    Track
    10
    Title
    III. Petite marche militaire
    Duration
    01:00
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
  11. 11 IV. Complainte 01:33
    Track
    11
    Title
    IV. Complainte
    Duration
    01:33
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
  12. 12 V. Bransle de Champagne 02:24
    Track
    12
    Title
    V. Bransle de Champagne
    Duration
    02:24
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
  13. 13 VI. Sicilienne 02:16
    Track
    13
    Title
    VI. Sicilienne
    Duration
    02:16
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
  14. 14 VII. Carillon 01:39
    Track
    14
    Title
    VII. Carillon
    Duration
    01:39
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
  15. 15 I. Sur un Vaisseau 01:26
    Track
    15
    Title
    I. Sur un Vaisseau
    Duration
    01:26
    Composer
    Erik Satie
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
  16. 16 II. Sur une Lanterne 01:35
    Track
    16
    Title
    II. Sur une Lanterne
    Duration
    01:35
    Composer
    Erik Satie
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
  17. 17 III. Sur un Casque 00:47
    Track
    17
    Title
    III. Sur un Casque
    Duration
    00:47
    Composer
    Erik Satie
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
  18. 18 3 Gymnopédies: No. 1. Lent et douloureux 02:54
    Track
    18
    Title
    3 Gymnopédies: No. 1. Lent et douloureux
    Duration
    02:54
    Composer
    Erik Satie
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
  19. 19 3 Sarabandes: Sarabande No. 2 03:46
    Track
    19
    Title
    3 Sarabandes: Sarabande No. 2
    Duration
    03:46
    Composer
    Erik Satie
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
  20. 20 3 Gnossiennes: Gnossienne No. 3 02:16
    Track
    20
    Title
    3 Gnossiennes: Gnossienne No. 3
    Duration
    02:16
    Composer
    Erik Satie
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
  21. 21 I. Idylle. Modéré, je vous prie 00:56
    Track
    21
    Title
    I. Idylle. Modéré, je vous prie
    Duration
    00:56
    Composer
    Erik Satie
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
  22. 22 II. Aubade. Pas vite 01:23
    Track
    22
    Title
    II. Aubade. Pas vite
    Duration
    01:23
    Composer
    Erik Satie
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
  23. 23 III. Méditation. Un peu vif 00:53
    Track
    23
    Title
    III. Méditation. Un peu vif
    Duration
    00:53
    Composer
    Erik Satie
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
  24. 24 I. Tyrolienne Turque 01:59
    Track
    24
    Title
    I. Tyrolienne Turque
    Duration
    01:59
    Composer
    Erik Satie
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
  25. 25 II. Danse maigre (a la manière de ces Messieurs) 01:37
    Track
    25
    Title
    II. Danse maigre (a la manière de ces Messieurs)
    Duration
    01:37
    Composer
    Erik Satie
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
  26. 26 III. Españaña 01:24
    Track
    26
    Title
    III. Españaña
    Duration
    01:24
    Composer
    Erik Satie
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
  27. 27 Toccata - 02:35
    Track
    27
    Title
    Toccata -
    Duration
    02:35
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
    Ensemble
    Orchestre des Concerts Straram
    Conductor
    Walther Straram
  28. 28 Recitatif: Introduction à la Variation de Diane - 00:47
    Track
    28
    Title
    Recitatif: Introduction à la Variation de Diane -
    Duration
    00:47
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
    Ensemble
    Orchestre des Concerts Straram
    Conductor
    Walther Straram
  29. 29 Rondeau: Diane et compagnes - Entrée de Diane - Sortie de Diane - 03:12
    Track
    29
    Title
    Rondeau: Diane et compagnes - Entrée de Diane - Sortie de Diane -
    Duration
    03:12
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
    Ensemble
    Orchestre des Concerts Straram
    Conductor
    Walther Straram
  30. 30 Presto: Toilette de Diane - 01:23
    Track
    30
    Title
    Presto: Toilette de Diane -
    Duration
    01:23
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
    Ensemble
    Orchestre des Concerts Straram
    Conductor
    Walther Straram
  31. 31 Récitatif: Les compagnes de Diane 01:52
    Track
    31
    Title
    Récitatif: Les compagnes de Diane
    Duration
    01:52
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
    Ensemble
    Orchestre des Concerts Straram
    Conductor
    Walther Straram
  32. 32 Andante: Variation de Diane - Allegro feroce: Désespoir de Diane - 03:14
    Track
    32
    Title
    Andante: Variation de Diane - Allegro feroce: Désespoir de Diane -
    Duration
    03:14
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
    Ensemble
    Orchestre des Concerts Straram
    Conductor
    Walther Straram
  33. 33 Allegro feroce: Désespoir de Diane 00:43
    Track
    33
    Title
    Allegro feroce: Désespoir de Diane
    Duration
    00:43
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
    Ensemble
    Orchestre des Concerts Straram
    Conductor
    Walther Straram
  34. 34 Conclusion: Adieux et départ de Diane 05:09
    Track
    34
    Title
    Conclusion: Adieux et départ de Diane
    Duration
    05:09
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Francis Poulenc
    Ensemble
    Orchestre des Concerts Straram
    Conductor
    Walther Straram