Paris, France

January 7, 1899

A French composer of many forms, including choral and vocal music, opera, piano, and orchestral works. Poulenc was described by one of his friends as "moitié moine, moitié voyou" (half monk, half guttersnipe), which seems to fit his distinct type of musical composition. The Concerto for Organ, Strings & Tympani in g and the Gloria for Soprano, Orchestra & Chorus in G are heroic and often lovely; together with his famous opera, Dialog of the Carmélites, they reflect his religious bent with dramatic gestures and clear French melodic lines. The ballet music Les biches is an example of his humor, which verges on triviality but never really falls into it. And there are works that fall somewhere in the middle, like the wonderful Sonata for Two Pianos and the Concert champêtre (1929), written for harpsichordist Wanda Landowska. ~ Blue Gene Tyranny