Overview

Francis Poulenc (1899–1963) is widely acknowledged as one of the twentieth century's most significant masters of vocal music—solo, choral, and operatic—quite apart from his achievements in instrumental spheres. But what it cost him, and the determined bravery it took for his unusual talent to thrive, has always been underestimated. In this seminal biography, which will serve as the definitive guide to the songs, acclaimed collaborative pianist Graham Johnson shows that it is in Poulenc's extraordinary songs, and seeing how they fit into his life—his hidden sexuality, addiction, and all—that we discover the composer's essential artistic being. With Jeremy Sams's vibrant new song translations, the first in over forty years, and the insight that comes from a lifetime of performing this music, Johnson provides an essential volume for singers, pianists, listeners, and readers interested in the artistic milieu of modernism in the first half of the twentieth century.

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9781631495236

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Reviews

An incredibly detailed account of the work of the French composer.... A biography of--and paean to--Francis Poulenc (1899-1963).... There are numerous gems scattered throughout... What principally emerges, however, is Poulenc's undeniable brilliance as a pianist and composer as well as his work ethic and strength... Astonishing research and devotion will make this an enduring work of musical history and biography.--Kirkus Reviews [starred review] Graham has done it again! A wonderful and thorough biography of Poulenc. I urge all scholars and aficionados to get it!--Marilyn Horne Graham Johnson has produced a superbly written and compelling book that links the life and work of a major twentieth-century composer with imagination and nuance. Owing to Johnson's musicianship and graceful prose, readers will come away with a differentiated and inspiring sense of the man, the music, and the world of the mid-century.--Leon Botstein, president of Bard College and music director of the American Symphony Orchestra Johnson's love for the man and his music shines through this remarkable book. Revelatory, and indispensable not just for musicians but also for an understanding of mid-twentieth-century French culture.--Ian Bostridge, CBE This book is an extraordinary delight.... In prose as penetrating and illuminating as it is unfailingly elegant, we could not have a better guide to the fascinating world of Francis Poulenc. But an additional treasure here is that, threaded between Graham Johnson's lapidary paragraphs, we have all the poems Poulenc set, in dual-language versions--a gem collection of some of the greatest French poetry of the twentieth century. This is a book to dip into, to study, and to cherish.--Stephen Hough, pianist, composer, and writer This book is essential for all who love Poulenc's inimitable body of song and who cherish superb scholarship, superbly written. Where else can one find such summations of song in prose that is as enticing as the best novels? That vivid language is put in service of an account that will be the gold standard for a long time to come.--Susan Youens, author of Schubert's Late Lieder: Beyond the Song-Cycles

If ever such a book as this was needed, this is it. Graham Johnson's masterly study cannot be improved upon in terms of detail, musical understanding and thoroughgoing grasp of the subject. It is beautifully written, chock-full of apposite detail and is superbly illustrated... This wonderful and deeply original study will disabuse any who continue to underestimate Poulenc's genius. It is a major achievement by any benchmark... this outstanding volume deserves a place in any self-respecting musicians' library. -- Musical Opinion Admirably written, long-pondered and scrupulously researched... Johnson proves a marvellous guide to [Poulenc's songs'] various qualities and the contexts in which they emerged. -- Rupert Christiansen - Literary Review

Graham has done it again! A wonderful and thorough biography of Poulenc. I urge all scholars and aficionados to get it!--Marilyn Horne Graham Johnson has produced a superbly written and compelling book that links the life and work of a major twentieth-century composer with imagination and nuance. Owing to Johnson's musicianship and graceful prose, readers will come away with a differentiated and inspiring sense of the man, the music, and the world of the mid-century.--Leon Botstein, president of Bard College and music director of the American Symphony Orchestra Johnson's love for the man and his music shines through this remarkable book. Revelatory, and indispensable not just for musicians but also for an understanding of mid-twentieth-century French culture.--Ian Bostridge, CBE This book is an extraordinary delight.... In prose as penetrating and illuminating as it is unfailingly elegant, we could not have a better guide to the fascinating world of Francis Poulenc. But an additional treasure here is that, threaded between Graham Johnson's lapidary paragraphs, we have all the poems Poulenc set, in dual-language versions--a gem collection of some of the greatest French poetry of the twentieth century. This is a book to dip into, to study, and to cherish.--Stephen Hough, pianist, composer, and writer This book is essential for all who love Poulenc's inimitable body of song and who cherish superb scholarship, superbly written. Where else can one find such summations of song in prose that is as enticing as the best novels? That vivid language is put in service of an account that will be the gold standard for a long time to come.--Susan Youens, author of Schubert's Late Lieder: Beyond the Song-Cycles

Admirably written, long-pondered and scrupulously researched... Johnson proves a marvellous guide to [Poulenc's songs'] various qualities and the contexts in which they emerged. -- Rupert Christiansen - Literary Review ...an entertaining and learned new biography... [Johnson] has unparalleled practical knowledge of the terrain... [his] real concern is the music: [he is] convinced of its complexity, depth and importance... The translations (by Jeremy Sams ) also make this a valuable compendium, not to say a triumph of copyright clearance. -- Oliver Soden - The Observer ...an absolutely indispensable listening guide to the songs themselves, yet the wealth of information it contains gives us so much more. [This] marvellous book... sends you back to listen to Poulenc's music anew, with a greatly enriched understanding both of the man and his world. -- Tim Ashley - Gramophone ...a vital new book on the songs which are here placed ingeniously in the context of the composer's life... the definitive guide to Poulenc's melodies... -- Jon Tolansky - Classical Music If ever such a book as this was needed, this is it. Graham Johnson's masterly study cannot be improved upon in terms of detail, musical understanding and thoroughgoing grasp of the subject. It is beautifully written, chock-full of apposite detail and is superbly illustrated... This wonderful and deeply original study will disabuse any who continue to underestimate Poulenc's genius. It is a major achievement by any benchmark... this outstanding volume deserves a place in any self-respecting musicians' library. -- Musical Opinion And if Wagner sounds too daunting for Christmas, try Graham Johnson's Poulenc: The Life in the Songs which presents the 20th century's most loveable composer in terms that manage to be serious but entertaining - as you'd expect from someone with Johnson's unique authority as a performer, raconteur and scholar. Joyfully enlightening. -- Westminster Extra

Author Information

Graham Johnson is an award- winning pianist and senior professor of accompaniment at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. The author of Franz Schubert: The Complete Songs, he lives in London.

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