Poulenc: Complete Chamber Works

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This is an excellent, spirited two-CD set...A facotr that comes across clearly here is that Poulenc had a more or less infallible ear for tapping into the timbre and personality of different... — Gramophone Magazine, June 2012 More…

Release Date: 27th Feb 2012
Catalogue No: CHRCD028
Label: Champs Hill Records
Length: 2 hours 27 minutes

Gramophone Magazine

June 2012

Editor's Choice

Poulenc: Cello Sonata, Op. 143

Work length22:53

$4.00

$5.60

London Conchord Ensemble

I. Allegro - Tempo di Marcia

Track length5:56

$1.00

$1.40

II. Cavatine - Très calme

Track length6:35

$1.00

$1.40

III. Ballabile - Très animé et gai

Track length3:26

$1.00

$1.40

IV. Finale - Largo, tres librement - Presto subito - Largo

Track length6:56

$1.00

$1.40

Poulenc: Violin Sonata, FP 119

Work length17:19

$3.00

$4.20

London Conchord Ensemble

I. Allegro con fuoco

Track length6:23

$1.00

$1.40

II. Intermezzo - Très lent et calme

Track length5:39

$1.00

$1.40

III. Presto tragico - Strictement la double plus lent

Track length5:17

$1.00

$1.40

Poulenc: Flute Sonata, Op. 164

Work length11:30

$3.00

$4.20

London Conchord Ensemble

I. Allegretto malincolico

Track length4:08

$1.00

$1.40

II. Cantilena - Assez lent

Track length3:56

$1.00

$1.40

III. Presto giocoso

Track length3:26

$1.00

$1.40

Poulenc: Oboe Sonata, Op. 185

Work length13:05

$3.00

$4.20

London Conchord Ensemble

I. Elegie - Paisiblement

Track length5:02

$1.00

$1.40

II. Scherzo - Très animé

Track length3:55

$1.00

$1.40

III. Deploration - Très calme

Track length4:08

$1.00

$1.40

Poulenc: Clarinet Sonata, Op. 184

Work length13:53

$3.00

$4.20

London Conchord Ensemble

I. Allegro tristamente - Très calme - Tempo allegretto

Track length5:33

$1.00

$1.40

II. Romanza - Très calme

Track length5:01

$1.00

$1.40

III. Allegro con fuoco - Très animé

Track length3:19

$1.00

$1.40

Poulenc: Sextet for piano and wind quintet, Op. 100

Work length18:28

$3.50

$4.90

London Conchord Ensemble

Allegro vivace - Tres vite et emporté

Track length7:46

$1.50

$2.10

Divertissement - Andantino

Track length4:45

$1.00

$1.40

Finale - Presstisimo - Subito très lent

Track length5:57

$1.00

$1.40

Poulenc: Un Joueur de Flute Berce les Ruines for solo flute

Work length1:07

$1.00

$1.40

London Conchord Ensemble

Poulenc: Villanelle for Piccolo (pipe) and Piano: Modéré

Work length2:04

$1.00

$1.40

London Conchord Ensemble

Poulenc: Sonata for Horn, Trumpet & Trombone, Op. 33

Work length8:46

$3.00

$4.20

London Conchord Ensemble

Allegro moderato - Grazioso

Track length3:54

$1.00

$1.40

Andante - Très lent

Track length3:02

$1.00

$1.40

Rondeau - Animé

Track length1:50

$1.00

$1.40

Poulenc: Sarabande for Solo Guitar: Molto calmo e melanconico

Work length3:30

$1.00

$1.40

London Conchord Ensemble

Poulenc: Sonata for Two Clarinets, Op. 7

Work length6:23

$3.00

$4.20

London Conchord Ensemble

Presto

Track length1:50

$1.00

$1.40

Andante - Très lent

Track length2:37

$1.00

$1.40

Vif - Vite avec joie

Track length1:56

$1.00

$1.40

Poulenc: Sonata for Clarinet and Bassoon, Op. 32

Work length7:57

$3.00

$4.20

London Conchord Ensemble

Allegro - Très rythmé

Track length1:47

$1.00

$1.40

Romance - Andante très doux

Track length3:02

$1.00

$1.40

Finale - Très animé - Andante

Track length3:08

$1.00

$1.40

Poulenc: Elégie for horn and piano, Op. 168

Work length9:07

$1.50

$2.10

London Conchord Ensemble

Poulenc: Trio for piano, oboe and bassoon

Work length11:33

$3.00

$4.20

London Conchord Ensemble

Lent - Presto

Track length5:06

$1.00

$1.40

Andante con moto

Track length3:24

$1.00

$1.40

Rondo - Très vif

Track length3:03

$1.00

$1.40

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This new disc from the acclaimed London Concord Ensemble presents Francis Poulenc's complete chamber music on 2 CDs. This flexible ensemble of internationally recognised young soloists and chamber musicians has excelled in bringing works for unusual instrument combinations to the fore, including the chamber music of Ludwig Thuille on a recent Champs Hill release.

"The ensemble clicks perfectly, the playing seemingly effortless and a regard for precision never stifling the musicians' natural feeling for life and breath." BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE

The music traverses his career, from early works such as the Sonata for Two Clarinets of 1918, to the late Sonatas for Oboe and Clarinet. It reflects his compositional personality, from the mischievous wit of his early neo-classical phase, to the profundity of his last composition. His music for wind instruments is beloved of its performers; immensely idiomatic and exploiting the full strengths of each instrument.

"Nothing is further from human breath than the bowstroke." he wrote. But it's important not to overlook the importance of his other chamber music, for instance the Sonatas for Violin and Cello. The Sextet and Trio for Piano and winds are arguably the greatest written for their combination of instruments. The Trio was the first of his chamber pieces to use his own instrument, the piano, and was eventually completed in 1926 after some advice from Stravinsky (whose astringent woodwind writing he had emulated in his early works).

His Sextet required even more revisions, eventually reaching its current form in 1939. It is one of Poulenc's earliest works to show the influence of Prokofiev. After some false starts, he completed the Sonata for Violin and piano in 1942 and it was premiered in 1943 at the Salle Gaveau in Paris although some may argue that his Cello Sonata, completed in 1948, is altogether more successful. His moving memorial to the great English horn player Denis Brain is the Elégie of 1957 and includes a bleak lyrical central section which anticipates Poulenc's final choral work, Sept répos des ténèbres. The two final sonatas, for Clarinet (1962) and for Oboe (1962-3), were also written in memory of departed friends, to Honneger and to Prokofiev respectively.

Reviews

June 2012

This is an excellent, spirited two-CD set...A facotr that comes across clearly here is that Poulenc had a more or less infallible ear for tapping into the timbre and personality of different instruments...The London Conchord Ensemble mainfestly relish what Poulenc has to offer, playing with panache, wit and discreet sensitivity in performance that are a constant joy.

June 2012

This is an extremely enjoyable set of Poulenc's chamber music. It's certailny one of the best around...[recordings] are unobtrusively excellent, a lovely natural sound that gives this set an advantage over the two rival versions...In short, if you're looking for a fine set of Poulenc's chamber works in really engaging performances in very fine sound, this Champs Hill set is as good as any.

26th February 2012

No longueurs on these excellent discs: Poulenc’s invention is always sprightly, and the performers are vivified by it; though an outstanding item is the Elégie for Horn and Piano, in memory of Dennis Brain

19th February 2012

His work is no mere froth; there's a smoky, autumnal sadness to his harmonic writing, a lingering regret beneath the joie de vivre, particularly in the intimacy of his chamber music. The London Conchord Ensemble understand this completely, working their magic in the bittersweet sonatas...and romping through ensemble works large and small

Poulenc: Complete Chamber Works

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