Poster Francis Poulenc and Wanda Landowska
Francis Poulenc and his friend and colleague, Wanda Landowska, circa 1930.
Bibliotheque nationale de France

Francis Poulenc: 'Somebody who spread wit and happiness'

Learning to Listen: The life and music of Francis Poulenc

"Everybody who remembers Poulenc remembers him fondly, as somebody who spread wit and happiness wherever he went," says Terry Blain, our special guest on this week's Learning to Listen.

Terry Blain
Music journalist Terry Blain
provided photo

Blain is a music journalist who has written and spoken extensively about French composer Francis Poulenc. On this week's Learning to Listen, Blain takes us through the compositional phases of Poulenc and teaches us a bit more about Poulenc's life and music.

Program Playlist

Poulenc / Nocturne No. 1 / Francis Poulenc, piano / EMI 55036

Poulenc / Trois mouvements perpetuels, 1st movement / Francis Poulenc, piano / EMI 55036

Poulenc / Les Biches: Rondeau / National Orchestra of France / Charles Dutoit / London/Decca 452937

Poulenc / Suite Française / London Wind Orchestra / Denis Wick / ASV 2067

Poulenc / excerpt: Litanites à la vierge noire / Westminster Singers / City of London Sinfonia / Virgin 59286

Poulenc / excerpt: Organ Concerto / BBC Philharmonic / Yan Pascal Tortelier / Ian Tracey, organ / Chandos 9271

Poulenc / Clarinet Sonata, 2nd mvmt Romanza / Maurita Murphy Marx, clarinet / Alan Huckleberry, piano / MSR 1540

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