Classical

Francis Poulenc - Concert Champêtre for piano & orch. (Gilels) [1962]

2009-10-25T13:47:28Z

Francis Poulenc - Concert Champêtre for piano & orch. (Gilels) [1962]


1. Adagio – Allegro molto
2. Andante
3. Finale. Presto tres gai

Emil Gilels, piano
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
Kiril Kondrashin - conductor

Having already established himself as a musical rebel by the age of 18, Poulenc paid no homage to the Germanic tradition still prevalent in French music in his early years but instead crafted clever, unique works which remind some listeners of a sort of French Prokofiev. A mere ten years later, Poulenc, in response to a personal suggestion from the great harpsichordist Wanda Landowska, began composing a rustic concerto for harpsichord and orchestra. It turned out not only was this his first true work in the concerto form, it was, except for his early ballet Les Biches, his first large-scale orchestral work. Because Landowska performed on a specially made, modern, and more powerful harpsichord, the work sets soloist against orchestra on a grand scale. In fact, the orchestra is a large one with full brass and percussion sections and it is only Poulenc's skillful scoring which preserves the textural balance. Also -- because the piece was created with the great Landowska in mind -- it is difficult in the extreme. The result of all this is a fiery three-movement work which sandwiches turns of Baroque-like ornamentalism in between twentieth century riffs to marvelous effect. The work is in fact a delightful study in contrasts. Passages in major and minor modes alternate and the delicate texture of the harpsichord splashes across great, slashing brass chords and amid the thunder of percussion. Even the setting and inspiration for the piece are somewhat contradictory: A self proclaimed city dweller, Poulenc's idea of a rustic setting included mostly the outskirts and near environs of Paris, and the military flourishes and fanfares in the outer movements seem to be an allusion to a French army camp situated near Landowska's forest retreat. The first movement, a sprawling Allegro molto, opens with tootling in the woodwinds and a fanfare in the horns. The harpsichord provides a plaintive introduction and then launches into a jaunty main theme. During the course of this, it fends off thunder from the tympani and more fanfares and even some marching from the brass. Eventually the solo instrument once again gently reasserts itself, restates a minor variant of the main theme, this time at half speed, and after enduring yet another fanfare from the horns, repeats the theme in its original form and ends the movement. The Andante begins simply enough with a soft major melody from the strings and after a transitional passage from the harpsichord, this melody appears twice more with the harpsichord soloist acting only as accompanist. The solo instrument opens the finale by itself with a brisk march and maintains control throughout, stepping aside only to allow punctuation from the percussion and a few more brass fanfares. After the recapitulation, the harpsichord turns to a quiet coda and ends the piece, not with a crash but more like one turning out the light and leaving the room. While not among Poulenc's most mature works, the concerto is top-drawer and satisfying in every respect. ---Michael Morrison, Rovi

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Francis Poulenc - Mass in G; Un Soir de neige' Litanies... (2017)

2017-09-08T13:54:44Z

Francis Poulenc - Mass in G; Un Soir de neige' Litanies... (2017)


1	Salve regina 	4.30

Quatre motets pour un temps de pénitence 
2	Timor et tremor 	2.44
3	Vinea mea electa 	3.28
4	Tenebrae factae sunt 		3.59
5	Tristis est anima mea 		3.19

6 	 Litanies à la Vierge Noire	8.38

Quatre motets pour le temps de Noël 
7	O magnum mysterium 		3.44
8	Quem vidistis pastores 		2.28
9	Videntes stellam 	2.47
10	Hodie Christus natus est 	2.11

Un soir de neige 
11	De grandes cuillers de neige 	1.23
12	La bonne neige 		1.34
13	Bois meurtri 	2.25
14	La nuit le froid la solitude  	1.06

15	Ave verum corpus	2.31

Mass in G 
16	Kyrie 	3.15
17	Gloria 	3.52
18	Sanctus 	2.30
19	Benedictus 	3.25
20	Agnus Dei 	4.50

The Sixteen
Harry Christophers – conductor

The sacred music of Francis Poulenc would seem somewhat off the regular path of the popular British choir The Sixteen, but in a recording of the cantata Figure humaine and again with the present selection of sacred choral works, they show themselves to be sensitive and skillful Poulenc interpreters. On one hand this isn't a surprise: Poulenc drew on the Renaissance repertoire that is The Sixteen's bread and butter. They can deliver the clean lines and the vocal homogeneity that the basic style demands. But this is not neo-Renaissance music; it has a numinous, radiant quality and communicates the feeling that it was directly shaped by Poulenc's own experiences. This is where The Sixteen excel: they convey a sense of commitment to the music, and their readings are unique. Sample the "O magnum mysterium." There are dozens of recordings of this piece, beloved by school choirs in several countries, but Sixteen director Harry Christophers here shapes a flowing reading that's faster than usual and uniquely suits the transcendent quality of the text. The Mass in G is perfectly controlled, but somehow radiant. Christophers' engineering staff delivers superior results in London's Church of St. Alban the Martyr, and the package as a whole offers uniquely satisfying results even for those who already have plenty of Poulenc, or plenty of The Sixteen. ---James Manheim, allmusic.com

Francis Poulenc is considered one of the greatest melodists of the 20th century but it is his individual and immediately recognisable harmonic language that makes his music so distinctive. Often overlooked in his lifetime and in the years after his death, his sacred music was an expression of his more serious side and, following the death of his close friend, Pierre-Octave Ferroud, a re-awakening of his religious faith. The Sixteen’s new recording centres round the themes of conflict and atonement, reflecting both Poulenc’s intense internal struggles and the turbulence of life in France during the mid-20th century.

In 2017 The Sixteen’s Choral Pilgrimage tour entitled ‘The Olive Branch’ featuring music from Poulenc and Palestrina will visit 32 towns and cities across the UK including London, Oxford, Cambridge, York, Manchester, Cardiff and Edinburgh.

The Sixteen’s first recording devoted to Poulenc in over 20 years features some of the composer’s most beautiful and striking sacred works including the Mass in G, the Quatre motets pour un temps de pénitence and the Litanies à la Vierge Noire. ---challengerecords.com

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Francis Poulenc – Aubade (1964)

2009-10-25T13:48:54Z

Francis Poulenc – Aubade (1964)


00:00 - 1. Toccata (lento e pesante)
02:53 - 2. Récitatif I (larghetto)
04:50 - 3. Rondeau (allegro)
07:50 - 4. Presto
09:21 - 5. Récitatif II (larghetto)
11:43 - 6. Andante (andante con moto)
14:51 - 7. Allegro féroce
15:32 - 8. Conclusion (adagio)

Jacques Février (piano)
Concerts Lamoureux Orchestra
Serge Baudo  - conductor

Poulenc's Aubade is a curious if charming blend of piano concerto, ballet, and chamber salon piece. The work's unconventional makeup and manageable scale were in some part determined by its origins: It was commissioned by Poulenc's friends (and noted patrons and salon hosts) Marie-Laure and Charles de Noailles. A concert version was premiered December 1, 1929 in the couple's townhouse, followed by a full stage version on January 21, 1930.

Aubade is segmented into eight movements: Toccata, Récitatif, Rondeau, Presto, Récitatif, Andante, Allegro féroce, and Conclusion (Adagio). Given its hybrid structure, it is less a strict piano concerto than a modern cousin to Rameau's opéra-ballets in the galant style. That said, Poulenc fashioned his musical materials with great care and sophistication, blending themes which borrow from such sources as Stravinsky's Le Sacre du printemps and Petrushka, as well as Mozart's keyboard works. Poulenc also incorporates two melodies from earlier minor piano works -- a Sérénade from Trois pièces (1928) and the Première nocturne (1929) -- which serve to unify the various strands of Aubade. The music alternates between Stravinskian percussiveness and Mozartean lyricism, at the same time incorporating several brass fanfares, gracious eighteenth century rondos and moments of Lisztian grandiosity.

Poulenc described Aubade as "amphibious," implying that the role of protagonist is more or less shared between the onstage woman dancer and the pianist in the orchestra pit. The ballet is a series of tableaux said to be inspired by paintings from the École de Fontainebleau. At the work's center is Diana, the mythological huntress, who finds herself "burning with a love that consumes her purity." Awaking at dawn in the forest of Fontainebleau, she is dressed by her woman friends. Condemned to chastity and despondent over an impure love, she dances a variation, clasping to her breast a bow her friends had given her. Suddenly, she throws the bow away and darts into the woods.

The choreographer for the Paris production was George Balanchine, who ignored Poulenc's plot for the dance, introducing a handsome, muscular dancer to portray Actéon in a pas de deux with Diana. The composer complained that Aubade was to be exclusively "a woman's ballet," but Balanchine ultimately had his way. The ballet was designed by Jean-Michel Frank, who redid the interior of the Noailles' home with fanciful, stylized sets. ---Brian Wise, Rovi

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Francis Poulenc – En Su Gloria 1961 - 2008

2010-02-18T23:16:13Z

Francis Poulenc – En Su Gloria 1961 - 2008 (Broadcasts)

Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra in D minor
1. Allegro ma non troppo
2. Larghetto
3. Finale. Allegro moderato

Antonio Pappano, conductor
New York Philharmonic
Katya & Maria Labecque, pianos

Recorded from the WQXR-FM NYC broadcast by Statework
February 19, 2004 


Concerto for Organ, Strings and Timpani in G minor
4. Intro Radio Announcer
5. I - Andante
6. II – V - Tres Calme

Mariss Jansons, conductor
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Leo van Doeselaar, organ

Recorded from the Philharmonie, Berlin, DE 
September 2008


Gloria
7. Radio Intro Announcer
8. Gloria 
9. Gloria Outro Radio Annonuncer

Charles Munch, conductor
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Adele Addison, soprano 
Chorus Pro Musica 

Recorded Symphony Hall, Boston MA 
on 21 January 1961

Here is a folder containing three live performances of Francis Poulenc's work.

The version of Gloria is its 1961 World Premiere, with the composer attending, after having played his concerto there. He obviously had to have been hanging around to hear this, too, as the announcer (included in the sound files) relates to us that he is in the venue. Thanks to Ray for this, it is a great moment of music as well as a relevant historical document.

The Concerto for Two Pianos is given a characteristically mischievous run at the hands of the Labecque Sisters, egged on without remorse by Antonio Pappano who was debuting with the New York Phil that night. And then the Organ Concerto; it is a wild, weird piece. I find it too complex to describe, other than the admonition that you just cannot play it as background music.

This is music that is fun and bright while never becoming vacant or emotionally uncommitted. ---statework.blogspot.com

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Francis Poulenc – La Voix Humanie (La Voce Umana) [1970]

2010-05-12T22:16:49Z

Francis Poulenc – La Voix Humanie (La Voce Umana) [1970]


1. Parte I
2. Parte II
3. Parte III

Magda Olivero – soprano
Fenice Theater Orchestra
Nicola Rescigno – conductor


Recording Date  	05/03/1970

"Allô, allô..."

It's a crossed line, the other party won't get off the phone and it takes the intervention of the operator to get through to your lover. Sorry, your ex-lover.

This is France in the late 50's. We're eavesdropping as a stylish, sophisticated woman makes a final phone call to the man who kept her as a mistress , but who's now moving on, leaving her alone, distraught, and suicidal. It's agonising: there are interruptions, painful pauses, all the emotional picked up an extension somewhere and were riveted by what we heard), we hear dignity turn to despair and desperation as the woman reveals that she's already tried to kill herself. "If you did not love me and were not so awkward, this telephone could easily become a terrible weapon. A weapon that would leave no marks, nor make a noise..."

Poulenc's La Voix humaine is a telephonic opera, a monologue with more emotional power than many much larger-scale theatre pieces. It demands everything from a performer, and Felicity Lott is one of the very few non-French sopranos who can pull this off on record - her French is flawless. The orchestra and conductor are the other side of the conversation, and Armin Jordan makes it sound as if he knows exactly what's being said at the other end of the line.

Felicity Lott told me recently just how draining La Voix humaine is in performance; a marathon to remember for a start, and it leaves her in tears every time. I very nearly was myself after hearing this cd&listen to it on your own the first time you hear it, as there won't be room for another conversation for a while afterwards.

And the coupling? La Dame de Monte Carlo, a faded courtesan pitching up on the Riviera for a last roll of the dice, a final flutter in her tattered finery, before she hurls herself into the sea. A defiant gesture from one of the "dead among the dead", no longer young and loved and taking the quickest way out of the rest of her life. Beautiful music, strong emotions, poignant performances, and somehow very real drama...but this superb cd really should be sponsored by the Samaritans. ---John Armstrong, bbc.co.uk

Francis Poulenc's one-character opera La Voix humaine (1958), a setting of the homonymous play by Jean Cocteau, explores the psychological complexities of an unnamed woman as she experiences the end of a romantic relationship. During the forty-minute work, she sings in a declamatory manner into a telephone, which serves as a sign of the unrevealed man at the other end. Poulenc uses musical motives to underscore the woman's changing emotional states as she recalls her past relationship. The musical dramaturgy in this work resignifies Debussy's impressionist symbolism by collapsing devices used in Pelléas et Mélisande in a language that shifts between octatonicism, chromaticism, harmonic and melodic whole tone passages, and diatonicism. This late work recontextualizes elements in Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmélites (1953-56), and the end of the opera provides a theme for his Sonate pour Clarinet et Piano(1962), as Poulenc reflects on his youthful encounters with Cocteau, Erik Satie, and Les Six. ---Cynthia C.Beard, digital.library.unt.edu

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Poulenc - Dialogues des Carmelites (de Billy) [2012]

2011-06-18T18:39:04Z

Poulenc - Dialogues des Carmelites (de Billy) [2012]

Disc 1
1	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act I Scene 1: Ou Est Blanche?
2	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act I Scene 1: Les Soldats Surviennent A Temps
3	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act I Scene 1: Blanche, Votre Frere Aviat Grand'Hate De Vous Revoir
4	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act I Scene 1: Son Imagination VA Toujours D'Un Extreme A L'Autre
5	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act I Scene 1: Je Vois Qu'Il N'Y A Heuresement Rien De Grave
6	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act I Scene 1: Mon Enfant Cherie
7	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act I Scene 2: Prelude
8	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act I Scene 2: N'Allez Pas Croire Que Ce Fauteuil
9	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act I Scene 2: Je Vous Que Les Severites De Notre Regle
10	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act I Scene 2: Ma Fille, Les Bonnes Gens Se Demandent
11	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act I Scene 2: Vous Pleurez?
12	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act I Scene 3: Prelude
13	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act I Scene 3: Encore Ces Maudites Feves!
14	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act I Scene 3: Vous N'Avez Pas Honte De Parler Ainsi
15	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act I Scene 3: Oh! Soeur Blanche
16	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act I Scene 4: Prelude
17	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act I Scene 4: Ayez La Bonte De Relever Ce Coussin
18	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act I Scene 4: Je Trouve Que Blanche De La Force Tarde Beaucoup
19	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act I Scene 4: Relevez-Vous, Ma Fille
20	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act I Scene 4: Dieu Se Glorifie Dans Ses Saints
21	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act I Scene 4: Monsieur Javelinot, Je Vous Prie De Me Donner
22	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act I Scene 4: Mere Marie De L'Incarnation!
23	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act I Scene 4: La Reverende Mere Veut Que Vous Approchiez
24	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act II Scene 1: Qui Lazarum Resuscitasti A Monumento Foetidum
25	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act II Scene I: Que Faites-Vous?
26	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act II: Interlude: Soeur Blanche, Je Trouve Notre Croix
27	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act II: Interlude: Pensez A La Mort De Notre Chere Mere

Disc 2
1	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act II Scene 2: Mes Cheres Filles
2	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act II Scene 2: Mes Soeurs, Sa Reverence Vient De Nous Dire
3	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act II: Interlude: Que Se Passe-T'Il?
4	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act II Scene 3: Prelude
5	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act II Scene 3: Pourquoi Vous Tenez-Vous Ainsi?
6	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act II Scene 3: Dans Des Temps Comme Ceux-Ci
7	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act II Scene 3: Oh! Ne Me Quittez Pas Sur Un Adieu De Facherie!
8	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act II Scene 2: Remettez-Vous, Soeur Blanche
9	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act II Scene 4: Prelude
10	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act II Scene 4: Mes Cheres Filles
11	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act II Scene 4: Qu'Allez-Vous Devenir?
12	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act II Scene 4: On A Tire La Clochette!
13	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act II Scene 4: Ou Sont Les Religieuses?
14	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act II Scene 4: Mes Soeurs, Notre Reverende Mere Viendra Bientot
15	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act III Scene 1: Prelude
16	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act III Scene 1: Il Y A Une Seule Opposition
17	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act III: Interlude: Citoyennes, Nous Vous Felicitons
18	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act III: Interlude: Soeur Gerald, Il Faut Absolument Prevenir Le Pretre
19	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act III Scene 2: Prelude
20	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act III Scene 2: C'Est Vous
21	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act III Scene 2: Soeur Blanche De L'Agonie Du Christ!
22	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act III Scene 2: Interlude
23	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act III Scene 3: Mes Filles, Voila Que S'Acheve
24	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act III Scene 3: Le Tribunal Revolutionnaire
25	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act III Scene 3: Mes Filles, J'Ai Desire De Tout Mon Coeur
26	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act III: Interlude: Elles Sont Condamnees A Mort
27	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act III Scene 4: Prelude
28	Dialogues Des Carmelites, FP 159: Act III Scene 4: Salve Regina

Sally Matthews (Blanche)
Yann Beuron (Le Chevalier de la Force)
Jean-Philippe Lafont (Le Marquis de la Force)
Deborah Polaski (Madame de Croissy)
Heidi Brunner (Madame Lidoine)
Michelle Breedt (Mère Marie)
Hendrickje van Kerckhove (Soeur Constance)
Magdalena Anna Hofmann (Mere Jeanne)
Christa Ratzenbock (Soeur Mathilde)

Arnold Schoenberg Choir  
Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra
Bertrand De Billy – conductor

Bertrand de Billy's live 2011 performance of Dialogues des Carmélites at Theater an der Wien is notable for the vigor of his conducting and his dramatic highlighting of the score's contrasts, which have rarely sounded so stark and tension-filled. He doesn't stint on conveying the music's generous lushness, in scenes such as the first, which is characterized by the composer's typically suave Gallic urbanity in its depiction of Blanche's aristocratic family. What comes as a revelation, though, are the outbursts of Stravinskian ruggedness in the orchestration and harmonies that de Billy does nothing to soften, which are especially evident in the orchestral interludes between scenes. His rhythmic control is crisp and precise, and points up the score's evocations of Baroque French opera, but he also gives the music plenty of room to breathe. The ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien delivers the drama of de Billy's vision with urgency and plays the more lyrical sections with limpid, sumptuous tone.

The vocal casting is not consistently persuasive. Sally Matthews' voice is large and her vibrato is more pronounced than that of the rest of the cast, making her Blanche a far-from-typical characterization. The fact that her voice is so powerful in relation to the voices of the other singers makes for an imbalance that's at odds with the premise that Blanche is the opera's most timorous and tentative character. In a more vocally distinguished ensemble she could be highly effective because her characterization is intensely personal and deeply felt. Here, though, the other singers simply pale in comparison. The roles of the other nuns are sung without much distinctiveness, except for Hendrickje van Kerckhove's warm, luminous Sister Constance. Yann Beuron is strong and sympathetic as Blanche's brother, Le Chevalier de la Force. The sound is generally full, detailed, and clean, but the theatrical realism of the live performance doesn't compensate for the variability of balance and volume as the singers move around the stage.

The excellent orchestral playing and fine choral singing by the Arnold Schoenberg Chor, and especially de Billy's assured, insightful conducting make this a recording that anyone who loves the opera will want to hear, but it would not make the best introduction for newcomers. ---Stephen Eddins, Rovi

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Poulenc: Gloria - Stabat Mater - Litanies (1993/2000)

2018-03-20T14:17:21Z

Poulenc: Gloria - Stabat Mater - Litanies (1993/2000)

Gloria 	(25:46)
1 	I Gloria 	2:56
2 	II Laudamus Te 	3:07
3 	III Domine Deus 	4:47
4 	IV Domine Fili Unigenite 	1:19
5 	V Domine Deus, Agnus Dei 	7:08
6 	VI Qui Sedes 	6:29

Stabat Mater 	(30:52)
7 	I Stabat Mater Dolorosa 	4:08
8 	II Cuijus Animam Gementem 	0:58
9 	III O Quam Tristis 	2:50
10 	IV Quae Moerebat 	1:23
11 	V Quis Est Homo 	1:24
12 	VI Vidit Suum 	3:31
13 	VII Eja Mater 	1:00
14 	VIII Fac Ut Ardeat 	2:20
15 	IX Sancta Mater 	2:58
16 	X Fac Ut Portem 	3:37
17 	XI Inflammatus Et Accensus 	2:05
18 	XII Quando Corpus 	4:38

19 	Litanies Á La Vierge Noire: Notre-Dame de Rocamadour 	9:47

Chorus – Westminster Singers
Conductor – Richard Hickox
Orchestra – City Of London Sinfonia
Soprano Vocals – Catherine Dubosc

Recorded in 1990 when English Richard Hickox was better known as a choral rather than an orchestral conductor, this disc joining Poulenc's well-known Gloria and Stabat Mater with his less-well-known Litanies à la Vierge noire contains more than simply unaccented performances of these French twentieth century religious masterpieces. It contains truly moving performances of timeless religious masterpieces. With the Westminster Singers and the City of London Sinfonia, Hickox creates performances that make the works seem less specifically of their place and time and much more generally about faith and devotion. He accomplishes this not only by the choir's neutral pronunciation of the Latin texts and the orchestral wind's less pungent tonal qualities, but also by smoothing the phrasing and rounding the sonorities so that in the end these performances seem less French or English and simply as more deeply humane. Naturally, French soprano Catherine Dubosc sings with Gallic nobility and passion, but the affecting sincerity of her interpretation raises her above ethnicity to sublimity. Although anyone who really loves this music will of course want to hear some of the great emphatically French performances of the Gloria and Stabat Mater -- Georges Prétre's classic EMI recording is a superlative place to start -- anyone looking for great performances of the works will not be disappointed by this disc, especially in Virgin's deep, clear, and full sound. ---James Leonard, allmusic.com

Poulenc’s Stabat Mater (1950) and Gloria (1959) are recorded here with his earliest religious work, Litanies à la vierge noire. Litanies, written in 1935 after Poulenc’s return to Catholicism, was scored for female chorus and organ. The women’s voices of the Westminster Singers offer an extraordinary range of sound and colour, alternating declamation with ethereal chromatic moments, sensitively punctuated and supported by the Sinfonia and Hickox. The Stabat Mater and Gloria were both composed for soprano, chorus and orchestra. The former’s opening bass entry, marked ‘très intense et très doux’, should have been stronger, and Catherine Dubosc occasionally has an edgy quality, but her sweeping lines in ‘Fac ut portem’ are wonderful. From the drama and tension of ‘Quis est homo’ to the tonal contrast and pathos of the ‘Sancta mater’ and ‘Quando corpus’, this is an exciting and moving performance. In the well-contrasted Gloria, the rhythmic fun and energy of ‘Laudamus te’ and ‘Domine fili unigenite’ are truly ‘très vite et joyeux’. Dubosc shapes poignant lines in all her solos but her ‘Domine Deus’ is achingly slow. Poulenc described his Gloria as a ‘grand choral symphony’ and Hickox’s recording certainly justifies that description. ---Elisse McDougall, classical-music.com

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