Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
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Among the many French composers to make a significant impact on the piano repertoire, Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) stands out as among the most unjustly overlooked. His piano music surely deserves a more prominent place, alongside his well-known chamber, orchestral, choral, and vocal works.
As a child, Poulenc enjoyed listening to music from beneath the family grand piano, and as his musical skills developed, he took pleasure in playing the instrument himself, delighting friends with his improvised performances, and excelling as an accompanist and chamber musician. Poulenc may not have regarded his piano works with particular seriousness, but his predominantly short pieces showcased his distinctive musical voice, quirky humour and personality.
Mélancolie stands in contrast to much of this music however, being one of Poulenc’s most extended and deeply personal piano works. The piece was completed in August 1940 following, and written in response to, the Nazi invasion of France, the composer’s brief mobilisation, the armistice, partition, and his subsequent refuge in the ‘free zone’.
Summarising the piece in his introduction to a superb new edition from Durand Editions Musicales, Edmond Lemaître rather perfectly writes,
“More complex than mere sadness, Poulenc’s Mélancolie takes on an air of nostalgia, a resignation that never reaches despair. A bit painful, but at the same time filled with sweetness…”
Mélancolie is without question a genuine masterpiece, so the appearance of this new edition, making it more accessible, is to be warmly welcomed. Read on to find out more about this diploma level concert piece, listen to a recording, and discover the brilliant new Durand edition…
A Piano Masterpiece
The period during which Mélancolie was composed was, as we have seen, a traumatic one for Poulenc: like so many, the composer found himself adrift from his loved ones, cut off from his former life.
As Edmond Lemaître touchingly notes in his outstanding and highly readable Introduction to this new edition of the work,
“He misses his friends, and because of the war, has no news of several of them, notably Raymond Destouches, his companion at the time, and none other than the dedicatee of Mélancolie. He first came to know Raymond about ten years earlier, just after he moved to Noizay. He was a taxi driver. Even if, later on, their relationship was no longer romantic, the two men remained friends until his death.”
From the magical, rapt unfolding of the opening theme, the piece soon reaches its extended middle section, in which Poulenc seemingly adopts an improvisatory freedom to probe the entirety of his feelings, from the agony of separation to the bliss of nostalgia, before the eventual reprise of the opening idea transformed, trauma turning toward peace.
Here’s a wonderful recording of this tremendous piece, performed by the great French pianist, Pascal Rogé:
The new edition
Lemaître’s new edition appears in the rapidly growing Musique française series; these publications are establishing themselves as superb scores for students and seasoned players alike. The editions have a distinctive appearance, with vivid cover and high quality cream pages within, and spacious notation which has been newly engraved.
In addition to the aforementioned Introduction, the publication benefits immensely from a two page Notes on Interpretation article by Florence Ribot. This offers superb and detailed advice that will help players approach the piece with understanding and insight. Professional biographies of both Lemaître and Ribot are included at the rear, and all of these texts appear in French, English and German.
The rest of the publication is thus taken up with the score, based on the original publication from the same esteemed house.
Comparing this new engraving alongside the older version I have, it now enjoys a special and improved clarity. Spaciously presented over eleven pages (as opposed to nine in the earlier edition), the page turns are mostly preferable here, and have been given appropriate thought and attention.
In short, anyone coming to this work for the first time is likely to find the new edition a distinct first choice, and it can be very highly recommended as such.
Closing Thoughts
For players at diploma level, Poulenc’s Mélancolie offers a satisfying challenge: a quasi fantasia that circumnavigates a profound emotional landscape, equally stretching the player’s technique and communicative ability.
This is such a gorgeous piece, an emotionally engaging and memorably lyrical concert work that deserves the widest audience.
This attractive new performance edition is not to be missed!
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