Opus (Dec 2009)
O duplo legado de Francis Poulenc
Abstract
Déjàvu,or better,déjà écouté is an appropriate expression to describe an audition of certain works by Francis Poulenc (1899-1963). A sui-generis character in 20th century music, Poulenc has questioned the whole heritage that came before him, French or not, according to the premises of the group he belonged to, Les Six, although not always reaching similar results. His main concern was to make good music, an ideal not far from that of Debussy, “music should humbly seek to please” (Harry Halbreich). This article approaches the use of quotation and other processes of allusion in the works by Poulenc, as seen in his voice and piano mélodies cycle La fraîcheur et le feu, identifying thematic, melodic, and harmonic, origins used coherently in several pieces. and helping to solidly build his musical language.