Christmas Motets: Hodie Christus natus est
Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (January 7, 1899 - January 30, 1963) was a Fren… Read Full Bio ↴Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (January 7, 1899 - January 30, 1963) was a French composer and a member of the French Group Les Six.
He was a Parisian by birth and death, and always preferred the city to the country. His mother, an amateur pianist, taught him to play, and music formed a part of family life.
Poulenc was a member of Les Six, a group of young French composers, Darius Milhaud, Georges Auric, Louis Durey, Arthur Honegger and Germaine Tailleferre, who also had links with Erik Satie and Jean Cocteau. He embraced the Dada movement's techniques, creating melodies that would have been appropriate for Parisian music halls. An outstanding pianist, Poulenc featured the keyboard in many of his early compositions. He also, throughout his career, borrowed from his own compositions as well as those of Mozart and Camille Saint-Saëns.
He composed music in all major genres, including art song, chamber music, oratorio, opera, ballet music and orchestral music. Among Poulenc's last series of major works is a series of works for Winds and Piano. He was particularly fond of the woodwind instruments, and planned a set of sonatas for all of them, yet only lived to complete four: the Flute Sonata (1956), and sonatas for oboe, clarinet and horn.
Poulenc's Rapsodie nègre (1917), written for baritone, piano, string quartet, flute, and clarinet, sets nonsense syllables purportedly by a black Liberian poet. The piece, dedicated to Erik Satie, kept him out of the Paris Conservatoire, composition teacher Paul Vidal saying, according to Poulenc, "Your work stinks, it's inept, infamous balls... Ah! I see you're a follower of the Igor Stravinsky and Erik Satie gang. Well, goodbye!" Stravinsky, hearing of this story, arranged to have the piece printed.
Later in his life, the loss of some close friends, coupled with a pilgrimage to the Black Madonna of Rocamadour, led him to rediscovery of his faith and resulted in compositions of a more sombre, austere tone. His opera, Les Dialogues des Carmelites was written at this time.
France
He was a Parisian by birth and death, and always preferred the city to the country. His mother, an amateur pianist, taught him to play, and music formed a part of family life.
Poulenc was a member of Les Six, a group of young French composers, Darius Milhaud, Georges Auric, Louis Durey, Arthur Honegger and Germaine Tailleferre, who also had links with Erik Satie and Jean Cocteau. He embraced the Dada movement's techniques, creating melodies that would have been appropriate for Parisian music halls. An outstanding pianist, Poulenc featured the keyboard in many of his early compositions. He also, throughout his career, borrowed from his own compositions as well as those of Mozart and Camille Saint-Saëns.
He composed music in all major genres, including art song, chamber music, oratorio, opera, ballet music and orchestral music. Among Poulenc's last series of major works is a series of works for Winds and Piano. He was particularly fond of the woodwind instruments, and planned a set of sonatas for all of them, yet only lived to complete four: the Flute Sonata (1956), and sonatas for oboe, clarinet and horn.
Poulenc's Rapsodie nègre (1917), written for baritone, piano, string quartet, flute, and clarinet, sets nonsense syllables purportedly by a black Liberian poet. The piece, dedicated to Erik Satie, kept him out of the Paris Conservatoire, composition teacher Paul Vidal saying, according to Poulenc, "Your work stinks, it's inept, infamous balls... Ah! I see you're a follower of the Igor Stravinsky and Erik Satie gang. Well, goodbye!" Stravinsky, hearing of this story, arranged to have the piece printed.
Later in his life, the loss of some close friends, coupled with a pilgrimage to the Black Madonna of Rocamadour, led him to rediscovery of his faith and resulted in compositions of a more sombre, austere tone. His opera, Les Dialogues des Carmelites was written at this time.
France
Christmas Motets: Hodie Christus natus est
Francis Poulenc Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Francis Poulenc:
8 chansons polonaises: VII. La Vistule Płynie Wisła płynie Po polskiej krainie Po polskiej krainie …
Huit chansons polonaises FP 69: Jezioro Płynie Wisła płynie Po polskiej krainie Po polskiej krainie …
Huit chansons polonaises FP 69: Wianek Płynie Wisła płynie Po polskiej krainie Po polskiej krainie …
Huit chansons polonaises FP 69: Wisła Płynie Wisła płynie Po polskiej krainie Po polskiej krainie …
Les Chemins De I'amour Les chemins qui montent à la mer ont gardé de…
Les chemins de l'amour Les chemins qui montent à la mer ont gardé de…
Les chemins de l'amour FP 106 Les chemins qui montent à la mer ont gardé de…
Les Chemins De L'amour FP. 106 Les chemins qui montent à la mer ont gardé de…
Les Chemins De L`amour Les chemins qui montent à la mer ont gardé de…
Salve Regina Salve Regina, Mater misericordiae, Vita, dulcedo et spes nos…
Salve Regina FP110 Salve Regina, Mater misericordiae, Vita, dulcedo et spes nos…
Stabat Mater: II. Cujus Animam Gementem Cujus animam gementem Contristatam ac dolentem Pertransivit,…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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@luisortega4991
I will never understand why Poulenc is not considered one of the greats outside of France. Whatever he wrote was a masterpiece in its own right.
@Nooticus
^^^^^^^^^
@fredericfreddyfreddo850
completely agree
@littlemarmoset
I agree, especially as regard these 4 motets and the Lenten ones (absolutely my favorite set!!)!
@Joggelschorsch
Probably because these settings are hard to do. A lot of choirs are hesitant towards Poulenc.
@benedicvelasco
That transition from a "flat" tonality to a "sharp" one at 2:05 was just so... Im at a loss for words.
@gandolfogabrieledavid2917
I love these motets. They are a twentieth century condensate.
@giuliotassotti9560
Wonderful comment for a wonderful masterpiece.
@keddrickjamaal
Poulenc! This is just tonally disrespectful and I love every minute of it! Quem vidistis pastores dicite was an instant fave of mine, this is the first I've heard the whole setting
@bernab
Love those "curious" modulations and "dissonances" into these pleasant modal songs!