Malcolm Martineau - The Complete Songs of Poulenc, Vol. 1 (2011) [Hi-Res]

Composing over 150 works for piano and voice over a period of 44 years, the songs of Francis Poulenc remain consistently popular to concert audiences the world over. Varying in their individual style and character in a way that defies generalisation, Poulenc set his music to a wide range of French poetry – both ancient and modern, and from the serious to the surreal.

This release marks the first in a new series charting the complete songs of Francis Poulenc, performed by some of the greatest singers of the day and accompanied by the exceptional Malcolm Martineau. Future releases will feature several works that have never before been recorded.

This disc includes the vocal works: Cocardes, Metamorphoses, Chansons gaillardes, À sa guitare, Épitaphe sur un texte de Malherbe, Trois Poèmes de Louise de Vilmorin, Bleuet, Dernier poème, Rosemonde, Fiançailles, Parisiana and La Courte Paille.

"The best performances, though – Murray in the early Cocteau cycle Cocardes, Maltman in the Chansons Gaillardes, Milne in the Fiançailles pour Rire – are very fine" (The Guardian)

"Lisa Milne performs wonderfully throughout this Poulenc disc. She really sings the French as to the Manoir born … A nicely balanced and arranged recital for all of these voices, so a promising start to this new Poulenc series." (Hilary Finch and Andrew McGregor, BBC Radio 3)

"Poulenc’s singular mix of whimsy, religiosity and cool wit guarantees plenty of variety. Martineau accompanies with judicious, sharp-eared facility and experience" (The Observer)

Lisa Milne, soprano
Lorna Anderson, soprano
Robert Murray, tenor
Felicity Lott, soprano
Christopher Maltman, baritone
Jonathan Lemalu, bass-baritone
Malcolm Martineau, piano