Poulenc Tribute #2

This year’s Brisbane Music Festival (BMF) featured two dedicated programmes in tribute to French composer and pianist, Francis Poulenc, and also included a handful of pieces peppered across the festival. Is 2023 a significant Poulenc milestone? No, BMF’s Artistic Director, Alex Raineri, is simply a fan and considers Poulenc’s work to be under-performed – perhaps due to its often less-than-serious nature (and maybe because the composer was not academically trained). Poulenc was born in Paris and did most of his work in the first half of the 20th century, and the selection on offer in this tribute showcased a good range of his appeal. The featured musicians, young but accomplished, and experienced on the classical music and festival circuit, are all alumni of Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University.

To start, Alex Raineri performed ‘Improvisations #7 and #13, which he explained were completely notated and not really improvised, but entitled so because Poulenc liked to give himself freedom from style restrictions. The pieces were melodic, engaging and played to perfection. Then cellist, Daniel Shearer took to the stage for the more complex ‘Sonata for Cello and Piano’. This is where the FourthWall Arts venue really comes to the fore, allowing an up-close-and-personal vantage point on Daniel’s finesse with very fast bowing and staccato work, and challenging high-speed pizzicato – keeping pace with Alex on the keys. These pieces were beautifully harmonic and extremely filmic, journeying from a light and breezy rom-com to a deeply wounded love story. I loved the ending which had the bass notes of the piano and cello crashing to a halt in sublime synch. For the next piece, Alex was joined on the stage by pianist, Francis Atkins. Introduced as ‘an athletic intertwining of hands’ this was ‘Sonata for Four Hands’ played by the two performers side-by-side on the Steinway & Sons. This was a lively and spirited piece; energetic and, indeed, athletic. A brilliant performance with verve and humour from both players.

The final collection, ‘Les Soirees de Nazelles’, as the name suggests, was composed by Poulenc in the 1930s at his country abode in Nazelles, as improvised sonic portraits of his friends. To my mind this was like sitting at the Cafe de Flore in Paris, eavesdropping and watching passers-by. I could see illicit love stories, spirited waifs, portly old gents – a whole gamut of characters. These pieces pre-date but bring to mind Raymond Queneau’s book, Exercises in Style, which is interesting, because Poulenc was the sole musician to reply to Queneau’s 1950’s survey of artists in his attempt to compile the ‘ideal library’. Unsurprisingly, Poulenc’s list of coveted titles included many poetry volumes – and that’s what this collection of musical interludes felt like – and so, a fitting tribute that I’m certain Poulenc would have strongly approved.

Beth Keehn

Images (from top): Alex-Raineri, Francis Atkins - photo by Kate Holmes & Daniel Shearer -photo by Jai Farrell.

BMF continues until 10 December: https://brismusicfestival.com