Sonate à Quatre Mains

Francis Poulenc

Poulenc's delightful Sonate à Quatre Mains was written in 1918 at St Martin sur le Pré whilst the composer was on military service.  The music was published a year later and immediately attracted the attention of Ernest Ansermet, who hailed it as "the most genuine and alive music that France has recently produced".

   Poulenc employs an adventurous harmonic vocabulary which tinges the childlike lyricism which is such a feature of this charmingly fresh and spontaneous piece and the composer's characteristic wit is never far away.  There are three short movements: Prélude, Rustique and Final.

© Claire and Antoinette Cann 1993

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