Banalités (Poulenc)

Banalités (FP 107) is a set of five mélodies for voice and piano composed by Francis Poulenc in 1940 on poems by Guillaume Apollinaire (1880–1918).

History of the work[]

Composed in 1940, the mélodies were premiered at salle Gaveau, on 14 December 1940, by Pierre Bernac (baritone) and the composer (piano).^[1]

Titles[]

1. Chanson d’Orkenise
2. Hôtel
3. Fagnes de Wallonie
4. Voyage à Paris
5. Sanglots

Source of the poems[]

"Chanson d'Orkenise", "Fagnes de Wallonie" and "Sanglots" are taken from the collection Il y a^[2] (1925).

"Hôtel", written in 1913, was published in the posthumous collection Le Guetteur mélancolique^[3] (1952). "Voyage à Paris" was published in the Poèmes retrouvés from the Œuvres poétiques by Apollinaire in 1956.

Dedicatees[]

"Chanson d'Orkenise" is dedicated to Claude Rostand, "Hôtel" to Marthe Bosredon,^[4] "Fagnes de Wallonie" to Ms. Henri Frédéricq, "Voyage à Paris" to Paul Éluard, and "Sanglots" to Suzette Chanlaire.^[5][1]

Discography[]

• Pierre Bernac (baritone) and Francis Poulenc (piano) in 1950 (Naxos).
• 1 and 2: Régine Crespin (soprano) and John Wustman (piano) in 1967 (Decca).
• Nathalie Stutzmann (contralto) and  [fr] (piano) (RCA).
• Michel Piquemal (baritone) and Christine Lajarrige^[6] (piano) (Naxos).
• Véronique Gens (soprano) and Roger Vignoles (piano) (Erato).

Quote[]

• One song by the band Pink Martini, "Sympathique",^[7] is inspired by the poem "Hotel" by Apollinaire and its setting to music by Poulenc.

References[]

External links[]

• Banalités on IMSLP
• Pierre Bernac sings "Banalites" of Poulenc with Poulenc on YouTube