Poulenc

Despite studying with Nadia Boulanger, Grażyna Bacewicz never achieved the recognition she deserved in France. Here she takes her revenge, surrounded in the best possible way by Francis Poulenc and Philippe Hersant.

Grażyna Bacewicz's music could have been expected to be dark and painful, but she faced up to the jolts of history, two world wars, the Nazi occupation and the Soviet regime. A remarkable violinist, as a composer she was entitled to only the meager place reserved in this field for women. And yet, her Sonata for oboe is exquisitely fresh, full of surprises, tenderness and nostalgia, typical of the thirties. The same is true of her Quintette, sparkling and twirling, awarded first prize for "Aide aux femmes de professions libres" in Paris in 1933. Poulenc's Sonata for flute and piano is further proof that music can bring a smile to the face: here again, gentle sadness fades behind hectic gaiety. Philippe Hersant's Sextet may be more restrained, but its choral religiosity is spellbinding. The winds become almost organ pipes, enveloping their melopoeias and brief repeated motifs in mystery. It's a mystery for everyone to unravel.

Running time: 1h15 with no intermission.