Unlike any other, French pianist and composer Francis Poulenc possessed the ability to seamlessly weave both farce and sincerity into a single piece of music. As a member of the group of composers known as Les Six, Poulenc was greatly influenced by Satie, and many of his songs – composed for his duo partner, baritone Pierre Bernac – reveal a certain Satien irreverence. His mature piano works, however, many of which appear on this recording by pianists Louis Lortie and Hélène Mercier, and the BBC Philharmonic, expose Poulenc’s darker, more serious side.

The Aubade, sub-titled ‘Concerto chorégraphique’ (1929), one of the earlier works presented here, is telling of Poulenc’s then-depressed state. Angular intervals and aggressive rhythms give way to brief moments of tenderness, as Poulenc musically depicts the love-struck huntress Diana. Lortie and Mercier join forces for the final Élégie (1959), composed in memory of singer and pianist Marie-Blanche de Polignac, Poulenc’s dear friend and colleague. Poulenc’s grief is clear, but not overt: the opening bars of a sweet, gently oscillating melody are eventually drowned out by dissonant cabaret-like chords. Led by conductor Edward Gardiner, Lortie and Mercier assert themselves as supreme interpreters of this repertoire, and remind us of Poulenc’s genius.

Alexandra Mathew