Poulenc’s style

Divertissement Poulenc’s early works epitomise the light-hearted style of 1920s ‘Esprit nouveau’, triggered by Satie’s Parade (1917) and Cocteau in Le Coq et l’arlequin (1919, above). The fauxnaïve simplicity of Poulenc’s music led him to be considered a mere ‘divertissement’ composer, but, with the rediscovery of his Christian faith during the 1930s, he produced a succession of religious works that rival those of Messiaen in their eloquence and profundity. Neoclassicism Poulenc’s music is characterised by economy of means, the use of traditional forms and allusions to music of earlier periods. Although he adhered to the tonal system, his harmonic language features the piquant spice of bitonality and playful juxtapositions of disjointed tonalities. His penchant for percussive figurations and ostinatos owes much to Stravinsky. Curiosity Poulenc was as curious about the innovations of Schoenberg and Bartók as he was of the ‘new serialism’ of the postwar years, although never adopted these compositional principles. Melodist One of the great melodists of the 20th century, Poulenc’s deceptive simplicity recalls Mozart. The nostalgic lyricism of his mélodies places him as heir to the tradition of Fauré and Schubert.