For example, listen to the amazing harmonic shifts which occur in this passage towards the first movement ( Allegro – Tempo di Marcia). There are other extraordinary moments throughout this piece. But at the end of the movement, we suddenly find ourselves back at the simple power of those glistening opening chords. As the second movement unfolds it explores more intense territory, although often within a dreamy, veiled context which seems uniquely French. In the same post, Woods mentions the Cavatina second movement of Poulenc’s Sonata for Cello and Piano. Listen to the piano’s serenely floating opening chords and you’ll hear the expressive power of simplicity. And Les biches, playfully raunchy as it is, is not without its moments of deep feeling.
He had a genius for distilling rich, powerful and complex emotions into simple, economical and seemingly familiar musical gestures- I sometimes think of him like a French Janacek for his ability to make 2 or 3 chords or a tiny turn of phrase bring a tear to your eye. Poulenc’s frothy, frivolous and rather sexy ballet Les biches does not seem, at first glance, to be the sort of piece to make a hardened muso well up with emotion, but it had just that effect on me about a week ago as I listened to it for the first time in ages…On the other hand, few composers could ever squeeze as much poignancy into a few notes as Francis Poulenc. In a recent post at his blog, A View from the Podium, conductor Kenneth Woods describes a similar experience involving the music of French composer Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)- specifically, the witty, neoclassical 1924 ballet score, Les biches. Woods writes, But more broadly, it speaks to something fundamental about music itself. Perhaps in this case, it’s a testament to Gershwin’s ability to turn a simple melody into an eternally expressive work of art.
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For example, Mahler’s music is full of these indescribable ironies. I found myself drawn to the mellow, lamenting tones of the saxophones, which, in that orchestration, hold court like a group of soulful, old guests. For me, it’s not the first time that “happy” music has had this effect. It’s the furthest thing from serious or “profound.” But recently, as I was listening to this lighthearted song, I couldn’t help but feel a strange undercurrent of nostalgia, sadness, and a complex, multidimensional mix of other emotions. Within the show, the premise of the song is delightfully ridiculous: It’s the campaign song of a goofy presidential candidate who’s running on a “love” platform.
It’s the title song of one of the Broadway musical theater’s most zany political satires. I was reminded of this recently, as I listened to George Gershwin’s ebullient song, Of Thee I Sing, featured in Monday’s post. Music has the ability to unleash mysterious powers which transcend the literal.
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