Poulenc - Concerto in D Minor for Two Pianos and Orchestra

Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) Concerto in D Minor for Two Pianos and Orchestra Composed in 1932; premiered in 1932 in Venice Performed by Francis Poulenc and Jacques Février (1900-1979), pianos, with the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, conducted by Pierre Dervaux (1917-1992) Recorded May 1957 at the Salle de la Mutualité, Paris 0:00 I. Allegro ma non troppo 7:47 II. Larghetto 13:16 III. Finale: Allegro molto Poulenc composed his Concerto in D minor for Two Pianos and Orchestra in the summer of 1932 on a commission from the prominent arts patron Princess Edmond de Polignac (1865-1943). The piece marked a milestone in the composer's early career, blending neo-Classical elegance with Parisian charm, jazz-inflected rhythms, and striking percussive motifs inspired by the sounds of the Balinese gamelan heard at the 1931 Paris Colonial Exposition. The work premiered on September 5, 1932, at the International Society for Contemporary Music festival in Venice, with Poulenc performing alongside his childhood friend and fellow pianist Jacques Février with the La Scala Orchestra conducted by Désiré Defauw (1885-1960). Immediate and widely celebrated for its high-spirited vitality, the concerto remains one of the most brilliant and frequently performed double-keyboard works of the twentieth century.