Since I was a little girl, the music of Francis
Poulenc has always fascinated me; being born
to devout Roman Catholic Korean parents
in Montréal, I was raised within multiple
backgrounds. I attended a French private school
for girls and fully embraced the fact that
I happened to be born in a francophone
milieu. To add to the mix, my parents had
met while studying in Germany and I spoke
to my brother in English. Religion and secularity
always coexisted in my world.
Although Poulenc clearly has no Korean
connections, his music thrives in the dichotomy
of the sacred and profane, spirituality and
light-heartedness, often switching from one
to the other quickly and seamlessly while at
the same time retaining an unmistakably
French idiom and a clarity that speaks directly
to everyone’s heart.
The two sides of Poulenc’s music are startlingly
obvious, yet they have to be taken as a whole,
because together they make a stronger statement.
His music, always identifiable yet original, is
so beautifully crafted that it seems to flow
naturally from the composer’s mind to our
ears. Music writer Jessica Duchen beautifully
pinpoints Poulenc as “a fizzing, bubbling mass of Gallic energy who can move you to
both laughter and tears within seconds. His
language speaks clearly, directly and humanely
to every generation.”
Making this album was a dream come true.
From the irresistible charm of the
15
Improvisations
to the irrepressible bursts of
energy in the
Concerto for Two Pianos
, the
range of Poulenc’s music and beauty had a
wonderfully infectious effect for everyone involved
in this project!
(Lucille Chung)
