The Masked Ball

Poulenc’s music has an irresistible joie de vivre with his gift for melody and humour, concealing the subtlest of French melancholy: a perfect choice for autumn and the longed-for return to live performance, in the first concert of this Anglo-French series. His special flair for the keyboard finds perfect expression in the solo dedicated to Edith Piaf, and an exuberant sonata for four hands. Mark Bebbington precedes these with two examples of the uniquely witty, elegant sound world created by Poulenc’s friend and mentor, Eric Satie. Together these pieces create an interlude full of naivety, beauty and wistfulness, between two exciting ensemble works of richer colours and textures. Aubade is a perfect example of Poulenc’s skill in writing for a pared back orchestra, showcasing typically French wit and polish particularly in his use of woodwind. Written for piano and eighteen instruments, it recounts the story of Diana burning with a love forbidden by the gods. Finally, featuring the ‘rich, burnished baritone’ of Roderick Williams, Le Bal Masqué is flooded with exhilarating music, surrealist colour and vitality. At the end of the piece, in Poulenc’s own words, ‘the audience should be stupefied and exhilarated as though they’d just got off a merry-go-round.’