Catalogue

Summary:

“This is a disc to treasure. Should the Concert champêtre be performed on the piano? Poulenc said no, but did it often. Bollani’s lightly pedalled sound is, for me, utterly convincing and the balance between piano and orchestra is ideal.” ★★★★★ – BBC Music Magazine

“The Turin players match the Parisians every step of the way with their incision, sure-footedness and sheer panache. Stefano Bollini… makes a good fist of the Concerto champêtre… rounding off the disc with his own “elaborations” of two of Poulenc’s late Improvisations, No 13 from 1958 and No 15 (“Hommage à Edith Piaf”), from 1959, the last of the cycle.” – Gramophone

Turin’s hidden musical diamond must be the superb Filarmonica ‘900 del Teatro Regio di Torino, a new force in the Italian orchestral scene. For their first CD they have chosen two remarkably talented musicians to partner them.

Poulenc’s complete ballet Les Animaux modèles, a rarity on record and deserving to be much better known. In the Concert champêtre young Italian pianist who is taking concert halls throughout Europe by storm. Best known for his jazz work, Stefano Bollani returns here to his Classical roots playing the piano version of the ‘Concert’ which is better known as a work for harpsichord and orchestra. Poulenc himself, however, performed the work himself as piano soloist. Bollani goes on to resurrect an almost lost tradition by elaborating on the two Improvisations written for the purpose by Poulenc. Jazz is never very far away!

Tracklist:

FRANCIS POULENC (1899–1963)

Les Animaux modèles
1. I. Le petit jour – Très calme (3:33)
2. II. L’ours et les deux Compagnons – Très animé (4:22)
3. III. La Cigale et la Formi – Très allant (5:43)
4. IV. Le Lion amoureux – Passionément animé (6:52)
5. V. L’Homme entre deux âges et ses deuz maîtresses – Prestissimo (1:48)
6. V. La mort et le boucheron – Très lent (5:31)
7. VII. Les deux Coqs – Très modéré (9:13)
8. VIII. Le repas de midi (3:05)

Concert champêtre pour piano et orchestre
9. I. Adagio – Allegro molto (10:27)
10. II. Andante (Mouvement de Sicilienne) (6:47)
11. III. Finale – Presto (8:02)

12. Improvistaion 13 (elaborated by S. Bollani) (4:14)

13. Improvisation 15 (elaborated by S. Bollani) (4:21)

Total Duration: 74:03

Recorded 6–9 March 2007 at Conservatorio “Giuseppe Verdi,” Torino, Italy
Recording producers and sound engineers: Mario Bertodo, Renato Campajola
Assistant: Daniele Sajeva