Continuing the 2023 Printempo season, Ian Tomaz explores some lesser-known works for piano by Francis Poulenc, one of the great 20th century composers of chamber music.
Francis Poulenc composed a wide variety of music for solo piano that has remained rarely performed since its publication. This recital includes four sets of short pieces that show the many facets and styles of the great composer. The Three Impromptus that begin the program present a light, joyful feeling that is generally associated with the composer. The Nocturnes sometimes evoke the Chopin tradition with lively melodies and sometimes present more abstract nocturnal scenes, often with evocative titles. The Promenades show the composer’s attempts to incorporate modern harmonies and dissonances into his work, with each movement representing a different mode of transportation. Finally, the Napoli suite is a colorful tribute to Italy, one of the few pieces performed by pianists during Poulenc’s lifetime, including 20th-century virtuosos Arthur Rubinstein and Claudio Arrau.
~Ian Tomaz
See the full schedule of Printempo concerts and programs here.
Practical information
Date Tuesday, June 13 | Time 7:30 pm | Facebook Event
Program
Françis Poulenc (1899 – 1963)
Trois Intermezzos
Presto con fuoco
Assez modere mais sans lenteur
Tres allant, tout droit, sans aucun rubato
Françis Poulenc (1899 – 1963)
Nocturnes
No. 1 Without trainer
No. 2 Girls’ Ball
No. 4 Ghost Ball
No. 6 Very quiet but not dragging
No. 7 Quite Allant
No. 8 Very Moderate (to serve Coda at the Cycle)
Françis Poulenc (1899 – 1963)
Walks
No. 1 On Foot
No. 2 In Car
No. 3 On Horseback
No. 4 By Boat
No. 5 By Air
No. 6 By Bus
No. 7 By Car
No. 8 By Rail
No. 9 A Bicycle
No. 10 In Diligence
Françis Poulenc (1899 – 1963)
Napoli
Barcarolle
Nocturne
Italian Caprice
The Artist
Ian Tomaz is an American pianist currently based in Paris, France. He is a student since 2021 at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris Alfred Cortot, where he studies with Pascal Roge. He is spending the 2022-2023 year as a Harriet Hale Woolley Fellow at the United States Foundation, giving concerts as an artist-in-residence at FEU and in the Paris region while working on the great solo, chamber, and chanson savante compositions of Francis Poulenc. Since moving to Paris, he has given concerts at the Salle Cortot, the J.J. Henner Museum and the Czech Cultural Center and has also been chosen as a full scholarship holder for the French Academy of Music, playing for such renowned French pianists as Michel Beroff, Jacques Rouvier, Anne Queffelec, Marie Catherine Girod and Françoise Thinat. He began his studies at ENMP with the generous support of the Marandon Fellowship from the Society of French and Francophone Teachers of America in New York.