Page 264 - (DK) The Classical Music Book - Big Ideas Simply Explained
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A MAD EXTRAVAGANZA
AT THE EDGE OF
THE ABYSS
LES BICHES (1924), FRANCIS POULENC
rancis Poulenc’s ballet Les sought to be of their time, drawing
IN CONTEXT Biches premiered with the inspiration from music halls,
F Ballets Russes in Monte fairgrounds, and American jazz.
FOCUS Carlo in 1924. Choreographed by Several went on to write for films.
French music after Bronislava Nijinska, it consisted Poulenc’s later work lacked this
Debussy
of eight dances for 16 female and playfulness. Following the success
BEFORE three male dancers. The title of Les Biches, he wrote the song
1888 Erik Satie composes was a play on the word biche, cycle Figure humaine. Composed
his Gymnopédies—three which means “doe” or “female during the Nazi occupation of
pieces for piano that feature deer,” but was also 1920s’ slang France, this set to music a defiant
dissonant harmonies and for “coquette.” The ballet has no ode to liberty and other poems by
repetitive simplicity. narrative: each dance uses simple the surrealist writer Paul Éluard. ■
melodies to evoke the spirited
1920 Darius Milhaud’s flirtations of youth with light and
surrealist ballet Le Boeuf sur whimsical musical language.
le toit (The Ox on the Roof)
premieres in Paris, inspired Les Six
by jazz and Brazilian tango. Simplicity and sharp humor were
qualities favored by Poulenc and
AFTER his fellow composers in the group
1932 Georges Auric composes dubbed Les Six—Georges Auric,
the score for Jean Cocteau’s Louis Durey, Arthur Honegger,
avant-garde film Le sang d’un Darius Milhaud, and Germaine
poète (The Blood of a Poet). Tailleferre. Influenced by the avant-
garde compositions of Erik Satie
1944 Trois petites liturgies and the art and writings of Jean
de la présence divine (“Three Cocteau, they disdained both the Alice Nikitina and Serge Lifar
small liturgies of the divine Wagnerian emotionalism of the practice for the Ballets Russes’ 1924
presence”) is composed by 19th century and the musical production of Les Biches. The pair also
danced together in Henri Sauguet’s
Olivier Messiaen during the impressionism of Debussy. They flirtatious La Chatte (“The Cat,” 1927).
Nazi occupation of France.
See also: The Nutcracker 190 ■ Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune 228–231 ■
Le Sacre du printemps 246–251 ■ Parade 256–257 ■ Appalachian Spring 286–287
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