Composer

:

Francis Poulenc

Genre

:

Keyboard

Style

:

Keyboard

Compose Date

:

1959

Average_duration

:

5:50

Francis Poulenc's Élégie for 2 pianos, FP 175, was composed in 1959 as a tribute to the memory of the Spanish poet Federico García Lorca, who was assassinated during the Spanish Civil War. The piece was premiered on January 22, 1960, in Paris, by pianists Jacques Février and Geneviève Joy. The Élégie is a single-movement work that lasts approximately 10 minutes. It is characterized by its mournful and introspective mood, which is conveyed through the use of slow tempos, melancholic harmonies, and expressive melodies. The piece is also notable for its use of dissonant chords and unresolved harmonies, which create a sense of tension and unease. The Élégie is divided into three main sections, each of which explores different musical ideas and textures. The opening section features a somber melody played by the two pianos in unison, which is then developed through a series of variations and embellishments. The middle section is more agitated and dissonant, with the two pianos playing contrasting rhythms and harmonies. The final section returns to the mournful mood of the opening, with the two pianos playing a series of descending chords that gradually fade away. Overall, the Élégie is a powerful and moving work that showcases Poulenc's skill as a composer of emotional and expressive music. Its elegiac mood and introspective character make it a fitting tribute to the memory of García Lorca, and it remains a popular work in the repertoire of two-piano music.

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