Poulenc: Aubade, Le Bal masqué, Flute Sonata & Sextet Mark Bebbington, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Jan Latham-Koenig

• Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963): Aubade, FP51a:
• 1 Aubade, FP51a: I. Toccata 02:40
• 2 Aubade, FP51a: II. Récitatif 01:39
• 3 Aubade, FP51a: III. Rondeau 03:11
• 4 Aubade, FP51a: IV. Presto 01:37
• 5 Aubade, FP51a: V. Récitatif 01:48
• 6 Aubade, FP51a: VI. Andante 02:58
• 7 Aubade, FP51a: VII. Allegro feroce 00:42
• 8 Aubade, FP51a: VIII. Conclusion 04:31
• Le Bal masqué, FP60:
• 9 Le Bal masqué, FP60: I. Préambule et air de bravure 04:05
• 10 Le Bal masqué, FP60: II. Intermède 02:37
• 11 Le Bal masqué, FP60: III. Malvina 02:01
• 12 Le Bal masqué, FP60: IV. Bagatelle 02:13
• 13 Le Bal masqué, FP60: V. La dame aveugle 02:23
• 14 Le Bal masqué, FP60: VI. Finale 04:10
• Flute Sonata, FP164:
• 15 Flute Sonata, FP164: I. Allegro malinconico 04:56
• 16 Flute Sonata, FP164: II. Cantilena 04:14
• 17 Flute Sonata, FP164: III. Presto giocoso 03:37
• Sextet, FP100:
• 18 Sextet, FP100: I. Allegro vivace 07:39
• 19 Sextet, FP100: II. Divertissement 04:42
• 20 Sextet, FP100: III. Finale 05:58
• Total Runtime 01:07:41

Info for Poulenc: Aubade, Le Bal masqué, Flute Sonata & Sextet

In this second album in his French series, pianist Mark Bebbington is joined by baritone Roderick Williams, flautist Emer McDonough, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Jan Latham-Koenig, in a further programme of music by Francis Poulenc. Featuring some of Poulenc’s most characteristic works, the programme begins with his 1929 chamber piano concerto Aubade originally written with a choreographed ballet element for a private fancy-dress party. The following year saw the composer set Surrealist poems by his friend Max Jacob in his work Le Bal Masqué, which Poulenc described as a ‘secular cantata’. Written in 1956 the Flute Sonata was described by the composer himself as being ‘simple but subtle’. Completing the album is the 1931 Sextet for piano and wind quintet, later revised in 1939.

Mark Bebbington, piano
Roderick Williams, baritone
Emer McDonough, flute
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Jan Latham-Koenig, conductor

Mark Bebbington
The critical plaudits which have greeted Mark Bebbington’s performances and recordings have singled him out as a British pianist of the rarest refinement and maturity ("Bebbington is without doubt one of Britain's finest pianists" wrote Michel Fleury recently in Classica). Internationally recognised in particular as a champion of British music, Mark has recorded extensively for SOMM “New Horizons” label to unanimous critical acclaim. He has the enviable record of having been awarded no fewer than seven five-star reviews in BBC Music Magazine in a row.

His most recent CDs include three British Piano Concertos with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, an all-Gershwin album with Leon Botstein and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra ("Recording of the Month" from MusicWeb International) and the completion of his Bliss complete piano music traversal.

His premiere recordings include one of Arnold Bax’s Piano Concertino coupled with John Ireland’s Piano Concerto and Legend, and premieres of Vaughan Williams’s Fantasia and William Mathias’s first two Piano Concertos (Ulster Orchestra).

In addition to concerto recordings, Mark completed his John Ireland and Frank Bridge solo piano series and released a CD of William Alwyn’s piano works in 2015. As well as his BBC Music Magazine success, he has won Gramophone Magazine's "Editor’s Choice", International Record Review's "Outstanding" accolade and many others. International Piano Magazine wrote of him, “Bebbington’s revivals of British piano music are second to none; he could well be dubbed the concert pianists’ Richard Hickox. Bebbington has almost single-handedly demonstrated that 20th-century British piano scores have an exciting role to play in the concert hall and recording studio”.

Over recent seasons Mark has toured throughout Central and Northern Europe and in the United States (both as recitalist and as soloist with some of the world’s leading orchestras), as well as the Far East and North Africa. He recently played Richard Strauss's little-known left-handed piano concerto at Carnegie Hall with the American Symphony Orchestra, and gave a masterclass and recital on British music at Bard College. Within the UK, he has appeared in concertos with the London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic and Philharmonia Orchestras, Flanders Symphony Orchestra, the London Mozart Players, Orchestra of the Swan and BBC Concert Orchestra. He has featured both as soloist and recitalist on BBC Television and Radio and also on major European Television and Radio networks.

Mark studied at the Royal College of Music where he was a recipient of numerous international awards and prizes, including a Leverhulme Scholarship, a Winston Churchill Fellowship and the Ivan Sutton Recording Prize – the latter awarded to the one outstanding graduate of the combined London Music Colleges. He later studied in Italy with the legendary Aldo Ciccolini.

Mark’s programming demonstrates a commitment to the music of our time and he regularly includes contemporary composers as diverse as Takemitsu, Julian Anderson, John McCabe, David Matthews, Pierre Boulez and Elliot Carter in his recital series.

Forthcoming projects include continuing releases for the Somm label, appearances in major concert series and festivals both in the UK and throughout Europe and, closer to home, concerto performances with the London Philharmonic and Royal Philharmonic Orchestras. He recently completed a two-week tour with the Czech National Orchestra and Libor Pesek and returned to the USA for concerts with the Buffalo Philharmonic. In July 2017 Mark made his Israel debut tour with the Israel Camerata.

This album contains no booklet.