{"product_id":"francis-poulenc_musique-pour-2-pianos_2026","title":"Musique pour 2 pianos","description":"In June 2026, Divine Art is pleased to present Francis Poulenc: Music for Two Pianos, performed by pianists Antony Gray and Rob Hao. Highlights of this superb new release include the first commercial audio recording of Antony Gray's two-piano transcription of Poulenc's score for the film Voyage en Amérique, the first recording of the two-piano reduction of the Concert Champêtre by Poulenc, as well as the recently discovered Valse de musique de soie. A remarkable pianist and composer, Poulenc's piano works are invariably charming, delightful, and written with joy. However, most of his piano music comes from the early part of his career, as Poulenc destroyed many of his later works, including a piece for four hands\/two pianos. The two-piano works on this album represent those later periods when he was at his peak. The first comes from his charming score, unfortunately lost, for the 1951 film about a couple in the French countryside on their very first flight, Voyage en Amérique. Antony Gray found a copy of the original score, which had been written for two pianos, and transcribed it himself, realizing that this was the only way to recover the score, and presents it here with Rob Hao in its first independent commercial recording. To complement the transcription of the original score, Gray also includes the song Adieu Maison, featuring soprano Helen Miles, and a waltz, in which the two pianos are joined by an accordion, performed by Alise Silina. Gray and Hao also present a later version of this work titled Embarquement pour Cythere, written solely for two pianos. The Sonata for Two Pianos, undoubtedly Poulenc's finest keyboard work, is emotionally dark and anticipates the tenderness and anguish of the Dialogues des Carmélites. Very few works in the duo piano repertoire match this sonata in power and emotional strength — an aggressive dissonance contrasts with passages of painful beauty. One of his last keyboard works is the deeply moving Élégie, in which, as with all of Poulenc's two-piano music, the material is shared equally between the two instruments. The Concert Champêtre, originally written as a concerto for harpsichord and orchestra, has been reworked for two pianos, and despite the absence of the rich orchestral palette, it stands as a solid work in its own right, recorded here for the first time. Other works by Poulenc for two pianos will be available as digital bonus tracks accompanying the album. The first will include the Sonata for Piano Four Hands, written in 1918 when Poulenc was only 19 years old. He was influenced by Satie and Stravinsky, as well as by Chabrier, but is already stylistically unique and represents a true achievement for such a young composer. The Capriccio for two pianos is a transcription by Poulenc of the Finale of his cantata Le Bal Masqué, featuring hilarious and surreal music, worthy of the cantata text by Max Jacob. The album will be completed by the Valse de musique de soie for solo piano, performed by Antony Gray, a work recently rediscovered in 2017. Antony Gray and Rob Hao, both pianists and composers, hail from Australia. Antony Gray has long been regarded as one of the most interesting and communicative performers of his generation, with numerous solo and chamber music performances around the world, as well as many pieces written for and premiered by him. His recordings for Divine Art include works by Malcolm Williamson, John Carmichael, and an acclaimed set of piano music by Saint-Saëns. Rob Hao's compositions and performances have taken him across Australia, the UK, and continental Europe, and he has given regional and world premieres of over thirty works, both in ensemble and solo. His first solo album \"Palimpsest\" for Divine Art explores how music and styles from different eras interact and inspire new ideas.","brand":"Francis Poulenc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58499323658584,"sku":null,"price":23712880.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0898\/4943\/0360\/files\/0809730114922.jpg?v=1789684582","url":"https:\/\/vinyles.com\/en-us\/products\/francis-poulenc_musique-pour-2-pianos_2026","provider":"Vinyles.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}