Piano Music Of Francis Poulenc/ Mouvements Perpétuels/ Suite Française/ Novelettes/ 3 Nocturnes/ Presto/ Pastourelle/ Toccata/ Valse

Released in 1971 on the His Master's Voice label, this recording features pianist Gabriel Tacchino performing a curated selection of solo piano works by Francis Poulenc. Tacchino was a protégé of Poulenc, and this collaboration provides a definitive interpretation of the composer's neoclassical style, which often blends irreverent wit with delicate, melancholic lyricism. The collection spans several of Poulenc's most recognizable pieces, including the rhythmic Mouvements Perpétuels and the atmospheric Suite Française.

The album serves as a masterclass in the French piano tradition, captured during an era when His Master's Voice was instrumental in documenting canonical twentieth-century repertoire. Tacchino’s close personal and artistic relationship with the composer ensured that these performances adhered to the specific color and nuance Poulenc intended, making this disc a staple for collectors interested in the post-war performance history of French modernism. Critics of the time praised the clarity of the recording and Tacchino’s technical precision in navigating Poulenc’s idiosyncratic harmonic language.