Poulenc - Aubade · Les biches · Les animaux modèles / Pascal Rogé · Charles Dutoit
With the exception of the waltz and the Satie orchestrations, all the music on this disc is from Poulenc's ballets. The suites offer major portions of their scores;Aubadedoubles as a one-movement piano concerto. The remaining works are movements he contributed to collaborative efforts involving other composers, as well. If there is a masterpiece on this disc, it is theAubade, a refined combination of modern harmonies and rococo sensibilities, delicately scored for only 18 instruments, with a particularly expressive piano part. The others offer the composer's usual charm, with an added dark edge toLes Animaux, written in the shadow of France's defeat in 1940. The performances are excellent; Rogé is supple, with an underlying firmness, and Dutoit judges the weight of the music perfectly. The orchestra is one of France's best, and the recorded sound first rate.--Paul Turok