Entrancing Muse: A Documented Biography of Francis Poulenc

by Carl B. Schmidt

It is traditional wisdom that a composer's popularity wanes for at least ten years after his death. Not so with Poulenc, whose music gained almost universal acceptance immediately after his death at the age of sixty-four. The present documented biography charts a new course in Poulenc scholarship by relying on thousands of primary sources, many of which have not been consulted by previous Poulenc biographers. It is a detailed scrutiny of his day-to-day activities and his relationships with many friends and acquaintances. This study seeks not only to examine Poulenc as a composer, but to place proper emphasis on his extensive career as a pianist, accompanist, and recording artist. Written by Carl B. Schmidt, the author of the invaluable volume The Music of Francis Poulenc (1899-1963: A Catalogue , this fascinating and rewarding biography caps the year-long celebrations of the Poulenc centenary by allowing the reader to enter into the world of this complex, sophisticated, and witty homme du monde.

621 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2001