Half Monk, Half Rascal: Choeurs a Cappella by Francis Poulenc (2012)

The title of the album featuring Stephen Layton and the Danish National Vocal Ensemble, Half Monk, Half Rascal, seems to set up a dichotomy between the piety of the composer's religious music and the whimsicality of his secular works. With a few exceptions in the Chansons français, whose perky tempos stand out, there is not much stylistic contrast between the sacred and secular pieces until the rascally Chanson à boire, which closes the album. That ultimately doesn't matter much, though, because, taken simply as collection ... Read More

The title of the album featuring Stephen Layton and the Danish National Vocal Ensemble, Half Monk, Half Rascal, seems to set up a dichotomy between the piety of the composer's religious music and the whimsicality of his secular works. With a few exceptions in the Chansons français, whose perky tempos stand out, there is not much stylistic contrast between the sacred and secular pieces until the rascally Chanson à boire, which closes the album. That ultimately doesn't matter much, though, because, taken simply as collection of Poulenc's a cappella choral music, the album is largely successful and engaging. These are popular works spanning the composer's career that are likely to be familiar to Poulenc enthusiasts and include the cycles Sept chansons, Un soir de neige, and Chansons françaises, and two groups for men's voices, Quatres petites prières de Saint François d'Assise and Laudes de Saint Antoine de Padoue. Layton pays exquisitely close attention to the details of the scores, especially subtleties... Read Less