Poulenc’s Organ Concerto: a guide to the piece and its best recordings

When did Poulenc compose his Organ Concerto?

Springing from Poulenc’s ‘serious’ period, this Concerto for Organ, Strings and Timpani was completed in 1938. Though called a concerto, it’s actually more like a fantasia in a single movement. It’s a dynamic piece, the key of which fluctuates from minor to major and back as Poulenc traverses light and shade. It was also a bit of a leap for the composer, who hadn’t had much experience with the organ; so he looked to the works of Buxtehude and JS Bach for inspiration.

What is the difference between a concerto and a symphony?

Who commissioned Poulenc to compose an organ concerto?

The piece was commissioned by Princess Edmond de Polignac as an ‘easy organ’ item she could tackle herself at home with a chamber orchestra (as you do). Poulenc soon realised its potential as something grander and more impactful. Fun fact: the Princess was part of the ‘Singer’ sewing machine family (her name before she married was Winaretta Singer).

What inspired Poulenc's Organ Concerto and why is it serious?

Poulenc lost a dear friend (fellow composer Pierre-Octave Ferroud) while he was composing this work in 1936. The period also saw him re-acquaint himself with his Catholic faith, in which he was raised but had strayed. Things in Europe, talk of war and the rise of Nazism, were also a cause for worry and introspection. He completed the piece after embarking on a pilgrimage and it went through a number of changes.

When was Poulenc's Organ Concerto first performed?

Despite the lofty changes, the concerto was still premiered at the Polignac residence in Paris, sometime in 1939. At the keyboard was none other than composer Maurice Duruflé!