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A concert of French music reveals – and suffers from – contrasting styles, attitudes and coherence in works by Ravel and Poulenc. 

Elizabeth Watts gives an unforgettably powerful performance of Finzi’s Dies Natalis in an otherwise problematic concert, marred by Adrian Partington’s uncertain approach.

A lush programme of Fauré, Stravinsky, and Poulenc is let down by Minkowski's erratic conducting, but is partially redeemed by two of France's fastest rising singers.

The early 1950s were marked by the world premières of Prokofiev’s Symphony no. 7 (1952), Poulenc’s Piano Concerto (1950) as well as his Stabat Mater (1951). The most recent offering of The Rest is Noise series at the Southbank Centre encouraged us to place these pieces not just in the 1950s, but also in a wider political and cultural context.

Concluant leur résidence à la Cité de la Voix, l'Ensemble Aedes et son chef ont proposé un extraordinaire programme-concept en forme de « chemin de foi » menant au Stabat Mater de Poulenc.

Au TCE, le National manque de conviction pour défendre Fauré et Dutilleux. On retiendra plutôt un Stabat Mater de Poulenc transcendé par Emőke Baráth, touchée par la grâce.