Irreverent Faith: Neoclassicism, Catholicsm, and Humor in Francis Poulenc's Sacred Choral-Orchestral Works

Francis Poulenc's (1899-1963) music, along with that of his early twentieth-century French contemporaries, occupies a unique place in the classical music canon. Its accessibility, and often its humor, led many scholars and performers to downplay his music's importance, especially with its neoclassical traits that suggest a lack of "progress" so valued in a traditional style history of Western art music that seeks teleological development from one masterwork or "great composer" to another. Additionally, scholars often point to the the divide between his sacred and secular output. In interviews from the 1950s, Poulenc himself emphasized a so-called serious side exemplified by his sacred music as he attempted to stay relevant in a post-World War II world, where critics preferred the weightier explorations of sacred mysteries by composers like Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992). Poulenc's sacred choral-orchestral compositions, however, leave a different impression. Certain movements of the Stabat Mater (1950) and Gloria (1960) are definitely not serious; Poulenc seems to disregard the meaning of the text, ignores text stress, and borrows characteristics from popular music. In this thesis, I explore Poulenc's motivations for writing these unique works, focusing on his faith and the renouveau catholique movement of the early twentieth century that attempted to bring Catholicism into the modern world through the arts. I also explore the role of Poulenc's homosexuality in his sacred works, especially considering the inherent conflict for a gay Catholic, especially in early twentieth-century France.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.M.

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Musicology (UMKC)

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Missouri--Kansas City

Year dc:date.issued

2017

Author dc:creator

• McClure, Sara Elizabeth

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Tyrrell, Sarah

• Sacred music

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10355/60664

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/60664