Trois novelettes (Poulenc)

Trois novelettes (Three novelettes) are three short pieces for piano composed by Francis Poulenc.

The first two novelettes, in C major and B-flat minor, written in 1927 and 1928 respectively, were originally published together, with the third novelette in E minor written in 1959. These novelettes demonstrate multi-layered piano writing.

• Novelette in C major (1927) is dedicated to Virginie Liénard, a family friend, also the dedicatee of his piano suite Les soirées de Nazelles (1930-36). The piece features a neo-classical song-like melody interrupted by a central contrasting section.
• Novelette in B-flat minor (1928) is similar in ways to a scherzo, dedicated to Poulenc's friend and critic, Louis Laloy.
• Novelette in E minor (1959) is based on Manuel de Falla's 7/8 theme from El amor brujo (1916), simplified by Poulenc in 3/8 time, interestingly for Poulenc, without a contrasting section. This piece was dedicated to his close friend R. Douglas Gibson, employing fluid arpeggio figures.

Poulenc premiered his first two novelettes at a concert in Paris on June 10, 1928.

References

Sachania, M. & Potter, C. Francis Poulenc: Three Novelettes for Piano, Chester Music, revised edition (1999).