Diversity was a prominent feature of Poulenc's view of life and personality and manifested itself in his compositions. One aspect of his compositional process which contributed to such diversity was his habit of borrowing from other composers and from his own works. In the earlier part of his career, Poulenc tended to borrow from others (for example, in the Sextet he quoted Stravinsky and Hindemith) whereas in the late chamber sonatas self-borrowing predominated, particularly from his opera, Dialogues des Carmélites (for example, in the Flute Sonata).

Works: Poulenc: Three Pieces for Piano (7), Sextet (96), Sonata for Flute and Piano (166-67), Sonata for Oboe and Piano (192-93), Sonata for Clarinet and Piano (193).

Index Classifications: 1900s

Contributed by: Cathleen Cameron