By: Taylor Malcolm

Department of Music

Abstract

The monodrama is an underdeveloped genre in the field of Western classical music. Francis Poulenc (1899-1963), French pianist and composter would have heard of only one example of a monodrama in his time, and yet he still decided to set the one-woman play La voix humaine (The Human Voice) to music. Having just written two operas that follow successful formulas, why did he deviate from this path? I argue that Poulenc saw a unique opportunity to express deeply personal feelings in La voix humaine. The troubled story of the main character coupled with the excellent performance by his muse Denise Duval would adequately express Poulenc’s fascination with the female psyche, his failed romantic relationships, and his struggle with his homosexuality that plagued him for most of his life.

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