Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Francis Poulenc's La Voix Humaine ("The Human Voice") is a one-woman opera, less than an hour long, about a woman on the phone with her boyfriend as they break up. Set to a text by Jean Cocteau, it puts the woman through strong mood swings. (Country music fans may wish to compare it to As Soon as I Hang Up the Phone, although there, the boyfriend is present to deliver the final blow.) Soprano Véronique Gens is best known for music from the 17th century up to Mozart, but it is easy to believe the claim in the publicity materials for this release that she had always wanted to record this work; its direct, conversational quality, interspersed with occasional freakouts, fits her manner beautifully. It might seem that those freakouts require a bit more intensity than Gens gives them here, but that is not really in the Cocteau spirit and certainly not in the Poulenc spirit. Gens receives sensitive support from the Orchestre National de Lille under Alexandre Bloch, who also ring down the curtain with a lithe performance of the joyous Sinfonietta. There are other strong performances of Poulenc's little opera, which ought to be much more frequently heard and would be ideal for university voice programs, but this one is instantly appealing and quite memorable, and it is no surprise that it made classical best-seller charts in early 2023.
© James Manheim /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From £10.83/month
La voix humaine, FP 171 (Francis Poulenc)
Jean Cocteau, Lyricist - Francis Poulenc, Composer - Veronique Gens, Soloist, MainArtist - Orchestre National De Lille, Orchestra, MainArtist - Alexandre Bloch, Conductor, MainArtist - Editions Stock, 1930, 1983, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2002, MusicPublisher
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Jean Cocteau, Lyricist - Francis Poulenc, Composer - Veronique Gens, Soloist, MainArtist - Orchestre National De Lille, Orchestra, MainArtist - Alexandre Bloch, Conductor, MainArtist - Editions Stock, 1930, 1983, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2002, MusicPublisher
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Jean Cocteau, Lyricist - Francis Poulenc, Composer - Veronique Gens, Soloist, MainArtist - Orchestre National De Lille, Orchestra, MainArtist - Alexandre Bloch, Conductor, MainArtist - Editions Stock, 1930, 1983, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2003, MusicPublisher
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Jean Cocteau, Lyricist - Francis Poulenc, Composer - Veronique Gens, Soloist, MainArtist - Orchestre National De Lille, Orchestra, MainArtist - Alexandre Bloch, Conductor, MainArtist - Editions Stock, 1930, 1983, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2004, MusicPublisher
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Jean Cocteau, Lyricist - Francis Poulenc, Composer - Veronique Gens, Soloist, MainArtist - Orchestre National De Lille, Orchestra, MainArtist - Alexandre Bloch, Conductor, MainArtist - Editions Stock, 1930, 1983, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2005, MusicPublisher
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Jean Cocteau, Lyricist - Francis Poulenc, Composer - Veronique Gens, Soloist, MainArtist - Orchestre National De Lille, Orchestra, MainArtist - Alexandre Bloch, Conductor, MainArtist - Editions Stock, 1930, 1983, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2006, MusicPublisher
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Jean Cocteau, Lyricist - Francis Poulenc, Composer - Veronique Gens, Soloist, MainArtist - Orchestre National De Lille, Orchestra, MainArtist - Alexandre Bloch, Conductor, MainArtist - Editions Stock, 1930, 1983, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2007, MusicPublisher
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Jean Cocteau, Lyricist - Francis Poulenc, Composer - Veronique Gens, Soloist, MainArtist - Orchestre National De Lille, Orchestra, MainArtist - Alexandre Bloch, Conductor, MainArtist - Editions Stock, 1930, 1983, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2008, MusicPublisher
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Jean Cocteau, Lyricist - Francis Poulenc, Composer - Veronique Gens, Soloist, MainArtist - Orchestre National De Lille, Orchestra, MainArtist - Alexandre Bloch, Conductor, MainArtist - Editions Stock, 1930, 1983, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2009, MusicPublisher
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Jean Cocteau, Lyricist - Francis Poulenc, Composer - Veronique Gens, Soloist, MainArtist - Orchestre National De Lille, Orchestra, MainArtist - Alexandre Bloch, Conductor, MainArtist - Editions Stock, 1930, 1983, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2010, MusicPublisher
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Jean Cocteau, Lyricist - Francis Poulenc, Composer - Veronique Gens, Soloist, MainArtist - Orchestre National De Lille, Orchestra, MainArtist - Alexandre Bloch, Conductor, MainArtist - Editions Stock, 1930, 1983, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2011, MusicPublisher
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Jean Cocteau, Lyricist - Francis Poulenc, Composer - Veronique Gens, Soloist, MainArtist - Orchestre National De Lille, Orchestra, MainArtist - Alexandre Bloch, Conductor, MainArtist - Editions Stock, 1930, 1983, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2012, MusicPublisher
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Jean Cocteau, Lyricist - Francis Poulenc, Composer - Veronique Gens, Soloist, MainArtist - Orchestre National De Lille, Orchestra, MainArtist - Alexandre Bloch, Conductor, MainArtist - Editions Stock, 1930, 1983, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2013, MusicPublisher
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Jean Cocteau, Lyricist - Francis Poulenc, Composer - Veronique Gens, Soloist, MainArtist - Orchestre National De Lille, Orchestra, MainArtist - Alexandre Bloch, Conductor, MainArtist - Editions Stock, 1930, 1983, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2014, MusicPublisher
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Jean Cocteau, Lyricist - Francis Poulenc, Composer - Veronique Gens, Soloist, MainArtist - Orchestre National De Lille, Orchestra, MainArtist - Alexandre Bloch, Conductor, MainArtist - Editions Stock, 1930, 1983, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2015, MusicPublisher
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Jean Cocteau, Lyricist - Francis Poulenc, Composer - Veronique Gens, Soloist, MainArtist - Orchestre National De Lille, Orchestra, MainArtist - Alexandre Bloch, Conductor, MainArtist - Editions Stock, 1930, 1983, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2016, MusicPublisher
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Jean Cocteau, Lyricist - Francis Poulenc, Composer - Veronique Gens, Soloist, MainArtist - Orchestre National De Lille, Orchestra, MainArtist - Alexandre Bloch, Conductor, MainArtist - Editions Stock, 1930, 1983, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2017, MusicPublisher
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Jean Cocteau, Lyricist - Francis Poulenc, Composer - Veronique Gens, Soloist, MainArtist - Orchestre National De Lille, Orchestra, MainArtist - Alexandre Bloch, Conductor, MainArtist - Editions Stock, 1930, 1983, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2018, MusicPublisher
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Jean Cocteau, Lyricist - Francis Poulenc, Composer - Veronique Gens, Soloist, MainArtist - Orchestre National De Lille, Orchestra, MainArtist - Alexandre Bloch, Conductor, MainArtist - Editions Stock, 1930, 1983, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2019, MusicPublisher
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Jean Cocteau, Lyricist - Francis Poulenc, Composer - Veronique Gens, Soloist, MainArtist - Orchestre National De Lille, Orchestra, MainArtist - Alexandre Bloch, Conductor, MainArtist - Editions Stock, 1930, 1983, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2020, MusicPublisher
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Jean Cocteau, Lyricist - Francis Poulenc, Composer - Veronique Gens, Soloist, MainArtist - Orchestre National De Lille, Orchestra, MainArtist - Alexandre Bloch, Conductor, MainArtist - Editions Stock, 1930, 1983, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2021, MusicPublisher
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Sinfonietta, FP 141 (Francis Poulenc)
Francis Poulenc, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Orchestre National De Lille, Orchestra, MainArtist - Alexandre Bloch, Conductor, MainArtist
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Francis Poulenc, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Orchestre National De Lille, Orchestra, MainArtist - Alexandre Bloch, Conductor, MainArtist
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Francis Poulenc, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Orchestre National De Lille, Orchestra, MainArtist - Alexandre Bloch, Conductor, MainArtist
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Francis Poulenc, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Orchestre National De Lille, Orchestra, MainArtist - Alexandre Bloch, Conductor, MainArtist
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Album review
Francis Poulenc's La Voix Humaine ("The Human Voice") is a one-woman opera, less than an hour long, about a woman on the phone with her boyfriend as they break up. Set to a text by Jean Cocteau, it puts the woman through strong mood swings. (Country music fans may wish to compare it to As Soon as I Hang Up the Phone, although there, the boyfriend is present to deliver the final blow.) Soprano Véronique Gens is best known for music from the 17th century up to Mozart, but it is easy to believe the claim in the publicity materials for this release that she had always wanted to record this work; its direct, conversational quality, interspersed with occasional freakouts, fits her manner beautifully. It might seem that those freakouts require a bit more intensity than Gens gives them here, but that is not really in the Cocteau spirit and certainly not in the Poulenc spirit. Gens receives sensitive support from the Orchestre National de Lille under Alexandre Bloch, who also ring down the curtain with a lithe performance of the joyous Sinfonietta. There are other strong performances of Poulenc's little opera, which ought to be much more frequently heard and would be ideal for university voice programs, but this one is instantly appealing and quite memorable, and it is no surprise that it made classical best-seller charts in early 2023.
© James Manheim /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 25 track(s)
- Total length: 01:10:35
- 1 Digital booklet
- Main artists: Véronique Gens Orchestre National de Lille Alexandre Bloch
- Composer: Francis Poulenc
- Label: Alpha Classics
- Genre: Classical
2023 Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2023 Orchestre National de Lille & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.
