Beyond the Human Voice: Francis Poulenc's Psychological Drama La Voix humaine (1958) Page: 7
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The members of Les Six (with the exception of Durey) collaborated with Cocteau
for a pidce-ballet influenced by Parade and entitled Les Marids de la tour Eiffel (1921).
Commissioned by the director of the Ballets Su6dois, Cocteau's creation consisted of
ballet and music, with choruses and songs. The subject matter addressed common events,
reflecting the fascination with popular music culture. The premiere at the Theiltre des
Champs-Elys6es on 18 June 1921 featured choreography by Cocteau and Jean Borlin.'0
Poulenc's "The General's Speech" from Les Marids de la tour Eiffel serves as an
example of the influence of popular music on the ballet. Rather than composing music to
reflect the stately character of a general, Poulenc supplied polka rhythms to ridicule it."
The shocked audience jeered at the end of the premiere, and the only number that
received acclaim was Honegger's "Funeral March." Critics considered this piece to be
the only serious part of the work, unaware that even Honegger mocked the seriousness of
the theme by placing the waltz from Faust in the bass.12 Yet Auric, Milhaud, and
Poulenc benefitted from the collaboration because Diaghilev, impressed with their
contributions, commissioned ballets from each of them.13
Cocteau confirmed his enjoyment of working with other artists, especially
musicians, in his essay Le Coq et l'arlequin. He defined the aesthetic of Les Six with his
o Perloff, 186.
11 Ibid., 189.
12 Hell, Francis Poulenc, 20.
13 Perloff, 191.
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Beard, Cynthia C. Beyond the Human Voice: Francis Poulenc's Psychological Drama La Voix humaine (1958), thesis, May 2000; Denton, Texas. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2543/m1/13/?q=music: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .