FRANCIS POULENC: PIANO WORKS. Pascal Roge, piano....

FRANCIS POULENC: PIANO WORKS. Pascal Roge, piano. London 417 438-2 (compact disc). In his own lifetime--he died in 1963--Poulenc enjoyed considerable fame as a pianist, so it comes as no surprise that his numerous works for the piano reflect a performer’s affection for and knowledge of the instrument. The appealing assortment that French pianist Roge has chosen for this disc includes confections from all periods of the composer’s career, beginning with the sardonic “Trois mouvements perpetuels” and “Valse,” on to “Trois Novelettes,” “Pastourelle,” “Trois pieces,” the gossipy “Les Soirees de Nazelles” and the languid, sexy “Improvisations.” Throughout, Roge conveys the necessary Gallic mood, mingling cafe chatter, elegance, playfulness, romance and irony. In his nimble hands, Poulenc comes across as half-Satie, half-Prokofiev.