Francis Poulenc, Improvisation 15 (Hommage à Edith Piaf). Transcription : Florent Aillaud Florent Aillaud, guitar Websites: www.florentaillaud.com ; www.duo-mfa.com

Among the series of Piano "Improvisations" composed by Francis Poulenc (1899-1963), Improvisation 15, written in homage to Edith Piaf is quite unique, in particular because the two artists have never been met, although that they both frequent an emblematic figure of the 20th century and great supporter of the famous "Group of Six" (Georges Auric, Louis Durey, Arthur Honegger, Darius Milhaud, Francis Poulenc and Germaine Tailleferre): Jean Cocteau. The main melodic pattern evokes one of Edith Piaf's hits, written by Jacques Prévert and set to music by Yves Montand: "Autumn Leaves". The range of the melody is also quite narrow and seems to be modeled on the ambience of the singer's voice. The last repeated chord concludes this Improvisation in a particularly lugubrious way and seems to announce the tragic end of the singer, in 1963. A chord which makes resonate the words of Cocteau at the announcement of the death of Edith Piaf: "The boat is going...