An acknowledged master of melodie, Francis Poulenc's prolific song oeuvre exceeds the collections of all other French composers who wrote in this genre. Yet despite Poulenc's prolific output and its significance to art song repertoire, few volumes dedicated to study of Poulenc's works have appeared in print. This text offers a theory on the marginalized popularity of Poulenc's songs and strategies for their study that can assist performers in their appreciation and interpretation of his work. The Melodies of Francis Poulenc is the first work to contain the complete collection of Poulenc's...