Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Poulenc's Improvisation No. 15 is subtitled "Hommage à Édith Piaf" (Homage to Edith Piaf). It has a somewhat sultry and sentimental quality that evokes the atmosphere of Parisian cabaret bars and shares similarities with the French singer's famous song "Autumn Leaves" ("Les feuilles mortes"). Poulenc composed the piece between 1936 and 1959 as part of a collection of 15 Improvisations for piano, and he used the title to allow himself creative freedom from strict musical forms.
Poulenc's Improvisation No. 15 is subtitled "Hommage à Édith Piaf" (Homage to Edith Piaf). It has a somewhat sultry and sentimental quality that evokes the atmosphere of Parisian cabaret bars and shares similarities with the French singer's famous song "Autumn Leaves" ("Les feuilles mortes"). Poulenc composed the piece between 1936 and 1959 as part of a collection of 15 Improvisations for piano, and he used the title to allow himself creative freedom from strict musical forms.
