I found both Moore’s analysis of camp in Poulenc’s Les Biches and Aubade and Dorf’s argument of sapphonics in Socrate both very interesting and helpful in understanding the music for this week. I definitly heard the music in a completely new way after doing the queer readings of these otherwise outwardly appearing heteronormative pieces of music.
Through my reading, I believe Moore’s analysis of camp in Poulenc’s ballets makes a stronger argument than Dorf. Dorf’s argument for the Princesse de Polignac’s influence on Satie relied a lot on the concept of sapphonics which describes a hearing a lesbian aesthetic in the music, but, at least for me, the concept seems a bit vague and not as well supported. Dorf also seemed to lack a lot of specific musical evidence to support the reading and seemed to be a bit overreaching at times. Moore, however, exceeded where Dorf lacked on their analysis and queer reading of Les Biches and Audbade by bringing in many first hand accounts of Poulencs personal life and sexuality with different musical ideas and how they are connected
I think Moore was more successful overall, however, it should be taken into account that it could be much easier to prove that Poulenc’s sexual identity influenced his ballets over Dorf’s argument of Sapphonic aesthetic in Socrate.Overall, they both provide insight into how composers were influenced by ideas of sexuality in the 1920s Paris music scene.
- Samuel Dorf, “‘Étrange, n’est-ce pas?’ The Princesse Edmond de Polignac, Erik Satie’s Socrate, and a Lesbian Aesthetic of Music?” FLS: Queer Sexualities in French and Francophone Literature and Film 34 (2007), 87-99
- Moore, Christopher. “Camp in Francis Poulenc’s Early Ballets.” The Musical Quarterly, vol. 95, no. 2/3, 2012, pp. 299–342., www.jstor.org/stable/41811629