As far as the legitimacy of these two readings goes, they are pretty informative and convincing. Moore’s Dorf’s detailing of the hidden lesbianism in Polignac’s lifestyle mirroring the hidden themes in Satie’s work is very telling of the environment these songs were composed and released in. The description of camp aesthetics as means of being a direct rebellion was interesting. I personally had not known about the genre’s origins and potential for homosexual expression. As Moore describes “cross-dressing, androgyny, and same-sex desire” were notable aspects of Poulenc’s ballet.
In short, these composers being gay and navigating the anti gay world around them would undoubtedly have an effect on their work, as their homosexuality is very much a part of them, and would influence their actions in composition. Their experiences naturally shape their outlooks and there are both textual and extra-musical examples to prove it. Though Moore provides more notated evidence in Poulenc’s music, both articles clued into the mindsets of these composers. In my opinion, the anecdotal evidence of the life around the composition is more convincing to me than a subjective interpretation of musical notation, but both provide an interesting perspective with regards to this subject. The music has no choice but to be influenced by the lifestyles of the composers, and the greater world of music is better for their contributions.