"One of the greatest modernist composers comes alive in this illuminating biography, a must-have for musicians and music-lovers alike. Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) is widely acknowledged as one of the twentieth century's most significant masters of vocal music -solo, choral, and operatic- quite apart from his achievements in instrumental spheres. But what it cost him, and the determined bravery it took for his unusual talent to thrive, has always been...