Composed for Serge Diaghilev's Ballet Russes, Poulenc's Les biches (literally "the does," somewhat derogatory 1920s slang for coquettish young women) is featherlight entertainment about flirtations and mildly perverse sexual games among 16 ravishing women and three strapping oarsmen. There's no plot to speak of, so the five numbers Poulenc extracted for the suite (a bit more than half of the full score) easily stand on their own.

First is the Rondeau, initially with quite a slow series of piquant Stravinskyian wind chords. But after a few bars comes the main Subito allegro molto section, a boisterous scherzo not far removed from the music hall. A central dirge hints at (mock) tragedy, but a variant of the rowdy opening section returns, now with fleeting references to tarantella and Milhaud-style Brazilian music.

The Adagietto again calls to mind the music hall, although the melody hints at the bittersweet style Poulenc would employ more liberally later in his career. Again there's a dour interruption, which jolts the melody into a sour, low-key variation before resuming its original, mostly cheerful form.

Following this is a rag-mazurka (Presto), with the emphasis on presto rather than either rag or mazurka; if there's any identifiable dance operating here, it's more like a tarantella (which had been suggested briefly in the first movement). The quieter second section tosses fragments of melody and rhythm among smaller instrumental groups. Next comes a comically stern segment distantly related to a tango. After a few further episodes, the opening tarantella material returns, although it quickly degenerates into rather sinister material.

The Andantino, with its thin, mildly vinegary woodwind opening, again calls Stravinsky to mind, but soon the full orchestra takes up a swift, slightly antique tune that stumbles over several bumptious passages and ends with a large thump. The finale (Presto) is a jolly scurry, essentially chase music that's more rhythm and orchestration than melody, giving way to a more restrained and atmospheric section before returning to the chase music for a lively, wrong-note conclusion.

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