Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

## Introduction

Claude Debussy was born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France on August 22, 1862. Although his family did not have much money his obvious talent earned him a spot at the Paris Conservatory. Of all the composers during the late 19th and early 20th century Debussy was easily one of the most influential, this is due in part to his use of non-traditional scales and chromaticism. He was inspired by artist such as Picasso in his work and sought to create compositions that conveyed emotions, color and nuance in the listener. Not only was his music influential, but it also marked the change from late-Romantic music to the twentieth century Modernist music. For this reason he is often referred to as the Father of Impressionism in Music. Debussy was a pioneer in compositions and his mark on the music world was so great that Stravinsky himself said that, "The musicians of my generation and I myself, owe the most to Debussy."
Rudolph Reti echoes this statement and even pointed out which features of Debussy music made it so unique. According to him there were five things that made is stand-out;

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> 1. Glittering passages and webs of figurations which distract from occasional absence of tonality;
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> 2. Frequent use of parallel chords which are "in essence not harmonies at all, but rather 'chordal melodies', enriched unisons", described by some writers as non-functional harmonies;
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> 3. Bitonality, or at least bitonal chords;
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> 4. Use of the whole-tone and pentatonic scale;
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> 5. Unprepared modulations, "without any harmonic bridge". 3
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At a very young age Debussy was recognized for his musical talents. It is this recognition that got him into the Paris Conservatory. Throughout his time thee he continued to grow and develop his skills as a composer. His work paid off and in 1884 (at age 22) Debussy entered his cantata L'Enfant prodigue (The Prodigal Child) in a competition for composers called the Prix de Rome. Because he won, he was granted the opportunity to study in Rome at the Académie des Beaux-Arts, where he studied under German composer Richard Wagner. During his time here though he suffered from severe depression which affected his ability to compose. Futhermore, of the many pieces he composed suring this time, only four them were sent to the Academy: the symphonic ode Zuleima, the orchestral piece Printemps, Fantaisie for piano and orchestra, and the cantata La damoiselle élue. (The Academy did not like the cantata and called it "bizarre", however this composition was one of the first compositions that truly expressed his style.) In 1887 Debussy left Rome and returned to Paris. The music he wrote during this time period in France were his earliest masterpieces , Ariettes oubliées (1888), Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (1892) and the String Quartet (1893). These pieces not only marked his as a success but defined him as a composer.

When Pelléas et Mélisande was completed in 1895, this was his most controversial piece yet. In fact, it is rumored that riots broke out outside the opera house when it was first performed in 1902. However, the attention it gained continued to push Debussy into stardom and for the next decade he was considered a leading figure in French Music. The attention gained with Pelléas, paired with the success of Prélude in 1892, earned Debussy extensive recognition. During this time he wrote: La Mer (The Sea; 1905) and Ibéria (1908), both for orchestra, and Images (1905) and Children's Corner Suite (1908), both for piano and hus Suite bergamasque. This suite had four parts—"Prélude," "Menuet," "Clair de lune") and "Passepied."

For the remainder of his years, Debussy worked as a critic while still composing and performing his own pieces. He died in 1918 of colon cancer in the city he loved, Paris.

Debussy at age 11Debussy in his mid-20's (Photo believed to have been taken in Rome)Debussy during his 40'sDebussy at the French seaside

## Works (List Retrieved from Classical Music DB)

**Orchestral:**

LScènes au crépuscule (1892–1893)

Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (1894)

Nocturnes (with female choir in Sirènes) with three parts: Nuages, Fêtes, Sirènes (1897–1899)

Le roi Lear (1904)

La mer (1903–1905)

Images, Set 3 Gigues (1902–1912)

Ibéria (1905–1908) with three parts: Par les rues et par les chemins, Les parfums de la nuit, Le matin d'un jour de fête

Ronde de Printemps (1905–1909)

**Ballet:**

Khamma (1911–1912)

Jeux (1912–1913)

Le palais du silence ou NO-JA-LI (1914)

**Soloist and orchestra**

Daniel: Versez, que de l'ivresse. Aux accents d'allégresse for three soloists and orchestra (1881)

Printemps: Salut printemps, jeune saison for female choir and orchestra (1882)

Intermezzo for cello and orchestra (1882)

Invocation: Élevez-vous, voix de mon âme for male choir and orchestra (1883)

Le gladiateur: Mort aux Romains, tuez jusqu'au dernier for three soloists and orchestra (1883)

Le printemps: L'aimable printemps ramène dans la plaine for choir of four voices and orchestra (1884)

L'enfant prodigue for soprano, baritone, and tenor and orchestra (1884)

Zuleima for choir and orchestra (1885–1886)

Printemps in E major for piano and orchestra (1887)

La Damoiselle élue: La damoiselle élue s'appuyait sur la barrière d'or du ciel for two soloists, female choir, and orchestra (1887–1888)

Fantaisie for piano and orchestra (1889–1890)

La Saulaie for baritone and orchestra (1896–1900)

"Rhapsodie" for alto saxophone and piano or orchestra (1901–1911)

Première rhapsodie for clarinet and piano or orchestra (1909–1910)

Petite pièce for clarinet and piano or orchestra (1910)

Ode à la France: Les troupeaux vont par les champs désertés for soprano, mixed choir, and orchestra (1916–1917)

**Chamber**

Piano Trio in G major (1879)

Nocturne et Scherzo for cello and piano (1882)

String Quartet in G minor (1893), Opus 10

Danses for cross-strung harp and string quintet (1904)

Syrinx for flute (1913)

Six sonatas for various instruments L 135, Sonata No. 1 for Cello and Piano (1915)

Sonata No. 2 for flute, viola and harp (1915)

Sonata No. 3 for violin and piano (1916–1917)

Sonata No. 4 for oboe, horn and piano (projected)

Sonata No. 5 for trumpet, clarinet, bassoon and piano (projected)

Sonata No. 6 for chamber ensemble (projected)

**Solo piano**

Danse bohémienne (1880)

Suite for orchestra (piano reduction) (1885)

Deux arabesques (1888, 1891)

Mazurka (1890)

Rêverie (1890)

Tarantelle styrienne (Danse) (1890)

Ballade slave (Ballade) (1890)

Valse romantique (1890)

Suite bergamasque (1890-1905)

Nocturne (1892)

Images oubliées (1894)

Pour le piano suite (1894–1901)

D'un cahier d'esquisses (1903)

Estampes (1903)

Masques (1904)

L'isle joyeuse (1904)

Images, Set 1 (1905)

Images, Set 2 (1907)

L 113, Children's Corner (1906–1908)

Le petit Nègre (1909)

Hommage à Joseph Haydn (1909)

Préludes, Book 1 (1909–1910)

La plus que lente (1910)

Préludes, Book 2 (1912–1913)

Berceuse héroïque (1914)

Page d'album (1915)

Études (1915)

Elégie (1915)

Etude retrouvée (1915)

Les soirs illuminés par l'ardeur du charbon (1917)

**Piano four hands or two pianos**

Symphony for piano, four hands (1880)

Divertissement for piano, four hands (1882)

Le triomphe de Bacchus for piano, four hands (1882)

Petite suite for piano, four hands (1886–1889)

**Ballet**

Marche écossaise sur un thème populaire for piano, four hands (1891)

Lindaraja for two pianos (1901)

Six épigraphes antiques for piano, four hands (1914)

En blanc et noir for two pianos (1915)

Ballade à la lune: C'était dans la nuit brune (1879)

Madrid: Madrid, princesse des Espagnes (1879)

Nuits d'étoiles: Nuit d'étoiles, sous tes voiles (1880)

Caprice: Quand je baise, pâle de fièvre (1880)

Beau soir: Lorsque au soleil couchant les rivières sont roses (1880)

Fleur des blés: Le long des blés que la brise fait onduler (1880)

Rêverie: Le zéphir à la douce haleine (1880)

Souhait: Oh! quand la mort que rien ne saurait apaiser (1881)

Triolet à Phillis [Zéphyr]: Si j'étais le zéphyr ailé (1881)

Les roses: Lorsque le ciel de saphir (1881)

Séguidille: Un jupon serré sur les hanches (1881)

Pierrot: Le bon Pierrot que la foule contemple (1881)

Aimons-nous et dormons: Aimons-nous et dormons, sans songer au reste du monde (1881)

Rondel chinois: Sur le lac bordé d'azalée (1881)

Tragédie: Les petites fleurs n'ont pu vivre (1881)

Jane: Je pâlis et tombe en langueur (1881)

Les papillons, on text by Théophile Gautier (1881)

Fantoches: Scaramouche et Pulcinella (1882)

Le lilas: O floraison divine des lilas (1882)

Fête galante: Voilà Sylvandre et Lycas et Myrtil (1882)

Flôts, palmes et sables: Loin des yeux du monde (1882)

En sourdine: Calmes dans le demi-jour (1882)

Mandoline: Les donneurs de sérénades (1882)

Rondeau: Fut-il jamais douceur de cœur pareille (1882)

Pantomime: Pierrot qui n'a rien d'un Clitandre (1882)

Clair de lune: Votre âme est un paysage choisi (1882)

La fille aux cheveux de lin: Sur la luzerne en fleur (1882)

Sérénade: Las, Colombine a fermé le volet (1882)

Coquetterie posthume: Quand je mourrai, que l'on me mette (1883)

Romance [musique pour éventail]: Silence ineffable de l'heure (1883)

Musique: La lune se levait, pure, mais plus glacée (1883)

Paysage sentimental: Le ciel d'hiver si doux, si triste, si dormant (1883)

L'archet: Elle avait de beaux cheveux blonds (1883)

Chanson triste: On entend un chant sur l'eau dans la brume (1883)

Fleur des eaux (1883)

Églogue: Chanteurs mélodieux, habitants des buissons for soprano and tenor duet and piano (1883)

Diane au bois for soprano and tenor duet and piano (1883–1886)

Romance: Voici que le printemps, ce fil léger d'avril (1884)

Apparition: La lune s'attristait des séraphins (1884)

La romance d'Ariel: Au long de ces montagnes douces (1884)

Regret: Devant le ciel d'été, tiède et calme (1884)

Barcarolle: Viens! l'heure est propice (1885)

Axel (1888)

Poèmes de Baudelaire (1887–1889)

La belle au bois dormant: Des trous à son pourpoint vermeil (1890)

Les Angélus: Cloches chrétiennes pour les matines (1891)

Dans le jardin: Je regardais dans le jardin (1891)

Romances (1891)

L 80, Fêtes galantes Set 1 (1891)

Il dort encore, on text by Théodore de Banville (1892)

L 84, Proses lyriques (1892–1893)

L 90, Chansons de Bilitis (1897–1898)

L 94, Nuits blanches: Tout à l'heure ses mains plus délicates (1899–1902)

L 102, Chansons de France (1904)

L 104, Fêtes galantes Set 2 (1904)

L 118, Le promenoir des deux amants (1904–1910)

L 119, Ballades de François Villon (1910)

L 127, Poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé (1913)

L 139, Noël des enfants qui n'ont plus de maison: Nous n'avons plus de maison (1915)

**Other vocal**

Choeur des brises: Réveillez-vous, arbres des bois for female a cappella choir (1882)

Chanson espagnole: Tra la la… nous venions de voir le taureau for vocal duet (1883)

Rodrigue et Chimène opera (1890–1892, unfinished)

Pelléas et Mélisande opera (1893–1902)

Chansons de Charles d'Orléans for choir of four mixed voices a cappella (1898–1908)

Le diable dans le beffroi (1902–1911, short opera based on Poe's "The Devil in the Belfry", unfinished)

La chute de la maison Usher (1908–1917, short opera based on Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher", unfinished)

Le martyre de Saint Sébastien (1911, in collaboration with Gabriele D'Annunzio)

*Piece that I heard:*
At the 2017 Alba International Music Festival I heard Dedussy's da Preludes II - La Terrasse de audiences du Claire de lune performed by Anne Condamin on piano. This song is dark and broody with scales that constantly descend. Like most of the pieces in the Preludes this piece is fast in comparison to Debussy's typical style. Also, unlike Preludes composed by Bach and Chopin, Claude Debussy does not follow a strict pattern of key signatures.

## Comparison

When it comes to comparing Debussy to other composer of his time, there are very few similarities. Maurice Ravel is perhaps the closet composer stylistically to him. Robert Morgan, author of "A History of Musical Style in Modern Europe and America" describes their similarities in his book saying:

>  Ravel's stylistic relationship to Debussy is especially interesting. Marked similarities in their music are apparent, and Ravel himself willingly expressed his debt to his older contryman. Ravel's early interest in elaborate yet finely detailed textures clearly owes much to Debussy (although his application of Debussian textural ideas to the keyboard notably in Jeux d'eau, at a time when Debussy's major piano works had not yet appeared, may in turn have influenced the older composer), and Ravel's harmonic vocabulary, with its richly structured triadic extensions and freely employed nonharmonic tones, was no doubt also in part derived from his predecessor. Further reminiscent of Debussy is a preference for brief melodic ideas, developed mainly by repetition and subtle modification. Yet Ravel's music projects little of the ambiguity or mystery so characteristic of Debussy. To Debussy's seemingly unbroken transitional flow, it opposes lucid formal articulations, and Ravel's harmonic innovations are more firmly tied to traditional root movements, providing a stronger tonal pull. Indeed, in general Ravel's music seems more solid, more firmly anchored, than Debussy's. Its rhythmic patterns are more regular, and its cool lyricism is bound within a much more clearly delineated framework of phrase divisions.
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Debussy was inspired by impressionist painters and symbolist poets because of the sensuous feelings they evoked. Ironically though, Debussy very much disliked the term "Impressionism" when in reference to his own works.

## Works Cited:

1. Parks, Richard S. The Music of Claude Debussy. Yale University Press, 1989.

2. Vallas, Léon. Claude Debussy-His Life and Works. Vallas Press, 2007.

3. Réti, Rudolph. "Claude Debussy: La cathédrale engloutie." The Thematic Process in Music (1951): 194-206.

4. List of works by Debussy with institution rating at the Classical Music DB, retrived from http://www.classicalmusicdb.com/composers/view/15 on June 20th, 2017

5. Robert Morgan. Twentieth-Century Music: A History of Musical Style in Modern Europe and America. New York: W.W.Norton, 1991.