Children's Corner (L. 113) is a six-movement suite for
solo piano by Claude Debussy. It was published by
Durand in 1908, and was given its world première in
Paris by Harold Bauer on December 18 of that year. In
1911, an orchestration of the work by Debussy's friend
André Caplet received its première and was
subsequently published.
It is dedicated to Debussy's daughter, Claude-Emma
(known as "Chou-Chou"), who was three years old at the
time. The pieces are not intended to be played b...(+)
Children's Corner (L. 113) is a six-movement suite for
solo piano by Claude Debussy. It was published by
Durand in 1908, and was given its world première in
Paris by Harold Bauer on December 18 of that year. In
1911, an orchestration of the work by Debussy's friend
André Caplet received its première and was
subsequently published.
It is dedicated to Debussy's daughter, Claude-Emma
(known as "Chou-Chou"), who was three years old at the
time. The pieces are not intended to be played by
children; rather they are meant to be evocative of
childhood and some of the toys in Claude-Emma's toy
collection.
At the time of its composition, Golliwoggs were in
fashion, due partly to the popularity at that time of
the novels of Florence Kate Upton ("golliwog" is a
later usage). They were stuffed black dolls with red
pants, red bow ties and wild hair, somewhat reminiscent
of the black-face minstrels of the time. This is a
ragtime piece with its syncopations and banjo-like
effects. The dynamic range is quite large and very
effective. The B section of this dance is interrupted
on several occasions by the love-death leitmotif of
Richard Wagner's opera Tristan und Isolde, marked avec
une grande émotion (with great feeling). Each
quotation is followed with banjo imitations. The
cakewalk was a dance or a strut and the dancer with the
most elaborate steps won a cake ("took the cake").
Although originally written for Piano, I created this
abbreviated arrangement for Woodwind Quartet (Flute,
Oboe, Clarinet & Bassoon).
SHEET MUSIC