Achille-Claude Debussy (1862 – 1918) was a French
composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the
most prominent figures associated with Impressionist
music, though he himself intensely disliked the term
when applied to his compositions. In France, he was
made Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 1903. A
crucial figure in the transition to the modern era in
Western music, he remains one of the most famous and
influential of all composers.
His music is noted for its sensory comp...(+)
Achille-Claude Debussy (1862 – 1918) was a French
composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the
most prominent figures associated with Impressionist
music, though he himself intensely disliked the term
when applied to his compositions. In France, he was
made Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 1903. A
crucial figure in the transition to the modern era in
Western music, he remains one of the most famous and
influential of all composers.
His music is noted for its sensory component and
frequent eschewing of tonality. Debussy's work usually
reflected the activities or turbulence in his own life.
In French literary circles, the style of this period
was known as symbolism, a movement that directly
inspired Debussy both as a composer and as an active
cultural participant.
Claude Debussy's Préludes are two sets of pieces for
solo piano. They are divided into two separate livres,
or books, of twelve preludes each. Unlike previous
collections of preludes, such as those of J.S. Bach and
Chopin, Debussy's do not follow a strict pattern of key
signatures. Each book was written in a matter of
months, at an unusually fast pace for Debussy. Book one
was written between December 1909 and February 1910,
and book two between the last months of 1912 and early
April 1913.
Each of Debussy's Préludes, Book I (1907-1910) is a
short but substantial work that conveys a particular
mood or impression suggested by its title. Still, as
musicologist Rollo Myers notes, "the pictorial element
[is not] unduly stressed if stressed at all; these
Préludes are pure music." In accordance with the
composer's practice of assigning a title only after the
completion of a work, the titles of the Préludes are
placed at the foot of each, rather than at the head.
The Préludes represent the pinnacle of Debussy's
keyboard art; each may be rightly regarded as a
miniature masterpiece.
La cathédral engloutie (The Sunken Cathedral): Debussy
effects a striking musical depiction of the mythical
submerged cathedral of Ys with "archaicisms" like
modality and parallel harmonies. The work's rhythmic
stasis, combined with its massive sonorities, creates
an overwhelming sense of awe and grandeur.
Although originally written for Piano, I created this
arrangement for Concert (Pedal) Harp Duet.
SHEET MUSIC