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Claude Debussy: Works and PreludesClaude Debussy (born Aug. 22, 1862; died March 25, 1918) is one of France's most influential composers. His piano compositions, including "Debussy's Preludes," changed piano techniques for the 20th century. Debussy's influence even extends to the pop/dance genre, as is seen in Ace of Base's "The Seduction of Claude Debussy."
The Early Life of Claude DebussyAchille-Claude Debussy was born August 22, 1862, in St. Germain-en-lage, France. Debussy's father ran a china shop and his mother was a seamstress.
The oldest of five children, the young Debussy was a shy child who began piano lessons at age 7. At age 11, he entered the Paris Conservatory. During his time at the conservatory he began to develop his own approach to music, an approach that rarely found favor with the conservative academy. After winning the Prix de Rome with "L'Enfant prodigue," his first major composition, Debussy continued his education at the French Academy in Rome from 1885 to 1887. Debussy composed four works while at the academy:
The Tangled Loves of Claude DebussyClaude Debussy's personal life was complicated. Upon returning to Paris in 1889, he lived with his mistress, Gabrielle Dupont, for nine years. He then married Dupont's friend, the fashion model Rosalie Texier, in 1899. In 1904, Debussy left Texier for Emma Bardoc, the mother of one of his students and the wife of a banker.
Distraught over Debussy's betrayal, Texier attempted suicide with a pistol. Debussy and Bardoc, who was pregnant with Debussy's child, fled to England to avoid the scandal and subsequent legal difficulties. They married in 1904.
Debussy and Bardoc had only one child, a daughter called Claude-Emma. Debussy dedicated his "Children's Corner" suite to Claude-Emma or, as the doting father called her, Chou-Chou. Claude Debussy died in Paris on the March 25, 1918, the victim of colorectal cancer. (Two years earlier, Debussy earned a footnote in medical history as one of the first people to undergo a colostomy and survive.) Debussy died as German forces bombed Paris during the Spring Offensive of World War I. Due to the war, he never received a public funeral and was quietly buried at the Cimetière du Passy. He is buried with his wife and Claude-Emma, who outlived him by only one year. Debussy PreludesIt can be argued that Debussy's "Preludes" is the best work the composer ever produced. Certainly, "Preludes" belongs among the most influential of the Debussy works.
The Debussy "Preludes" is two sets of piano preludes, each containing 12 pieces. Fluid and innovative, the Debussy "Preludes" work is intended to be played as individual pieces, rather than as sets. Debussy intended people to experience the "Preludes" without any preconceived ideas. To help accomplish this, the composer listed the titles for the "Preludes" in a footer on the last page instead of on the first page. His hope was that people's first experience with the Debussy "Preludes" would not be influenced by the works' titles.
Debussy and OperaClaude Debussy left the world with one complete opera and three unfinished operas. The complete opera, "Pelléas et Mélisande," was written over the course of 10 years and was first performed in 1901.
"Pelléas et Mélisande" is based on a play of the same name by Maurice Maeterlinck. Maeterlinck was no fan of the opera and wished it an "emphatic failure." He was to be disappointed, however, as "Pelléas et Mélisande" was a rousing success.
"The Seduction of Claude Debussy"Debussy works have entered popular culture: You may not be able to name his compositions, but chances are you have heard some of Debussy's works. His influence even extends into the dance-pop genre.
In 1999, the pop group Ace of Base released "The Seduction of Claude Debussy." While none of Debussy's works are performed in their entirety by the band, "The Seduction of Claude Debussy"includes many references to the composer, and his influence can be seen in the album's overall composition.
Selected Debussy WorksThe Debussy works are extensive: Claude Debussy was a prolific composer. Here are a few of the best-known Debussy works, listed chronologically:
Orchestral Debussy Works
Piano Debussy Works
Debussy Operas
Resources Everything2.com (n.d.) The Seduction of Claude Debussy. Retrieved December 14, 2007, from the Everything2 Web site: www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=106279.
Kennedy, M.; Bourne, J. (1996). Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music, 4th Edition: Biography of Claude Debussy. Retrieved December 13, 2007, from the Classical Archives Web site: www.classicalarchives.com/bios/codm/debussy.html. Moss, C. (updated October 28, 2007). Claude Debussy and Impressionism. Retrieved December 13, 2007, from the Carolina Classical Connection Web site: www.carolinaclassical.com/articles/debussy.html. Muller, N. (n.d). Préludes. Retrieved December 14, 2007, from the Piano Society Home Web site: www.pianosociety.com/cms/index.php?section=159. Thinkquest.org (n.d.). Achille Claude Debussy (1862 – 1918). Retrieved December 13, 2007, from the thinkquest Web site: library.thinkquest.org/16020/data/eng/text/classical/composers/ debussyclaude.html.
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Last modified: February 04, 2008 © morefocus group, inc.
Last modified: February 04, 2008 © morefocus group, inc.