Claude Debussy composed his two books of preludes during a remarkably brief period—the first, between December 1909 and February 1910; and the second, during roughly the same period in 1912-13. Though totaling twenty-four in number between the two books, Debussy’s preludes do not follow the precedent established by J. S. Bach’s ubiquitously known Well-Tempered Clavier (namely, a prelude in each of the major and minor keys) and imitated by several other composers, including Frédéric Chopin, Charles-Valentin Alkan, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. However, this does not mean that Debussy’s preludes are without order, and the relationships that can be found among them indicate that their published order was, to a certain extent, quite purposeful, yet also designed with a degree of inherent flexibility. Debussy, in keeping with the artistic philosophy of his day, also composed each prelude with specific scene or image in mind. Yet, to partially disguise these intents from the listener and to allow his audience to discover them of their own accord, Debussy craftily placed his titles at the end of each prelude. Performance practice of the preludes varies. Early performances, even by Debussy himself, established a precedent of grouping the prelude in threes or fours, allowing performers to pick those in which they perhaps are most comfortable. However, some performers also choose to perform each book in their entirety.
The sixth prelude of Debussy’s second book takes its inspiration from the famous American juggler General Lavine. With great wit and humor, Debussy captures the eccentrics of the performer within the form of the cakewalk—a dance that originated during the time of slavery on the plantations of the southern United States, but became quite popular, even with composers such as John Philip Sousa and of course Debussy, after its appearance at the 1876 Centennial Exposition. Indeed, Debussy had already utilized the dance as the final movement of his Children’s Corner a few years before composing his Préludes. A fine example of the use of rhythm and contrasts, Général Lavine abounds in jocularity. Its principal melody is somewhat coy, always stated quietly and accompanied with light off-beat chords. To contrast this reserved melody, Debussy interjects sharp, aggressive rhythmic motives (one is even expressly marked strident), meant to serve as sudden attention-grabbers and capture the essence of the prelude’s inspiration.Joseph DuBose
_____________________________________________
... This rollicking prelude is named for a music-hall dancer who's portrayed via a cakewalk - a dance style popular in the early 20th century. Once again, Debussy seems to have placed this little vignette with its toe-tapping tunes as a deliberate contrast to the almost indeterminate sound of its predecessor.
To purchase the CD or download this performance, click here.
Cedille Records is the recording label of The Chicago Classical Recording Foundation, a publicly-supported, not-for-profit, organization devoted to promoting the finest musicians, ensembles, and composers in the Chicago area by producing and releasing their efforts on audiophile-quality recordings. The recordings and their promotion are designed to stimulate interest in these performers and composers and bring their artistry to a wider audience. Cedille Records is also dedicated to promoting interest in neglected areas of the classical repertory by presenting masterpieces that have been overlooked by other recording companies.
Classical Music | Piano Music
Claude Debussy
General Lavine – eccentric, from Préludes Book II Play
Recorded on 08/26/2006, uploaded on 02/09/2009
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
Claude Debussy composed his two books of preludes during a remarkably brief period—the first, between December 1909 and February 1910; and the second, during roughly the same period in 1912-13. Though totaling twenty-four in number between the two books, Debussy’s preludes do not follow the precedent established by J. S. Bach’s ubiquitously known Well-Tempered Clavier (namely, a prelude in each of the major and minor keys) and imitated by several other composers, including Frédéric Chopin, Charles-Valentin Alkan, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. However, this does not mean that Debussy’s preludes are without order, and the relationships that can be found among them indicate that their published order was, to a certain extent, quite purposeful, yet also designed with a degree of inherent flexibility. Debussy, in keeping with the artistic philosophy of his day, also composed each prelude with specific scene or image in mind. Yet, to partially disguise these intents from the listener and to allow his audience to discover them of their own accord, Debussy craftily placed his titles at the end of each prelude. Performance practice of the preludes varies. Early performances, even by Debussy himself, established a precedent of grouping the prelude in threes or fours, allowing performers to pick those in which they perhaps are most comfortable. However, some performers also choose to perform each book in their entirety.
The sixth prelude of Debussy’s second book takes its inspiration from the famous American juggler General Lavine. With great wit and humor, Debussy captures the eccentrics of the performer within the form of the cakewalk—a dance that originated during the time of slavery on the plantations of the southern United States, but became quite popular, even with composers such as John Philip Sousa and of course Debussy, after its appearance at the 1876 Centennial Exposition. Indeed, Debussy had already utilized the dance as the final movement of his Children’s Corner a few years before composing his Préludes. A fine example of the use of rhythm and contrasts, Général Lavine abounds in jocularity. Its principal melody is somewhat coy, always stated quietly and accompanied with light off-beat chords. To contrast this reserved melody, Debussy interjects sharp, aggressive rhythmic motives (one is even expressly marked strident), meant to serve as sudden attention-grabbers and capture the essence of the prelude’s inspiration. Joseph DuBose
_____________________________________________
... This rollicking prelude is named for a music-hall dancer who's portrayed via a cakewalk - a dance style popular in the early 20th century. Once again, Debussy seems to have placed this little vignette with its toe-tapping tunes as a deliberate contrast to the almost indeterminate sound of its predecessor.
Notes by Andrea Lamoreaux
More music by Claude Debussy
La Puerta del Vino, from Préludes Book II
Rapsodie (arr. Rousseau)
Arabesque in C sharp major
Soiree dans Grenade, from Estampes
Beau Soir
Ondine, from Préludes Book II
La Cathédrale engloutie, from Preludes, Books 1, No.10
Estampes
Apparition, from Quatre chansons de jeunesse
General Lavine – eccentric, from Préludes Book II
Performances by same musician(s)
Estrellita, from Canciones Mexicanas
Ondine, from Préludes Book II
Granada, from Suite Española No. 1
Les jeux d’eau à la Villa d’Este
Danzas Españolas, No. 2, Andante
Piezas Españolas, Aragonesa
Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l’air du soir, from Préludes Book I
Sonata in f-sharp minor (Allegretto)
Bruyères, from Préludes Book II
Mazurca No. 23 in a minor
Classical Music for the Internet Era™
To purchase the CD or download this performance, click here.
Cedille Records is the recording label of The Chicago Classical Recording Foundation, a publicly-supported, not-for-profit, organization devoted to promoting the finest musicians, ensembles, and composers in the Chicago area by producing and releasing their efforts on audiophile-quality recordings. The recordings and their promotion are designed to stimulate interest in these performers and composers and bring their artistry to a wider audience. Cedille Records is also dedicated to promoting interest in neglected areas of the classical repertory by presenting masterpieces that have been overlooked by other recording companies.