Today is the anniversary of the great French composer Claude Debussy’s birthday: he was born on this date in 1862 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, just outside of Paris. His music, while highly original, was almost instantly accepted by the listening public, and for the last 90 years he has been and remains one of the most widely performed classical composers. Debussy was eighteen when he started writing music. The earliest composition in our library is the song cycle Quatre Chansons De Jeunesse, written in 1881-1882. Here’s the song Claire de lune, performed by the soprano Tina Beverly with William Billingham on the piano. Debussy used the same title for the third movement of his Suite Bergamasque, another early work (it was written in 1890). You can listen to the complete Suite here as played by the young Chinese pianist Xiang Zou. In 1884 Debussy won the Prix de Rome, an award which included a residence at the Villa Medici, the French Academy in Rome. Debussy spent three years in Rome, from 1885 to 1887. His return to Paris traditionally marks the beginning of his “middle period.” Among many pieces written during those years is the piano cycle Estampes (1903). Here’s Pagodes, from Estampes, played by the pianist Miyuki Otani. The first book of Préludes is usually also attributed to this period, even though just three years separate it from the second volume, considered to be a late work. Here’s the fourth prelude from Book I, with the evocative title The sounds and fragrances swirl through the evening air (Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir). It’s performed by the Italian pianist Roberto Russo. Book II of Préludes was written in 1913. Here’s prelude number four, Bruyères, played by the pre-eminent Mexican pianist Jorge Federico Osorio. The last composition completed by Debussy was his Sonata for Violin and Piano, performed here by Nathan Cole, violin, and Kuang-Hao Huang, piano. He finished it in 1917. Several months later, on March 25, 1918, during the German bombardment of Paris, Debussy died of cancer. We look forward to the next year when we’ll join the world’s classical community in celebrating the 150th anniversary of his birthday.
August 22, 2011
Today is the anniversary of the great French composer Claude Debussy’s birthday: he was born on this date in 1862 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, just outside of Paris. His music, while highly original, was almost instantly accepted by the listening public, and for the last 90 years he has been and remains one of the most widely performed classical composers. Debussy was eighteen when he started writing music. The earliest composition in our library is the song cycle Quatre Chansons De Jeunesse, written in 1881-1882. Here’s the song Claire de lune, performed by the soprano Tina Beverly with William Billingham on the piano. Debussy used the same title for the third movement of his Suite Bergamasque, another early work (it was written in 1890). You can listen to the complete Suite here as played by the young Chinese pianist Xiang Zou. In 1884 Debussy won the Prix de Rome, an award which included a residence at the Villa Medici, the French Academy in Rome. Debussy spent three years in Rome, from 1885 to 1887. His return to Paris traditionally marks the beginning of his “middle period.” Among many pieces written during those years is the piano cycle Estampes (1903). Here’s Pagodes, from Estampes, played by the pianist Miyuki Otani. The first book of Préludes is usually also attributed to this period, even though just three years separate it from the second volume, considered to be a late work. Here’s the fourth prelude from Book I, with the evocative title The sounds and fragrances swirl through the evening air (Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir). It’s performed by the Italian pianist Roberto Russo. Book II of Préludes was written in 1913. Here’s prelude number four, Bruyères, played by the pre-eminent Mexican pianist Jorge Federico Osorio. The last composition completed by Debussy was his Sonata for Violin and Piano, performed here by Nathan Cole, violin, and Kuang-Hao Huang, piano. He finished it in 1917. Several months later, on March 25, 1918, during the German bombardment of Paris, Debussy died of cancer. We look forward to the next year when we’ll join the world’s classical community in celebrating the 150th anniversary of his birthday.