A BIOGRAPHY Of Claude Debussy’s Life and Music By Tara Spencer
“Music is God’s best gift to man: the only art of heaven given to earth, the only art of earth we take to heaven .” Walter Savage Lander
A BIOGRAPHY Of Claude Debussy’s life Table of contents Nocturne Who Was Claude Debussy Closing Remarks Claude Debussy’s Professional Life Bibliography A Quick Life Summary Well known Melodies My Favorites Clair de Lune Arabesque
CLAUDE DEBUSSY Claude Debussy was a man who created heavenly, beautiful, brilliant music. Whenever I hear a song that he wrote, I feel like I am in heaven. This man was truly gifted, and I believe he created music that will live on forever and stand the test of time.
EARLY LIFE Claude was born August 22 1862 in St-Germain-en-Laye, France He was the oldest of 5 children He came from a very poor family He was 7 when he had his first piano lesson In 1872 Claude attended the Paris Conservatoire where he stayed for 11 years
The middle years While attending school, he studied piano, organ, music composition, music theory and many other courses Claude often pushed boundaries as he experimented. He created music ahead of his time. His music was very controversial Claude was the winner of the 1884 Prix de Rome. For his composition L’enfant Prodigue and was able to receive a scholarship to the academy des Beaux-Arts He was able to attend the Villa Medici, the French Academy in Rome from 1885-1887 He began creating some of his most famous musical compositions during this time
THE LATER YEARS In 1902 Claude finished his first and only opera, Pelleas et Melisande. A very controversial piece. His later life was surrounded in scandal. His later music was very different from the earlier music he created. He suffered from cancer for the last 8 years of his life. He died of rectal cancer in Paris on March 25 1918.
Claude Debussy: A Quick life summary
CLAUDE DEBUSSY Born: August 22 1862 in Saint-Germain-en- Lave, France Died: March 25, 1918, in Paris-France Remains: Buried: Cimetiere de Passy, Paris, France Occupation: Composer, French Impressionist composer Wife: Rosalie Texier (dressmaker, m. 1899, separated 1904 for Bardac) Wife: Emma Bardac (m. 1908) Daughter: Claude-Emma ("Chouchou")
Claude Debussy’s Professional Life C L A U D E D E B U S S Y ’ S M U S I C I S A P E R F E C T E X A M P L E O F T H E Q U O T E T H A T I M E N T I O N E D E A R L I E R . I T H I N K I T I S A R T F R O M H E AV E N . I T W I L L B E A R T T H A T W E W I L L B E A B L E T O T A K E W I T H U S W H E N W E D E P A R T F R O M T H I S L I F E , A N D I T R U L Y T H A N K H I M F O R T H A T .
CLAUDE DEBUSSY’S PROFESSIONAL LIFE Musician Award Winning Composer Concert Pianist Writer Conductor Teacher Colleague
WELL KNOWN FOR HIS MUSIC A list of some of the most popular melodies Claude Debussy composed. Duex Arabesques Suite Bergamasque: Prelude, Menuet, Clair de Lune, Passepied Riverie Children’s Corner: Golliwogg’s Tarantelle Styrienne Cakewalk, The Little Shepard, The Snow is Dancing, Serenade for the Dolls, Jimbo’s Nocturne’s Lullaby, Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum. Juex (Ballet)
MY FAVORITES CHOSEN FOR MY LISTENING GUIDE Clair de Lune Arabesque Nocturne
Claire de Lune RELAX ING ~ BEAUTIFUL ~ PEACEFUL CAL MIN G ~ D RE AM ~ COMPL E TE
CLAIR DE LUNE Written between1890 and 1905 It is the third movement of the Suite bergamasque, and the most popular of all 4 movements Clair de Lune means Moonlight in French and was influenced by a poem written by Paul Verlaine’s also called Clair de Lune It is one of Claude’s most popular compositions and over the last 20 years has been featured in more than 50 movies and TV shows
You can also enjoy Clair de Lune in such a beautiful way, by watching the Clair de Lune Water show at the Bellagio, in Las Vegas Nevada. It is simply breathtaking…
Arabesque CAL MIN G ~ BRE E Z Y ~ PE ACE FUL RELAX ~ ENJ OY ~ SLEEP SOUNDLY
ARABESQUE This was one of Debussy’s earlier compositions It was finished in 1888 while he was still in his 20’s One of the great pieces to show what was to come from this brilliant composer Full of scales and runs, mixed with harmonious chords to create a seamless masterpiece A favorite of many who enjoy his music
ARABESQUE I once saw a ballet number that was choreographed to the song Arabesque and was blown away by how beautifully they went together. Then I remembered that in ballet an arabesque is an actual movement performed by dancers. I can see why!
Nocturnes UN CHAN G ING ~ SL OW ~ D ISSOLVIN G GREY ~ SOLEMN ~ LIGHT
NOCTURNES This song was completed between 1897 and 1899 Debussy explains the feeling of this song as “the unchanging aspect of the sky, and the slow, solemn movement of the clouds dissolving in gray tints lightly touched with white. The restless dancing rhythm of the atmosphere interspersed with sudden flashes of light.” It is another one of his most famous melodies
NOCTURNES Claude Debussy’s Nocturnes, was said to have been influenced by a series of paintings. The series was created by a famous artist by the name of, James McNeill Whistler. This was one of the painting in the series.
LISTENING GUIDE Claire de Lune Arabesque & Nocturnes
CLAIR DE LUNE Introduction, slow, quiet and harmonious It is repeated and played andante; it is taking its time The timbre is harmonious and romantic 1:11 is when the chords start to evolve Tempo rubato begins, and the chords seem to go fast and slow This sequence is the heart of a lot of the song It continues as it switches off with what you hear at the beginning
1:52 Then the main melody begins, which is slow and calm You hear a very dreamlike sequence of runs and scales The chords that are played along with that sequence to make a beautiful blend of symphonic music 2:54 The middle through the end of the song is a sequence full of seamless changes that take you on a ride Fast and slow, high and low as it changes from the three main melodies The three melodies blend together with romantic tones and sounds
5:02 the song ends As the last note is played, it seems to ring as the song lingers The rhythm of the entire song flows peacefully What a heavenly song…
ARABESQUE 0:00 The song begins with a scale rising and falling, followed by a low note and then repeats itself 0:14 Chords are then played to create the layers of a song that sounds like a peaceful spring rain This section is played very delicately It is slightly fast or andantino might be a better description The timbre of the piano is very soft and pure 0:26 is when one of the main melodies begins The song begins to climb and get a little louder before the main melody returns
1:30 The middle section of this song is full of different melodies that blend well with the main melody 1:40- 4:00 There isn’t a real clear path for the piece during this section This section has a lot going on, but somehow it all comes together as one seamless composition Lots of crescendo’s, it get’s very powerful and then soft again at a quick pace 4:49 The ending is a nice wrap up of all the different melodies and harmonies heard throughout the piece If you close your eyes, you could picture springtime, just after the rain
This piece truly takes you to another place When it’s over you feel moved by the incredible peace and stillness that comes from the music
NOCTURNES The song begins on a very deep pure tone, that has a little bit of darkness to it A very high fast scale starts that pierces you, then falls back to the deep 0:43 The melody begins, it creates a mood of sadness. The timbre is pure and soft, very quiet like a reflection 2:00 As the song progresses, it begins to build and pick up pace 2:30-3:00 It brightens and an atmosphere of happiness remains through out the middle sequence of the song There are beautiful chords and harmonies that create amazing layers and feelings
As the song winds down, all the feeling from the beginning and the middle combines 4:00 Again you hear some of the beginning melodies that blend well with what feels to be the climax of the song and then descend downward Feelings of sadness return The timbre is very deep and pure when the lower register is played You experience the contrast of the low notes with a sudden high scale that is played light and fast This part is giving the song more form. It seems to come full circle at this point
5:40 As the end of the song nears a sudden change in the music occurs as the varied dynamics start building, and the whole song comes together The song ends softly and powerfully A strong powerful emotional ride, but beautiful
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