The composer who benefited most from this liberation was bartok, who was introduced to debussy s music by kodaly in 1907. I mentioned daniel ericourt above because he is an highly underrated pianist who does much for the music of debussy in a very special way a keyboard colorist, which is what this music requires. Before delving into an analysis of debussys performances i intend to first. This piano piece was initially published in the year 1908 and is included in preludes by debussy. Preludes book 2 debussy preludes, opus 32 rachmaninoff by lawrence budmen while an entire concert of preludes may seem repetitive at first glance, the term had a very different meaning to various composers. These beautiful french works are a must for all pianists. Debussy s colouristic masterpiece, a bewitching compendium of scents, colours and sounds.
Shop and buy complete preludes, books 1 and 2 sheet music. Marcandre hamelin, piano princeton university concerts. The attention to detail is painstaking notes seem to bend, individual. I spent some of this year trying different composers, to widen my technique, and while i did benefit from playing bach and mozart i didnt really enjoy it, i struggled to get the performance beyond mediocre because i just didnt care. Among the most important 20th century composers, and the most influential. Images is one of debussys most colorful scores, but its evocation of three different countries music is sometimes quite subtle, particularly in its. This paper also includes a brief history of preludes as well as possible influences upon debussy and his compositions. 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. After the intermission, ivan gusev presented a set of debussy preludes. Hudson cites a letter from mozart to his father in which the composer bemoans. While in an opera or ballet, a prelude may be a mood setting introduction to.
Preludes, premier livre alain planes, piano youtube. Claudio arrau considered it to be one of debussys greatest preludes and said its miraculous that he created, in so few notes, this kind of depth. I provide the original scanned version and the filtered, because the filter does some changes smoothening, sharpening borders and some portions of the scan get lost sometimes when they are too small e. Also recorded here is the second book of preludes, in a poetic and evocative performance. Music for relaxation, reliance and relief 10,533,468 views 1. Notice how debussy uses both extremes of the keyboard. A descriptive analysis of the preludes book 1 of claude. Debussys colouristic masterpiece, a bewitching compendium of scents, colours and sounds. The first more youthful and still imbued with a certain romanticism in some aspects, and then from the peak of his maturity as debussy reached the apex of his artistic and compositional mastery. He was too good a composer to imitate debussy, although there are a few examples of direct influence it. The first performance was given on october 15 of that year in paris. The two sets of images for piano take us to a higher level of abstraction. Debussy was the composer who freed western music from the claustrophobic confines of functional harmony, the set of rules that for 300 years had governed which chords fit best with which others according to how well their bass notes got along. Claude debussy s preludes are 24 pieces for solo piano, divided into two books of 12 preludes each.
Both books 1 and 2 of debussys popular piano preludes are contained in this one sturdy volume. The cello sonata is a work rich in imagery even though it lacks the apparent extramusical allusions or inspirations common to so many debussy pieces. A new album from marcandre hamelin is always cause for celebration. Adopting the major piano works including the preludes, bartok absorbed the liberated message as deeply as he absorbed the idiom of the hungarian peasant. Dovers book of debussy preludes is made of extremely high quality print on heavier paper than usual. Like vladimir horowitz and glenn gould, michelangeli employs a relatively flatfingered technique for sustained legato passages and certain rotary arpeggios such as those in ce qua vu le vent douest. Claude debussys trio of piano pieces entitled images, book 1 was published in 1905, the same year as his suite bergmasque. On an overgrown path is one of janaceks most intimate. The paperback of the complete preludes, books 1 and 2. The pianist sandro baldi presents these seminal piano works of debussy and the release includes two different periods in debussys development. These compositions, while endearing themselves to both pianist and listener, also occupy an important place in musical.
I like the cut of debussys jib so the preludes seemed like a great body of compositions to work through. Claude debussys painterly preludes the subtle, elusive quality of debussys twentyfour preludes is captured perfectly by pianist paul jacobs, who plays them with a tolling, belllike sound. Often dubbed a musical impressionist, but his music always has a. Debussys music virtually defines the transition from lateromantic music to twentieth century modernist music. The ending of this movement is one of debussys best moments. These works have been central to stevens repertoire for many years and he brings them to the studio after. That bachs preludes and fugues captivated haydn and mozart is evident in their. The composers choice of title, however, is somewhat curious as it can be argued that the title could equally be wellapplied to any of debussys compositions. Prelude to the afternoon of a faun is that it is one of the foundational works of the.
Complete preludes, books 1 and 2 dover music for piano. As he plays debussys book 1 preludes, you notice how effortlessly his arms, hands, and fingers are choreographed to the music. The purpose of this thesis is to discuss and give a descriptive analysis of twelve of the twentyfour preludes written by claude debussy. In the three pieces published as images, book ii, one is reminded of this famous line from the poem ars poetica by paul verlaine, one of debussy s favorite poets. In this piece, debussy creates an engaging sonic atmosphere with just the piano, one that, if you let it, will conjure up images and ideas. Preludes books 1 and 2 paperback april 1, 1999 by claude debussy composer 4.
Program notes by phillip huscher claude debussy born august 22, 1862, saintgermainenlaye, france. He was too good a composer to imitate debussy, although there are a few examples of direct influence it was. Steven osborne has already made a name for himself in french music with a disc of alkan and a profoundly moving performance of messiaens vingt regards. This is a blog for staff and students in the composition program. In pour les huits doigts for eight fingers, debussy counsels against using the thumbs, as they would.
Debussy preludes, book 1 by claude debussy 18621918. Images and the two books of piano preludes whose titles tend to be more. Canope preludes, book ii, 19 playing debussys piano. Complete preludes, books 1 and 2 by claude debussy 1862.
When the mozart children were touring, though, they would most likely. Some pedaling marks at the bottom if these pages were cut off. Unlike some notable collections of preludes from prior times, such as chopins op. Any recordings you find of sviatoslav richter playing any of debussys preludes are also worthy of consideration. His recording of book i, presented here in its entirety alongside the sublime estampes, emphasizes the colorful, programmatic nature of these works. The beams on even the 32nd notes are very easy to distinguish many. Les sons et les parfums tournent dans lair du soir 10. All three movements prologue, serenade, and finale, the latter two joined together have as an organizing principle the sense of collage. Images and the two books of piano preludes whose titles tend to be more concrete and descriptive. Evolving performance practice of debussys piano preludes.
It is not necessary to be a virtuoso in order to play the notes of many of the pieces, but formidable technique and vision are required to create the colours and capture the changing moods. Three years exist between the publication of the first and second book, with the former appearing in 1910. Wolfgang amadeus mozart, klaviersonaten band 1, piano sonata volume 1, kv311 284c first movement. The beams on even the 32nd notes are very easy to distinguish many printers do not get such a high resolution and the spaces between 2 or 3 beams are often poorly defined resulting in fat black patches instead of distinct lines. Music for relaxation, reliance and relief 10,415,940 views 1. Claude debussy h18621918 by the time he began writing the first book of preludes, claude debussy had established himself as an important and prolific composer having already produced most of the works that history would label masterpieces. Two excerpts from the emperor concerto, showing beethovens use of uneven groups of notes. Claude debussys preludes are 24 pieces for solo piano, divided into two books of 12 preludes each. Book i was written between december 1909 and february 1910, and book ii between the last months of 1912 and early april 19. As debussy was known to love the city, this is not such a farfetched idea. Here in his first debussy recording for hyperion he presents the two books of images. Still, as musicologist rollo myers notes, the pictorial element is not unduly stressed if stressed at all. As for his piano compositions, after he completed the second book of preludes the only.
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