Quietly teeming, delicate, and atmospheric, the texture is dominated by sweeping arpeggios that require a high degree of control on the part of the pianist. Susan waterfall has assembled memorable historic and current performances. Nov 07, 2017 the first book of preludes is slightly easier than the second, since the second collection features debussys more mature writing style. 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.
This brings us to the ideal moment to talk about your latest venture into the album, with book 1 of debussy s preludes. The two pieces by claude debussy chosen for this program share the ambience of a habanera. In addition, perhaps because debussy s style is so prone to mannerism. 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. Program notes and biographical note on the performer in english 1 folded sheet. Two excerpts from the emperor concerto, showing beethovens use of uneven groups of notes. 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. After the intermission, ivan gusev presented a set of debussy preludes. Maybe debussy, who distrusted prolixity and technical brilliance, was saying. Aug 31, 2018 he brings debussy s lovely preludes vividly to life, his personality glinting off the notes, each miniature painted with tiny brushstrokes. Preludes and fugues concert programs quartets but likewise for those of mozart, beethoven, and the generations of composers who followed. 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.
Claude debussy s preludes are 24 pieces for solo piano, divided into two books of 12 preludes each. His second book of preludes published in 19 consists of twelve generous vignettes painted in a pastel kaleidoscope of pianistic colors. Several early debussy masterpieces of the 1890s have lodged in the repertoire, including, most strikingly, the prelude a lapresmidi dun faune. To debussy, preludes were the musical equivalent of impressionistic painting. Each of debussy s preludes, book i 19071910 is a short but substantial work that conveys a particular mood or impression suggested by its title.
A solo flute plays variations of the same notes throughout. Debussy rather admired english sangfroid again, those were the days, but was not beyond giving it the occasional dig in the ribs, as here in. The autograph score by debussy, claude pages can have notes highlighting. Unlike some notable collections of preludes from prior times, such as chopins op. Steven osbornes accounts of both books of debussys preludes are as cultivated. Without any intention of typecasting you, i had put you more on the side of the german classicists and romantics and, in any event, on the side of the. Hence, we find not only a great many sound pictures throughout his music, but no fewer than three groups of pieces actually entitled images, each a triptych in itself.
Engulfed cathedral, the tr longfield wind repertory project. The easiest debussy piano pieces and the most difficult. I can do just as good a water nymph as you in fewer notes. Still, as musicologist rollo myers notes, the pictorial element is not unduly stressed if stressed at all.
Jun 04, 2012 stephen porter christopher greenleaf photo stephen porter has a thorough knowledge of and clear affinity for claude debussy s preludes. Lisle joyeuse i love pictures images almost as much as music, debussy once wrote. Debussy was one of the principal originators of the new piano style in the. Recorded oktaven audio, yonkers, new york 2015 january 45 and 11 2015 april 7.
The next two preludes take us abroad for the last time. In our catalog, you can find debussy sheet music for piano, drums, flute, saxophone, trumpet, guitar and almost any other instrument. Debussy s colouristic masterpiece, a bewitching compendium of scents, colours and sounds. Free sheet music l 117, debussy, claude preludes, book 1. 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. May 17, 2012 program notesjeremy siskind at weill hallmay 30, 2012 such harmonious madness world premiere jeremy siskind 1 pourest thy full heart in profuse strains of unpremeditated art2 the pale purple even melts around thy flight3 the moon rains down its beams, and heaven is overflowd4 keen as are the arrows of that silver sphere5 panted forth. Debussy sheet music free download in pdf or midi on.
Furthermore colour in a 30 boyd pomeroy, debussy s tonality. Immediately following is a series of chromatic four note chords in the lower. Audio recording, 2000 to 2099, debussy, claude, no. A special treat is nuit detoiles starry night, debussy s first published work, completed in 1880 when claude was only 18. Pianist and musical writer paul roberts asserts that this prelude, along with the two that immediately precede it, forms the central arch 2 of book is structure, since the three pieces provide the most dramatic contrast 2 out of all the preludes in the first book. Dovers book of debussy preludes is made of extremely high quality print on heavier paper than usual.
A habanera rhythm is consistently heard in the left. Celebrate debussy, volume ii by claude debussy 18621918. By the time he began writing the first book of preludes, claude debussy. Debussy, claude martinu, bohuslav villalobos, heitor muczynski, robert lekic, mirna. Celebrate debussy, volume ii includes selections from preludes book 1, preludes book 2, images 1, and independent compositions. Debussy, claude martinu, bohuslav villalobos, heitor muczynski, robert. The titles are placed at the end of each prelude, a deliberate decision by debussy that was. The two sets of images for piano take us to a higher level of abstraction. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced. Saties gnossiennes and gymnopedies, epigrammatic and wistful, are done with the perfect amount of reverence balanced with a cheeky smile. The piece is 39 measures long and takes approximately two and a. Musical analysis as a technique for performance decisions in. These are real pictures in which the composer has endeavored to convey, aurally, impressions received by the eye. Provided to youtube by universal music group debussy.
Both of these preludes seem to recall the beginning of book 1 in their sombre tone and slow tempos. Book i was composed in a short time between december 1909 and february 1910. Childrens program notes aspen music festival and school. The more one learns about claude debussy, the more the enigma grows a composer who revered. The enigma, and the preludes the more one learns about claude debussy, the more the enigma grows a composer who revered bach and mozart, yet ultimately eschewed teutonic formalism witness his condemnation of beethovens opus 1 quartet in a letter to pierre louys, dated 2221895. Nature was central to debussy s artistic aesthetic. This is the ultimate source for these beloved piano preludes by debussy, in a newly engraved and researched critical edition from durand, the original publisher of this music. Chopins funereal, passacaglialike prelude in c minor from his collection of 24. Reflets dans leau, from images, book 1 gabriel escudero. Download for free in pdf midi format, or print directly from our site. Reproduce the original intention of the composer as exactly as possible, without any added or changed material. Program notes debussy and chausson philadelphia orchestra.
He attempts to blend the two forms of sensation, in order to intensify them. One of the easiest pieces in this collection is the girl with the flaxen hair, around a level 9. Dan golding minstrels dan golding untitled goose game. Musicians or publishers notes claude debussy s trio of piano pieces entitled images, book 1 was published in 1905, the same year as his suite bergmasque. As he plays debussy s book 1 preludes, you notice how effortlessly his arms, hands, and fingers are choreographed to the music. Debussy was known for his meticulousness in the arrangement of his preludes. Ws program notes 1 fulbright college university of arkansas. Preludes, livre 1 debussy, claude movementssections movtssecs. Debussys piano prelude the sunken cathedral, based. The techniques of impressionism in the preludes of claude debussy. Images and the two books of piano preludes whose titles tend to be more concrete and descriptive. In addition, perhaps because debussy s style is so prone to mannerism, several of the preludes in book ii bear strong similarities to those from the earlier set.
Order from your preferred classical music cd store arkivmusic. He gave introductory comments about each of the preludes before playing each book on each half of the program, in this, his eighth appearance on the frederick collections series last sunday. Shell guide you through the visual and literary images that inspired debussy to create sound worlds that had never before been imagined. About frederick harris composer editions in the composer editions, pianists at various stages of musical development will find a practical selection of inspiring and engaging repertoire by all the major composers for. Theyre both still quite the challenge for advanced players only. Several of them look ahead to debussy s later style, in which the composers earlier impressionistic, almost romantic poetry was supplanted by a greater concentration upon technique and neoclassical objectivity. Debussy took great care in assigning these titles, and several contain quotations from various poems. Treat your ears and eyes to an indepth exploration of debussy s colorful and captivating preludes for piano, book one, written in 190910. Variation 1 features a shockingly spare, single line of melody noodling. Audio recording, 2000 to 2099, debussy, claude, no linguistic.
Some pedaling marks at the bottom if these pages were cut off. The prelude is one of debussys most recorded pieces, both in its original. Engulfed cathedral, the tr longfield wind repertory. Debussy rather admired english sangfroid those were the days, but was not beyond giving it the occasional dig in the ribs, as here in his. Complete preludes, books 1 and 2 dover music for piano. Program note from heritage encyclopedia of band music the engulfed cathedral by claude debussy is the tenth of twelve preludes for piano, book i. Stephen porter reveals debussys preludes the boston. While in an opera or ballet, a prelude may be a mood setting introduction to. Program notes weill recital hall, may 30, 2012 miscellany. I have to confess that the choice of repertoire took me somewhat aback. Preludes for piano book 2 archives vancouver recital society. There are several works in which wholetone harmony plays an important role, such as cloches a travers les feuilles,i from images book 1 1905, and voiles, from preludes book 1 1909. From the very first note you feel he has debussys entire soundworld in his.
The most beautiful music a goose has ever heard sheet music nkoda. Cone notes the numerous ways that a piece of music may be perceived. The title is in french and translates roughly to the girl with the flaxen hair. Debussy played nos 1, 2, 10 and 11 at a concert on 5 may. Claude debussy s complete preludes books 1 and 2, urtext edition. Debussy preludes, book 1 by claude debussy 18621918. It is the eighth piece in the composers first book of preludes. See new and popular debussy songs, uploaded by musescore users, connect with a community of musicians who love to write and play music. 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. The composers choice of title, however, is somewhat curious as it can be argued that the title could equally be wellapplied to any of debussy s compositions. Written in the short span of two months, december 7, 1909 1910, the preludes reveal the evolving impressionist style of the composer during the midpoint of his composing career. Les sons et les parfums tournent dans lair du soir the sounds and fragrances swirl through the evening. Theres ferocity in debussy s setting that seems to reflect what debussy called brusque oppositions of extreme violence and passionate tenderness.
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