The Cambridge Companion to Debussy (Cambridge Companions to Music)

Often considered the father of twentieth-century music, Debussy was a visionary whose influence is still felt. This Companion offers new insights into Debussy's character, his environment and his music, including challenging views of the roles of nature and eroticism in his life and music. While works in all genres are discussed, they are considered through the themes of sonority, rhythm, tonality and form, with closing chapters considering the performance and reception of his music in the first years of the new century. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 5 Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 Dedication......Page 9 Contents......Page 11 Contributors......Page 12 Acknowledgements......Page 15 Chronology of Debussy’s life and works......Page 16 Note on the text......Page 21 Introduction......Page 23 PART ONE Man, musician and culture......Page 29 1 Debussy the man......Page 31 Paris: the importance of geography......Page 47 Debussy and the Conservatoire: conformity and innovation......Page 49 Roman exile: imagined communities......Page 50 Artistic formations and patterns of allusion......Page 55 Official institutions......Page 59 Paris and the construction of national traditions......Page 61 3 Debussy as musician and critic......Page 65 Wagnérisme......Page 68 Symphonic music: tradition versus innovation......Page 70 Debussysme......Page 72 Debussy the reluctant interviewee......Page 73 Renewal through simplicity: Debussy and d’Indy......Page 74 Conservative and revolutionary: musicien français......Page 75 The war years: French and ‘Boche’ music......Page 76 Last works and last words......Page 78 PART TWO Musical explorations......Page 81 4 Debussy on stage......Page 83 5 The prosaic Debussy......Page 106 Words and structures......Page 107 Debussy as poet-composer......Page 114 Free morals: free metre?......Page 118 Rappel à l’ordre......Page 120 ‘Vague impressionism’?......Page 123 Nocturnes......Page 125 Seascapes: metronomes and Monet......Page 128 ‘Ibéria’–expressive precision......Page 134 ‘Plein-air’ music and the limits of expression......Page 137 7 Exploring the erotic in Debussy’s music......Page 139 The seductive power of Debussy’s music......Page 141 An erotic music......Page 143 The desire of The Blessed Damozel......Page 145 Pan and his flute; Bilitis and her memories......Page 148 A voyeur, a hair fetish, and the elusive and mysterious Mélisande......Page 153 From ‘languorous ecstasy’ to sensual nightmare......Page 156 8 Debussy and nature......Page 159 Nature and imaginative reproduction......Page 161 Nature and the arabesque......Page 165 Clouds, water and Debussy’s musical imagination......Page 169 Conclusion......Page 171 PART THREE Musical techniques......Page 175 Debussy as a tonal composer: reception and stylistic evolution......Page 177 The tonic-dominant relation......Page 178 Non-functional diatonicism......Page 179 Arabesque and chord progression......Page 180 Analytical approaches to Debussy’s tonality: a selective survey......Page 183 Large-scale formin Debussy’s instrumental music......Page 185 Tonal-structural diversity in the Préludes......Page 187 ‘Brouillards’......Page 188 ‘Danseuses de Delphes’......Page 191 ‘Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l’ air du soir’......Page 194 Formal expansion: piano triptychs, orchestral music......Page 199 Debussy’s earliest instrumental style......Page 201 The heterophonic orchestra......Page 202 Piano sound: block chords and arpeggios......Page 207 Harmony as sound: Debussy’s characteristic sonorities......Page 210 Debussy’s later heterophony......Page 213 Introduction......Page 219 Analytical method......Page 220 Harmonic materials......Page 221 Durations between successive attack points......Page 222 Melodic contour......Page 224 Instrumentation......Page 227 Complex textures formed of ostinatos......Page 228 Form......Page 229 Repetitions......Page 235 Successive attack points......Page 236 Harmonic language......Page 237 Melodic contour......Page 238 Register......Page 239 Form and dynamic structures......Page 240 Form......Page 241 Texture density......Page 245 Form......Page 247 Ostinatos......Page 251 Conclusions: the performers’ dance......Page 252 Introduction......Page 254 A temporal dichotomy......Page 256 Pulse/beat......Page 257 Metre......Page 258 Metrical units/hypermeasure and beyond......Page 263 ‘Jardins sous la pluie’......Page 268 ‘Des pas sur la neige’......Page 270 ‘Gigues’......Page 272 Etude No. 3, ‘Pour les quartes’......Page 274 PART FOUR Performance and assessment......Page 279 ‘I have never heard more beautiful pianoforte playing’......Page 281 ‘One must forget that the piano has hammers’......Page 284 ‘Forget, I pray you, that you are singers!’......Page 289 ‘When I have to conduct I am ill before, during and after!’......Page 292 Don’t change anything...'......Page 295 Claude Debussy......Page 296 Ninon Vallin......Page 297 Pierre Monteux......Page 298 Walther Straram......Page 299 14 Debussy now......Page 300 1 Debussy the man......Page 310 2 Debussy’s Parisian affiliations......Page 311 3 Debussy as musician and critic......Page 314 4 Debussy on stage......Page 316 5 The prosaic Debussy......Page 319 6 Debussy and expression......Page 320 7 Exploring the erotic in Debussy’s music......Page 321 9 Debussy’s tonality: a formal perspective......Page 325 10 The Debussy sound: colour, texture, sonority, gesture......Page 328 11 Music’s inner dance: form, pacing and complexity in Debussy’s music......Page 329 12 Debussy’s ‘rhythmicised time'......Page 332 13 Debussy in performance......Page 333 14 Debussy now......Page 335 Select bibliography......Page 337 Index......Page 340 Cover 1 Half-title 3 Series-title 5 Title 7 Copyright 8 Dedication 9 Contents 11 Contributors 12 Acknowledgements 15 Chronology of Debussy’s life and works 16 Note on the text 21 Introduction 23 PART ONE Man, musician and culture 29 1 Debussy the man 31 2 Debussy’s Parisian affiliations 47 Paris: the importance of geography 47 Debussy and the Conservatoire: conformity and innovation 49 Roman exile: imagined communities 50 Artistic formations and patterns of allusion 55 Official institutions 59 Paris and the construction of national traditions 61 3 Debussy as musician and critic 65 Wagnérisme 68 Symphonic music: tradition versus innovation 70 Debussysme 72 Debussy the reluctant interviewee 73 Renewal through simplicity: Debussy and d’Indy 74 Conservative and revolutionary: musicien français 75 The war years: French and ‘Boche’ music 76 Last works and last words 78 PART TWO Musical explorations 81 4 Debussy on stage 83 5 The prosaic Debussy 106 Words and structures 107 Debussy as poet-composer 114 Free morals: free metre? 118 Rappel à l’ordre 120 6 Debussy and expression 123 ‘Vague impressionism’? 123 Nocturnes 125 Seascapes: metronomes and Monet 128 ‘Ibéria’–expressive precision 134 ‘Plein-air’ music and the limits of expression 137 7 Exploring the erotic in Debussy’s music 139 The seductive power of Debussy’s music 141 An erotic music 143 The desire of The Blessed Damozel 145 Pan and his flute; Bilitis and her memories 148 A voyeur, a hair fetish, and the elusive and mysterious Mélisande 153 From ‘languorous ecstasy’ to sensual nightmare 156 8 Debussy and nature 159 Nature and imaginative reproduction 161 Nature and the arabesque 165 Clouds, water and Debussy’s musical imagination 169 Conclusion 171 PART THREE Musical techniques 175 9 Debussy’s tonality: a formal perspective 177 Debussy as a tonal composer: reception and stylistic evolution 177 Debussy’s tonal practice: idiosyncratic features 178 Harmonic and melodic vocabulary 178 The tonic-dominant relation 178 Modality (diatonic) 179 Chromaticism 179 Non-functional diatonicism 179 Chordal vocabulary 180 Chordal syntax 180 Arabesque and chord progression 180 Analytical approaches to Debussy’s tonality: a selective survey 183 Large-scale formin Debussy’s instrumental music 185 Tonal-structural diversity in the Préludes 187 Three Préludes 188 ‘Brouillards’ 188 ‘Danseuses de Delphes’ 191 ‘Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l’ air du soir’ 194 Formal expansion: piano triptychs, orchestral music 199 10 The Debussy sound: colour, texture, gesture 201 Debussy’s earliest instrumental style 201 The heterophonic orchestra 202 Piano sound: block chords and arpeggios 207 Harmony as sound: Debussy’s characteristic sonorities 210 Debussy’s later heterophony 213 11 Music’s inner dance: form, pacing and complexity in Debussy’s music 219 Introduction 219 Pacing and complexity defined 220 Analytical method 220 Durations of formal units 221 Harmonic materials 221 Repetitions 222 Durations between successive attack points 222 Register span and placement 224 Melodic contour 224 Instrumentation 227 Texture density 228 Complex textures formed of ostinatos 228 Syrinx 229 Form 229 Repetitions 235 Successive attack points 236 Harmonic language 237 Melodic contour 238 Register 239 Form and dynamic structures 240 Première rapsodie 241 Form 241 Instrument changes 245 Texture density 245 Successive attack points (SAPs) 247 ‘Sirènes’ from Nocturnes 247 Form 247 Ostinatos 251 Conclusions: the performers’ dance 252 12 Debussy’s ‘rhythmicised time’ 254 Introduction 254 A temporal dichotomy 256 Pulse/beat 257 Metre 258 Metrical units/hypermeasure and beyond 263 Examples of rhythmic structure 268 ‘Jardins sous la pluie’ 268 ‘Des pas sur la neige’ 270 ‘Gigues’ 272 Etude No. 3, ‘Pour les quartes’ 274 PART FOUR Performance and assessment 279 13 Debussy in performance 281 ‘I have never heard more beautiful pianoforte playing’ 281 ‘One must forget that the piano has hammers’ 284 ‘Forget, I pray you, that you are singers!’ 289 ‘When I have to conduct I am ill before, during and after!’ 292 Don’t change anything...' 295 Select discography 296 Claude Debussy 296 Ricardo Viñes 297 Harold Bauer 297 George Copeland 297 Walter Rummel 297 Marguerite Long 297 E. Robert Schmitz 297 Marcel Ciampi 297 Mary Garden 297 Ninon Vallin 297 Maggie Teyte 298 Claire Croiza 298 Jane Bathori 298 Hector Dufranne 298 Vanni Marcoux 298 Gabriel Pierné 298 Désiré-Emile Inghelbrecht 298 Pierre Monteux 298 Vittorio Gui 299 Piero Coppola 299 Ernest Ansermet 299 Walther Straram 299 14 Debussy now 300 Endnotes 310 Introduction 310 1 Debussy the man 310 2 Debussy’s Parisian affiliations 311 3 Debussy as musician and critic 314 4 Debussy on stage 316 5 The prosaic Debussy 319 6 Debussy and expression 320 7 Exploring the erotic in Debussy’s music 321 8 Debussy and nature 325 9 Debussy’s tonality: a formal perspective 325 10 The Debussy sound: colour, texture, sonority, gesture 328 11 Music’s inner dance: form, pacing and complexity in Debussy’s music 329 12 Debussy’s ‘rhythmicised time' 332 13 Debussy in performance 333 14 Debussy now 335 Select bibliography 337 Index 340 Often considered the father of twentieth-century music, Debussy was a visionary whose influence is still felt. This book offers a wide-ranging series of essays on Debussy the man, the musician and composer. It contains new insights into his character, his relationship to his Parisian environment and his musical works across all genres, with challenging views on the roles of nature and eroticism in his life and music. His music is considered through the characteristic themes of sonority, rhythm, tonality and form, with closing chapters considering the performance and reception of his music in the first years of the new century and our view of Debussy today as a major force in Western culture. This comprehensive view of Debussy is written by a team of specialists for students and informed music lovers This Companion offers new insights into Debussy's character, his environment and his music, especially the roles of nature and eroticism in his music. His works are discussed through the themes of sonority, rhythm, tonality and form, with closing chapters on performance and reception at the start of the new century