Despite the research i have done regarding the title, the results i have found are still only speculation. Three years exist between the publication of the first and second book, with the former appearing in 1910. Les sons et les parfums tournent dans lair du soir ch. He redresses the balance here with a new complete set that ranks among the very best. Quite a few people over the years have wondered if the title les preludes could mean anything else.
Scotts analysis a similar study to my own regarding gestural analysis has been conducted by douglas scott on mozarts flute quartet in d, k285. Debussy dover music for piano by debussy, claude isbn. Claude debussys preludes are 24 pieces for solo piano, divided into two books of 12 preludes each. This paper also includes a brief history of preludes as well as possible influences upon debussy and his compositions. There are evocations of calm seascapes, delicate wind tracery, and snowcovered landscapes. Not only is the title full of mystery, but the piece. A summar ofy all th processee s involve ind reachin mg y. But presumably it must have drawn attention to his new debussy recording, which neatly fits both books of. Canope preludes, book ii, 19 playing debussys piano works. Another critic wrote that book 2 of the preludes is played more successfully than book 1. Analysis the piece starts with an introduction from measures 1 7.
These beautiful french works are a must for all pianists. You get two discs for the price of one here, but the discs are only about 42 and 43 minutes worth. Some pedaling marks at the bottom if these pages were cut off. Sep 29, 2009 claude debussy s painterly preludes the subtle, elusive quality of debussy s twentyfour preludes is captured perfectly by pianist paul jacobs, who plays them with a tolling, belllike sound. Chandos records is one of the worlds premier classical music record companies, best known for. Chopin, debussy composed twentyfour preludes in two books 1910 and 19. Its a small work, by comparison, and doesnt have any of the allusions or quotes in foreign languages that eliot is known for. See all 3 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Canope preludes, book ii, 19 playing debussys piano. Nontraditional scales extended harmony traditional chords used in nontraditional context harmonic color tonal ambiguity. Notwithstanding their diverse origin and characteristics they were published as a set of twelve keyboard preludes by bach, in. Playing debussys piano works an amateurs thoughts about. In these pages ill try to summarize what references i have on the performance of.
Debussys most dramatic contribution to music history was his disregard for traditional chord structures and tonality. There is a strong tonal relationship between the preludes that suggests that the published order of the preludes is not arbitrary. Eliot it suggests music, and also the presage of an event, usually something exciting or something to look forward to. The performances tell it like it is or almost, for not all debussys very demanding contrasts of dynamics are observed, and i imagine collard has small hands, though she makes splitting big stretches sound quite acceptable. The music expresses a vast repertoire of emotions, colors and moods. He was one of the most important figures in music at the turn of the 20th century. Breiner for orchestra debussy completed his two books of preludes in 1910 and 19 respectively, and they contain some of his most visionary and poetic writing for piano.
There he will be able to develop the philosophic ideas for his poems by being in close proximity to the land and nature he knows best. The purpose of this thesis is to discuss and give a descriptive analysis of twelve of the twentyfour preludes written by. Book 1 opens the narrative with the poet deciding to leave his life outside england and return to his native area in the lake district, away from cities and more open to the elements. A descriptive analysis of the preludes book 1 of claude. The two final preludes of book i are more lighthearted. One idea, which liszt himself hinted at, is that the piece is a prelude to a new way of writing music. Les preludes was actually the first of liszts tone poems to be performed so it was the start of a completely new style of orchestral piece. Please add your thoughts in the comments at the bottom. A descriptive analysis of the preludes book 1 of claude debussy page.
University of wollongong thesis collection university of. The next few measures go through a series of stacked chord progressions that eventually come full circle back to d. But presumably it must have drawn attention to his new debussy recording, which neatly fits both books of piano preludes on to a single disc. Im only an amateur pianist, but have been playing debussy s piano works since the late 70s. This piece is pure debussy a beautiful, quiet contemplative tone poem. Poems of william wordsworth selected the prelude book 1. 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. The poet has, by his own account, been too long pentup in london and only now has managed to return to the beloved lake district where he spent his childhood and adolescence. Im only an amateur pianist, but have been playing debussys piano works since the late 70s. Preludes came out in 1920, years before eliots big, famous poem. Aug 19, 2016 the composer who benefited most from this liberation was bartok, who was introduced to debussys music by kodaly in 1907.
He was too good a composer to imitate debussy, although there are a few examples of direct influence it. For a start, the piano sound is absolutely marvellous, rich, sonorous and excellently recorded. In this prelude we find examples of harmonic procedures commonly used in claude debussys music like. Roges 1970s debussy recordings were superb, the only regret being that he didnt record book 2 of the preludes. Unt theses and dissertations and was provided to digital library by the unt libraries. Unlike some notable collections of preludes from prior times, such as chopins op. The purpose of this thesis is to discuss and give a descriptive analysis of twelve of the twentyfour preludes written by claude debussy. Baudelaire sounds and perfumes swirl in the evening. This introduction section a includes d minor and ddorian right next to each other. The word prelude can also trace back to eliots musical experiences, implying that this poem might have a rhythmic beat.
Baudelaire sounds and perfumes swirl in the evening air v. Therefore, the twentyfour preludes composed between 1909 and 19 rep. The title prelude i suggests that this poem is the first of a group of poems about a common topic, perhaps in different points of views. Some extra work has been done in erasing the titles at the beginning of each piece and placing them at the end, following the authors wish.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Publication date 1910 topics preludes, for piano, scores featuring the piano, for 1 player collection imslp. Chandos records is one of the worlds premier classical music record companies, best known for its ground breaking search for neglected musical gems. Zwolf kleine praeludien, bwv 924930, 939942 and 999, is a 19thcentury compilation of short pieces, collected from various 18thcentury manuscripts written by johann sebastian bach and others. These compositions, while endearing themselves to both pianist and listener, also occupy an important place in musical. Preludes is a pretty name for the poem written by t. Chapter 4 is my specific musical and interpretative analysis of the preludes. Lmc 1974 issued shortly after this score is a critical edition by james briscoe on which is claimed. Achilleclaude debussy 22nd august 1862 25th march 1918 was a french composer. A descriptive analysis of the preludes book 1 of claude debussy. Puck is shakespeares elf, in all likelihood found by debussy, as roy howat has suggested, in an edition of 1908 with illustrations by arthur rackham. Download piano sheet music from piano street digital sheet music library.
The speaker addresses us, narrating the wet newspapers that hit our feet and the broken, dirty features of the city around us. This blog is dedicated to discussion of the performance of the piano pieces of claude debussy. A descriptive analysis of the preludes book 1 of claude debussy showing 14 of 68 pages in this thesis. Debussy preludes, book 1 by claude debussy 18621918. The performances tell it like it is or almost, for not all debussys very demanding contrasts of dynamics are observed, and i imagine collard has small hands, though she.
Sep 29, 2006 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. The one clear fault of the osborne recording is dynamic extremes, which is, i assume, an engineering decision. As part of an ma dissertation scott presented his own logicodeductive form of analysis based on hattens theories of music and gesture. Dance of puck from claude debussys claude debussy plays his finest works for free, and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists. Preludes books 1 and 2 paperback april 1, 1999 by claude debussy composer 4. The prelude cliffsnotes study guides book summaries. My analysis of canope debussy preludes for piano, book. Or maybe youve seen the famous broadway musical cats, which was based on his work. The aimard cd has plenty of dynamic range, just not the extremes. The titles are provided at the end of each prelude and left without dedication, with inspiration from impressionist artwork, literature, and nature.
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