Like a grading from easiest to hardest would be appreciated. Claude debussy has 547 books on goodreads with 1086 ratings. These works have been central to stevens repertoire for many years and he brings them to the studio after. Here he reaches between those two to tackle one of the pinnacles of the piano repertoiredebussys two books of preludes. P ierrelaurent aimards muchpublicised recent claim in an interview with a german newspaper that debussy is a. Ce quq vu le vent douest is the most difficult prelude in book i.
These works have been central to stevens repertoire for many years and he brings them to the. List of books and articles about claude debussy online. Claude debussys two books of preludes, implying homage to both chopin and bach, revel in the composers innovative piano techniques. There are evocations of calm seascapes, delicate wind tracery, and snowcovered landscapes. Claude debussy preludes, book i amazon web services. 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. Claude debussy preludes, book 2 l 123 ondine arturo benedetti michelangeli great sound. Feux dartifice is the hardest prelude of book ii and overall. 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. Flex your piano fingers with these 7 easiest debussy preludes and piano pieces. Claude debussys preludes are 24 pieces for solo piano, divided into two books of 12 preludes each. Canope preludes, book ii, 19 playing debussys piano works. Preludes books 1 and 2 paperback april 1, 1999 by claude debussy composer 4. Unlike some notable collections of preludes from prior.
Debussy himself decried the concept of musical impressionism. Along with maurice ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures associated with impressionist music, though he himself disliked the term when applied to his compositions. Debussy s preludes are 24 pieces for solo piano, divided into two books of 12 preludes each. Though totaling twentyfour in number between the two books, debussys preludes do not follow the precedent established by j. Prelude a lapresmidi dun faune and other works for piano. He was among the most influential composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Ondine by claude debussy from book 2 of the preludes. I have recently been listening repeatedly to samples of pascal roges latest recording of debussy s preludes, and i must say i like what ive heard. 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. Ondine opens in an ethereal mood, but quickly turns playful and whimsical, with notes jumping about and swirling. Phrase distinctions are based on the noticeable changes and configurations in the motives as well as changes in mode and general bass harmonic region. Some pedaling marks at the bottom if these pages were cut off. Walter morse rummel, piano complete first pub lication. This album contains the preludes, books 1 and 2 by debussy, presented by piano classics, a label of brilliant classics.
Debussy took great care in assigning these titles, and several contain quotations from various poems. A descriptive analysis of the preludes book 1 of claude debussy. You get two discs for the price of one here, but the discs are only about 42 and 43 minutes worth. Each book was written in a matter of months, at an unusually fast pace for debussy. The most important early example of the prelude being exemplified in the forty eight preludes and fugues of books i and ii of the well tempered clavier of bach, where the prelude served to. Debussy used his experience of gamelan music to inspire a new way of thinking about music and sound.
Unlike some notable collections of preludes from prior times, such as chopins op. Ondine or in english, undine, is the spirit of water, with associated legends. Feux dartifice, from preludes, book ii claude debussy. Among the most important 20th century composers, and the most influential. Childrens corner 19061908 is debussys easiest collection, suitable for early advanced players. This experimental arrangement of debussys original composition was created by ed chang. The sixth prelude proceeds through the proliferation and loose variation of melodies. Ilya itin, piano this video was recorded at the golandsky institute international piano festival at. He wanted to create, he said later, music whose form was so free it would sound improvised. Sep 29, 2006 debussy used his experience of gamelan music to inspire a new way of thinking about music and sound. 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.
This paper also includes a brief history of preludes as well as possible influences upon debussy and his compositions. Leslie cain performs in richard goodes alldebussy master class, march 27 2015. Lubimov plays book 1 on a 1925 bechstein and book 2 on a 19 steinway. Dovers book of debussy preludes is made of extremely high quality print on heavier paper than usual.
This is frequently forgotten in the interpretation as well as the assessment of his oeuvre. He was too good a composer to imitate debussy, although there are a few examples of direct influence it. Oct 31, 2006 though totaling twentyfour in number between the two books, debussys preludes do not follow the precedent established by j. This newlyrendered adaptation is a drastically manipulated synthfont derivation from a conventional midi transcription by jeruen c. Claude debussy scribd scribd read books, audiobooks. Formally, the piece divides into two approximately equal sections, a and a, from measure 115, and from 16 36. Mar 10, 2012 claude debussy preludes, book 2 l 123 ondine arturo benedetti michelangeli great sound. Prelude a lapresmidi dun faune and other works for piano four hands. Complete preludes, books 1 and 2 dover music for piano. Suite bergamasque by claude debussy, paperback barnes. Another perspective on the shape of this piece occurs to me. Debussy may have contributed the last important evolution to the prelude. Ondine is the oondine of 12 preludes in debussy s second set of preludes.
The easiest debussy piano pieces and the most difficult. Debussy arturo benedetti michelangeli preludes book 2. Claude debussy is one of the greatest pianists of all time and one of the most prominent composers connected with. Provided to youtube by universal music group debussy. Debussys orchestral works include prelude a lapresmidi dun faune 1894, nocturnes 18971899 and images 19051912. Pascal roges collection of debussys preludes marks both the launch. Debussy is closer to the expressionism of schoenberg than to the chiselled sonorities of a chopin or the extravagant virtuosity of a liszt, even if his refined art can still be seen in the line of tradition of 19thcentury music. Written between 1909 and 19, preludes are probably claude debussys most important work for piano. 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. There is no proof that debussy necessarily intended the preludes to be performed as a cycle, although the musical language throughout each book is so consistent that performers often do so. Among french musics most avantgarde expressions, they also contain some of debussys most atonal sorties.
Canope preludes, book ii, 19 playing debussys piano. And i think that one can give a lot more to each piece if one tries to understand the sort of artistic environment in which the composer lived. With early influences including russian and fareastern music, debussy developed his own style of harmony and orchestral colouring. 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. Order from your preferred classical music cd store arkivmusic. For his recording of debussys two books of preludes, alexei lubimov uses two vintage concert grand pianos whose distinct sonorities would have been familiar to the composer. He has many nuances of debyssy at his command and quite a range of dynamic too, with many gradations between his loudest and quietest passages. Download piano sheet music from piano street digital sheet music library. The purpose of this thesis is to discuss and give a descriptive analysis of twelve of the twentyfour preludes written by claude debussy. It consists in a series of 24 short pieces, equally subdivided into two books.
Emma bardac wife impressionism in music debussy quadrangle crater. Book i was composed in a short time between december 1909 and february 1910. Maurizio pollinis main qualities as an artist are neither humor nor abundance of keyboard color. Now, these happen to be among the requisites necessary to play debussys preludes in the right frame of mind lets not speak about that woolly notion called style. Claude debussy 18621918 is the subject of this fairly brief, but very engaging and wellillustrated biography. Rcabmg, recorded live at carnegie hall, november 3, 1961. After traveling in europe and russia, debussy settled down in paris in 1887 and devoted himself to composing for the rest of his life. Module 5 analysis of piano repertoire lessons 1 and 2 debussy preludes the student must look for the book the piano works of claude debsusy, by e. For pierrelaurent aimard, the preludes are a reflection of what debussy saw and read and felt. Debussys most dramatic contribution to music history was his disregard for traditional chord structures and tonality.
Robert casadesus books iii sony classical 45688 recorded 19531954 jorge bolet only 16 preludes from both books deccalondon 425. The most important early example of the prelude being exemplified in the forty eight preludes and fugues of books i and ii of the well tempered clavier of bach, where the prelude served to establish the tonal center of the fugue that followed it. The music of debussy is given detailed, yet not too technical explanations. A descriptive analysis of the preludes book 1 of claude. Even though its called childrens corner, these pieces arent meant for children rather, theyre meant to invoke the vibe of childhood. Aug 19, 2016 the paradox is that debussy succeeded in a series of piano works starting with estampes in 1903 and culminating in the two books of preludes in 1910 and 1912 respectively in creating what can only be called an impressionist technique. Claudeachille debussy 22 august 1862 25 march 1918 was a french composer. Unlike chopins, bachs and many other composers homonymous series, these pieces arent sorted by key signature.
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