Impressionism:CLAUDE DEBUSSY

Claude Debussy: “Claire de Lune”https://youtu.be/-LXl4y6D-QI

Impressionism

In the second half of the 19th century, music continued to stretch the rules of classical harmony and form to increase the subtlety of what it could express.

This paralleled the development artists like Claude Monet who began painting vague and misty paintings using tiny splotches of paint. Instead of just portraying objects like a photograph, they tried to recreate impressions of color and mood made by the time of day or atmosphere at a given moment.

This type of art and music, focused on subtle and fleeting moods and atmospheres, is called impressionism.

Symbolism

A parallel movement in poetry and philosophy called symbolism emphasized vague suggestion and evoking moods with the sound and emotional effect of words.

“To name an object is to suppress three-quarters of the enjoyment of a poem, which is made up of gradually guessing; the dream is to suggest it.” (Mallarmé)

Impressionist composer Claude Debussy wrote music that expresses fleeting moods and misty atmospheres like the impressionist painters and symbolist poets of his time. In order to do so, took music further from classical harmony and form than ever before.

Claude Debussy

Claude Debussy (1862-1918) was a French composer and pianist.

Studying at the Conservatory in Paris, he was seen as a gifted rebel for the revolutionary harmonies and scales that he liked to use in his pieces.

He wrote impressionistic pieces for piano and orchestra, as well as severalFrench art songs and one opera.

His liberation from classical harmony inspired composers up to today to use more complex and vague harmonies to make their music more subtly expressive.

Debussy’s Style

When asked what harmonic rules he used, Debussy once replied, “My pleasure.”

But he did use the following musical techniques to give his music its sound: Chromatic notes (all white & black keys) Extended chords (7th, 9th, 11th, 13th) Pentatonic scale (only the black keys) Whole Tone Scale (Do Re Me Fi Si Li Do) Parallel Chords Weak Beat and Mixed Meter

La Mer Part III: Dialogue of the wind and the sea

Water was always a favorite subject of impressionists

In this movement, Debussy suggests images of a storm appearing over the ocean, then giving way to a majestic calm.

As you listen, pay attention how the music directs and enhances your impressions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbsX74pFr9I