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Definition: Debussy, Claude Achille from Philip's Encyclopedia

French composer, exponent of impressionism. Debussy wrote highly individual music that was delicate and suggestive. He explored new techniques of harmony and orchestral colour. Some critics cite his Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (1894) as the beginning of 20th-century music. Other orchestral works are Nocturnes (1899), La Mer (1905), and Images (1912). His piano works, such as Suite Bergamasque (1890) and Etudes (1915), are among the most important in the repertoire. His one completed opera was Pelléas and Mélisande (1902).

Debussy, (Achille-) Claude (1862–1918)

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
French composer. He broke with German Romanticism and introduced new qualities of melody and harmony based on the whole-tone scale. His work includes Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune/Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun (1894), illustrating a poem by Stéphane Mallarmé, and the opera Pelléas et Mélisande (1902). Among his other works are numerous piano pieces, songs, orchestral pieces such as La Mer/The Sea (1905) and Trois Nocturnes/Three Nocturnes (1899), and the ballet Jeux (1913). Debussy also published witty and humorous critical writing about the music of his day, featuring the fictional character Monsieur Croche ‘antidilettante’ (professional debunker), a figure based on Erik Satie . Debussy was the son of a shopkeeper. He took his first piano lessons at the age of seven, and from 1870 was taught for three years by Mme Mauté de Fleurville, a former pupil of Chopin. He entered the Paris Conservatory in 1873, studying with Albert Lavignac and Jean-Francois Marmontel, and later with…
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Debussy had little formal education; his first piano lessons were with Antoinette Mauté; in 1872 he was admitted to the piano (Marmontel) and theory (Lavignac) classes at the Paris Conservatory. In 1880 he joined Guiraud’s composition class and four years later won the Prix de Rome (with the cantata…
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Full text Article Debussy, Claude (1862–1918)

From The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales
French composer who was greatly influenced by literature and whose music has had an enormous impact on all successive generations of composers. Among Debussy's best-known works are songs set to poetry by *Banville , Baudelaire, Mallarmé, and Verlaine. Two of his songs are based on fairy tales, ‘La…
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Full text Article Debussy, (Achille-) Claude (1862–1918)

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
French composer. He broke with German Romanticism and introduced new qualities of melody and harmony based on the whole-tone scale. His work includes Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune/Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun (1894), illustrating a poem by Stéphane Mallarmé, and the opera Pelléas et…
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French composer. His writing for piano was described as ‘musical Impressionism’. He translated it to the orchestra in La Mer (1905), to his opera, Pelléas et Mélisande , and to other works. The colour of my soul is iron-grey and sad bats wheel about the steeple of my dreams. 1894 Letter. That old…
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Manuscript page of music for 'King Lear', with a portrait inscribed by Emma Debussy, December 1904 (pencil on paper & b/w photo)
Artist: Debussy, Claude (1862-1918) Location: Private Collection Credit: Manuscript page of music for 'King Lear', with a portrait inscribed by Emma Debussy, December 1904 (pencil on paper & b/w photo), Debussy, Claude (1862-1918) / Private Collection / Photo © Christie's Images / The Bridgeman…
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Residents of Villa Medici in Rome, photo sent and dedicated by Claude Debussy (1862-1918) to his parents, 1884-85 (b/w photo)
Artist: French Photographer, (19th century) Location: Musee d'Art et d'Histoire, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France Credit: Residents of Villa Medici in Rome, photo sent and dedicated by Claude Debussy (1862-1918) to his parents, 1884-85 (b/w photo), French Photographer, (19th century) / Musee d'Art et…
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Full text Article Claude Debussy (1862-1918) (b/w photo)

From Bridgeman Images: The Bridgeman Art Library
Claude Debussy (1862-1918) (b/w photo)
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Full text Article (Achille-) Claude Debussy (1862–1918)

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
The colour of my soul is iron-grey and sad bats wheel about the steeple of my dreams. Letter to Chausson, 1894 Counterpoint can be the nastiest thing in music. Letter to Vasnier 1885 For Erik Satie, the sweet medieval musician who has strayed into this century for the joy of his very…
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Fan which belonged to Yvonne Lerolle, daughter of painter Henry Lerolle, with dedication to Claude Debussy (1862-1918) and musical notes from Pelleas et Melisande
Credit: Fan which belonged to Yvonne Lerolle, daughter of painter Henry Lerolle, with dedication to Claude Debussy (1862-1918) and musical notes from Pelleas et Melisande / De Agostini Picture Library / G. Dagli Orti / The Bridgeman Art Library Description: Saint-Germain-En-Laye, Musée Claude…
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Portrait of Victorine Menoury, mother of Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
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