Biography of French composer Claude Debussy, regarded founder of music impressionism and famous for two preludes, 'Clair de lune' and 'La mer.'

French composer Claude Debussy reached his career peak when late Romantics Liszt and Wagner were coming to an end. He is often called "French musical Impressionist.'

Debussy is best-known for orchestral music 'La mer,' two preludes - L'Apres-midi d'un faune (The Afternoon of a Faun) and La fille aux cheveaux de lin (The Girl with the Flaxen Hair), and piano piece 'Clair de lune.' He won the Prix de Rome competition twice.

Early Life of Debussy

Claude Debussy, born on August 22, 1862 in St Germain-en-Laye, did not come from a musical family but was encouraged to take up music at an early age. When he was ten years old, he studied with Guiraud at the Paris Conservatoire. Initially, he planned to be a virtuoso pianist but abandoned it when he won the prestigious Prix de Rome competition twice.

In his early years, Debussy travelled extensively to Vienna, Italy and Russia. He also spent few years in Rome but often he was not happy. He was known to be unsociable even as a youth.

Influence of the School of Impressionism

Debussy's interest in the arts was focused particularly on the painters of the Impressionist school headed by Claude Monet. Critics hailed Debussy as a "French musical impressionist" in comparing his music with the impressionist painters Monet, Renoir and Pisarro, although he preferred the term 'Symbolism' to 'Impressionism.'

Orchestral Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune

At 30, Debussy began one of his best known orchestral works Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, a beautiful and sensual musicbased on a poem by Stéphane Mallarmé, describing the dreams and desires of a faun enjoying in an afternoon heat. The first performance was a great success given an immediate encore.

Family and Financial Life

Debussy had two marriages and many love affairs. On his first wedding, in 1899, he had to give a piano lesson to pay for the reception. His second wife was wealthy, and at 46 years old, he was achieving financial security. Unfortunately, his health began to deteriorate a year later. He died of cancer in 1918, at 56.

Debussy's Major Works

• Preludes L’Apres-midi d’un faune (The Afternoon of a Faun), illustrating a poem by Mallarme and La fille aux cheveaux de lin (The Girl with the Flaxen Hair)
• Opera Pelleas et Melisande in 1902, the turning point in his career and considered as the most important opera that Impressionism ever produced.
• Children’s Corner, for piano in 1908: Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum, Jumbo's Lullaby, Doll's Serenade, snow is Dancing, Little Shepherd, Golliwog's Cake-walk
• Reverie, 1890
• Songs
• Orchestral pieces

Debussy's Orchestral Music are in the realm of nature such as:

• Trois Nocturnes, 1899
• La Mer (The Sea), 1903
• Clair de Lune (Moonlight), 1890
• Jeux (Games), 1910, ballet

Debussy published witty and humorous critical writing about the music of his day, featuring the fictional character Monsieur Croche “antidilettante” (professional debunker), figure based on Erik Satie.

Claude Debussy's numerous piano works remain as popular today as were in his time.

Recommended Work:

La Mer

Sources:

The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music, edited by Stanley Sadie (1994)

The Oxford Companion to Music, edited by Alison Latham (2002)