Debussy Preludes
For many years, the attention of researchers from different countries has been attracted by the work of the extraordinarily talented French composer Claude Debussy. He managed to give a new vision to almost every genre in which he managed to work. But his talent manifested itself most clearly in piano music, in particular in his cycle Preludes, which were the result of many years of work and very accurately reflect the composer’s individual style.
History of creation
The maestro created his cycle of 24 preludes already in the mature period of the creative path. So, the first notebook was published in 1910, the second - in 1913. With these works, Debussy summarized the evolution of the genre in all Western European music. It is worth noting that before him the composers who dedicated their work to the development of the prelude became I. Bach and F. Chopin. In the 20th century, the names of Russian composers, such as Sergey Rachmaninov, Alexander Scriabin or Dmitry Shostakovich, are predominantly associated with this genre. In their case, the miniature began to develop in a completely new way.
For Debussy, the prelude cycle was an encyclopedia of his poetic images and individual style. He, as an impressionist, was most attracted in this genre by the opportunity to embody individual images, impressions that quickly replaced each other, as well as the absence of strict rules and compositional schemes, improvisation.
Each of Debussy’s 24 preludes, which are small musical paintings, contains a separate artistic image. But the cyclical, unlike Chopin's preludes, is felt much less. In the composition of the composer-impressionist there is no such interrelation of preludes, which would be connected by a common idea or genre. However, his works are distinguished by the brightest color and variety of subjects. Chopin's preludes reveal the inner world of a person, his feelings and even thoughts, while the whole cycle obeys a single dramatic plan. Debussy went a completely different way.
Interesting Facts
- There are a huge number of orchestral versions of the Preludes. One of the most famous variations belongs to the composer Luc Brevays, who orchestrated all 24 plays.
- It is curious that the music of the composer has long been considered to be "athematic".
- In the second compilation, the composer uses three musical camps to show the polyphonic complexity of the pieces.
- The well-known fact that the names for miniatures Debussy helped to invent his wife Emma.
- Some researchers believe that the titles of the plays do not mean plots at all, but are only subjective associations from musical images. Sometimes these associations act as something not related to the miniature.
- For most of the preludes, Debussy chooses a three-part form, moreover, they are free from any schematism.
- Debussy has developed his own unique instrumental style, which was distinguished by an extraordinary multiplicity of texture, melody hidden in a harmonic background, as well as a peculiar Ladogarmonic language based on abrupt changes of tonalities, sometimes very far from each other.
- Debussy in the cycle conveys a diverse instrumental timbre - this is both the bell tower from the "Sunken Cathedral" and the sound of the horn from the play "Sounds and Flavors Rush in the Night Air", the guitar in "Interrupted Serenade".
- The composer is very selective in genre thematism. He uses the chorale in the "Sunken Cathedral," tokkatu in the play "Wind on the Plain." The most important place is occupied by Spanish dances, which convey a special flavor, and sometimes help to recreate the era. In the miniature "Delphic Dancers", Debussy uses the ritual dance to convey the atmosphere of the ancient world.
Claude Debussy's Piano Works
It is no secret that piano music has a special place in the work of Debussy. He himself was a brilliant pianist and always tried to pay close attention to piano compositions. It is noteworthy that these works contain the brightest and typical features of his style and creativity in general.
It was this area that underwent the most evolution, since he wrote compositions for piano throughout the entire creative journey. Moreover, none of the composers failed to embody such a variety of plots in this direction.
The style of the composer was formed in the chamber-vocal sphere and it is impossible not to note the closest relationship with poetry. In particular, it was the work of the Symbolists, which became a kind of red thread for Debussy. In his letter to Edgar Warez, he wrote that he loves les images almost as much as music. In this case, the exact meaning that the maestro wanted to convey was difficult to predict. Les images can be translated as "reflection", "image", "picture". Any of these interpretations apply to Debussy's piano works.
What exactly is the prelude? This is a small instrumental piece of an improvisational nature, which, by the characteristics of the building, can be compared to a poetic miniature. In this regard, it is assumed that Debussy’s preludes are symbolism poetry transferred to the realm of music. The image itself is as if hidden by a veil, everywhere there is a kind of understatement, with the result that only a general impression of the content remains.
How did the composer come to this genre? If Debussy's early works mostly do not go beyond the boundaries of miniatures, then already in “Prints” there is a clear expansion of the boundaries and the use of other forms. The composer pays attention to the poem and only after that he returns to the miniatures in his work. This is especially noticeable on the example of the series "Images", where the genre features of the prelude and poem interpenetrate. In the plays from the collection “Children's Corner”, “miniaturization” is felt very strongly. As a result, the composer comes to the creation of a cycle of twenty-four miniatures - "Prelude". We can say that after some experiments with forms and genres, Debussy still finds the perfect piano genre for himself that meets all his requirements. It is the prelude that contains in itself freedom from the traditional schemes, and in this connection a certain sketch incompleteness, conciseness.
Content
If Chopin's preludes were devoid of program, Debussy is different. Each of them has a name which he preferred to indicate at the end of the work. As if he suggested to the audience to recreate his musical image that arose while listening to the prelude and to check with his own vision. This method is very close to one of the leaders of symbolism, Stefan Mallarme. He admitted that to name a subject is the same as to destroy 3/4 of the pleasure from a poem, the most important thing being to instill an image. This is what the composer wanted to do.
The names themselves are very concise, they only denote the figurative sphere. This could be nature, for example, the sea element ("Sails", "Ondine", "Sunken Cathedral") or the air element ("Wind on the Plain", "What the West Wind Saw"), light ("Fireworks"). Some images were borrowed entirely from art ("Delphic dancers", "Gates of the Alhambra"), literature. In general, the composer in miniatures used images very characteristic of his era. These are all kinds of landscape scenes, everyday scenes, fictional scenes, as well as Spanish images.
The greatest number of preludes is devoted to landscapes. In both notebooks, Debussy tried to devote enough attention to this topic. So, in 1 compilation there are plays "Sail", "Sounds and aromas soar in the night air", "Steps in the snow", and in 2 -"Heather", "Fogs" and etc.
At the same time, the composer’s landscape itself is special and is not merely illustrative.
Sixth Prelude from the first notebook "Steps in the snow"although it represents a landscape image, it cannot be called a sketch of a winter nature, because besides this, the play contains a deep psychological meaning. This is also indicated by the composer’s recording that the rhythm of the miniature should convey a sad winter landscape. Debussy I mean the ostinate rhythm, which is preserved throughout the foreplay. It helps not only to recreate the picture of icy nature, but also to add a feeling of emptiness and grief. Miniature music is born in silence, gradually growing and reaching With its climax, everything quietly disappears and freezes. The main theme of the foreplay is tonally unstable, but it remains diatonic, and because of the pauses, it has a declamatory character.
"Steps in the snow" (listen)
In all the miniatures, Debussy tries to adhere to the classical contrast of the middle parts in three-part forms. At the same time, he excludes a strict tonal plan, as composers do in their cycles of others (F. Chopin or I. Bach).
Contrast in the preludes often make changes in tempo. And often it concerns the pair of neighboring miniatures. So, almost the entire first notebook is built on this principle - the contrast of movement types. It is enough to compare the preludes "Steps in the snow" and the next "What the west wind saw"that represent the brightest pattern of contrast.
It helps to create and harmonic language. For example, from simple diatonics to artificial frets (as in the foreplay "Sail").
The composer tried not to use classical compositional schemes for preludes, emphasizing their originality and improvisation. The only thing that unites all the miniatures is the features of a three-part reprise form (sometimes two). However, here the proportions of the sections are violated.
For example, in the foreplay "Sunken cathedral“from the first notebook, you can see the shift of proportions. In this miniature images of the common Breton legend about the Cathedral of Is, which is hidden in the sea, are revealed to the audience. It is set out in powerful chords and sounds against the background of a powerful bass that conveys the sound of a bell. This theme occurs only in the middle part of the miniature. Interestingly, its gradual formation from individual intonations occurs. Firstly, it is a quiet chime, which seems to be heard from a fantastic world, complements the picture with a clear rhythm, dynamic hues in extreme registers. This all underlines the fabulous illusion of sea space. swaying trioles, crescendo and rhythmic fragmentation of tension.However, after such a development, a long recession occurs, and the main theme of the choral gradually disappears.
"The sunken cathedral" (listen)
A separate place in the cycle is occupied by preludes-portraits. Among them, the most famous miniature No8 "Girl with flax hair"The music of the foreplay is light, dreamy, the embodiment of the ideal of femininity. Compared with other miniatures, it is very simple and differs by the transparency of the texture, especially at the very beginning. The main theme develops slowly and is accompanied by soft chords. - flat major and B flat major. The middle part continues the mood of the first one and has little contrast, the thematic grain of the play also develops in it. The third part has a more dense texture, but already from Tuesday cerned offers basic melody sounds virtually unchanged.
"Girl with flax-colored hair" (listen)
Following her "Interrupted Serenade"- This is a small sketch of Spanish life. Night serenade is comic in nature, and its content is revealed with the help of contrast. The play compares two images: a declaration of love and an" external world "that interferes with the serenade, interrupting it. The main theme is based on the rhythm of the segidilla and typical Spanish whorls. It repeats three times, acquiring the role of a refrain. The melody is saturated with new bright details with each of its performances. the length of the refrain, each time the subject is extended by 8 cycles.The first two refrains are interrupted by episodes - first, there are sharply chords in A minor, and then a clear rhythm of the dance in the key of D major.
"Interrupted Serenade" (listen)
Some miniatures combine portraiture and genre scenes at once. One of these preludes is the final piece from the first notebook of the Minstrels. It differs from other miniatures in its bright pictorial and humorous character. Built prelude on thematic contrast. It combines pop music, African folklore and dance elements. Such an abundance of thematic material is due to the fact that the content of the miniature is associated with the actors of the “Theater of Minstrels”.
The work of the French impressionist composer has always occupied a special place in world music. His discoveries in the field of piano music were innovative and completely updated the system of musical language. What amazes most is the wealth and variety of instrument capabilities that Claude Debussy was able to show to all the listeners. One of the main mysteries of his piano creativity still remains the amazing sound illusion, which is fully shown in the Prelude cycle. In each of these twenty-four miniatures, which it would be more correct to call pictures, a bright individual artistic image is concluded, which is gradually revealed to the audience.
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