Claude Debussy is one of the most prolific composers of the impressionistic era. He was a contemporary of the famous Wagner, although when Debussy starts to do his own classical music in the 1890s, his own style takes on a voice all his own. This style features altered harmonics including altered 7th, 9th, and 11th chords and quartal and quintal harmonies that are very interesting. They help the composer to change keys much more easily and quickly like tumbling weeds in the fall. These harmonic changes emanate from the German, French, and Italian 6th chords, although there are more advanced now.
Some of the most popular works are also some of this reviewer’s favorites, being a piano player. The one most popular work from any and all of his periods of composing that is relevant today is the classic Clair de Lune. It features that bouncing from key to key that was mentioned earlier. It also features the close harmony of quartal and quintal harmonies. You may be asking, “What are quartal and quintal harmonies? They are chord-like structures that are made with notes a fourth and/or a fifth apart from each other or at least have a forth or a fifth in them with out a 3rd in between them. It is not a normal 1-3-5 major or minor chord. It is a reaching harmony that has seconds in it so it sounds closer and more ambiguous than normal. The orchestral version of Clair de Lune is one of the finest arrangements ever. I love how the different colors of the orchestra match perfectly with the composer’s divine sense of harmony. Later works such as Fetes and Sirénes are marvelous in the fact they use primarily whole tones. One of the most popular works in his entire career is the great piano set of etudes entitled Pour le piano. In this collection are his works Clair de Lune, Reverie, and many others that use harmonies that would signify later jazz music.
One of the later pieces in the repertoire is a kid’s piece that he originally wrote for his little daughter called “Golliwog’s Cakewalk.” This piece was written about this toy that the composer bought for his daughter to play with around his house. The music turns the motion of the toy into sound. The piece is rather programatic, with the jazz like voicing continuing.This piece comes from a larger collection called The Children’s Corner.
Debussy is also known for writing such fabulous works as The Girl With the Flaxen Hair and The Engulfed Cathedral, then again pronouncing on the full harmonies whose notes span an octave per chord. He was even inspired by Javanese music by inspiration where he wrote Pagodas, a pentatonic exploration.
His final works for piano were his most far-reaching and avant garde purely to evoke certain moods and emotions. The images are very graphic, perhaps hinting at the guiles of death. Octatonic, and whole tone scales among modes and other structures give way to higher tonal differences, thus looking to the future. The last few big collections and works were unfinished in part due to procrastination as well as failing health. Other arrangers and composers would be called into finish these works. All in all, his work was rich in texture and signified a shift in tonalities that would carry their way through the 20th century.
