While the overall form of the piece is considered to ABA, it is important to note how one section of the piece blends beautifully with the next. The piece has a continuous flow and it is so subtle that listeners are not tempted at any point to beat time to any rhythms.
The typical feeling of weightlessness that is associated with Impressionistic music and the simple act of repetition are what make this piece a success. We should also consider that "Prelude de L'apres Midi d'un Faune" was composed with the stage in mind. The intention of the piece was to leave listeners with something profound to think about long after the sound of the music stopped. Debussy was successful in that the piece had an effect that reached farther than any other French orchestral piece of the same era. The piece left audiences marveling at its unique style and manner. The harmonies in this piece are sensuous and its phrases capture elements that leave us wanting more. The colors and sounds of this piece are perfect and delicious and every bit should be savored. The presence of the flute is perhaps the most admired aspect of the piece. In orchestral literature, it is to be celebrated in its excellence.
Debussy's appreciation of the ninth chord can be heard in "Prelude de L'apres Midi d'un Faune," an effort that turns the traditional function of the root harmony into a vague afterthought in that there appears to be movement with no clear direction. This vagueness envelopes the entire piece in that any outlines of harmony are muted and even harmonic progressions are alleviated. It should be noted that this style of composition is one that can be traced back to artists of Debussy's day. He was not concerned with telling the story in a way that clearly defined everything. He was more interested in creating an atmosphere that allowed the listener to find his or her own way into the story. The music does not want to tell the complete story but instead wants to allude to certain moods and tones, leaving the listener to fill in the blanks. There are no hard edges in this piece - only soft lines. This is not to say that Debussy completely abandoned tonality but he did apply his own loose flair to it. He used certain elements such as triads in a different manner, juxtaposing them and forcing them out...
Claude Debussy after his CentenaryfootnoteRef:1], authors Francois Lesure and Denis Stevens review the legacy of Debussy's work and his life at the one hundred years anniversary of his birth. The authors are particularly concerned with exploring misconceptions, contradictions and areas requiring further study that have arisen as a result of the recent scholarship on the French composer. [1: Lesure, Francois and Stevens, Denis. Claude Debussy after his Centenary. The Musical
Schoenberg developed a kind of experimental method of music composition that was completely relativistic: the free use of 12 tones, in which the relationships are merely one-on-one and not related to a whole (in the traditional sense), mirrored the philosophical modern worldview of the times. This method was meant by Schoenberg to follow in the Germanic tradition of greatness. However, his break from traditional methods of composition (and even
DEBUSSY'S PELLEAS & MELISANDE Music Debussy's Pelleas & Melisande Debussy's Pelleas & Melisande I found this opera to be enjoyable from the vey onset. I knew nothing of the opera and knew just a little of the story/myth from antiquity of Pelleas and Melisande. At the time of my viewing, I did have a solid background with the music of Claude Debussy, but I was excited to engage a work of Debussy's with which
And the goal of Impressionist painting is always just that -- to given an impression, rather than to suggest a coherent, linear picture of experience. Impressionists depicted emotions and subjective concepts, rather than attempted to convey a singular view. There is no 'point' to Monet's paintings of water lilies; there is merely the artist's reflection on color. The story goes nowhere in "Prelude to the afternoon of a faun,"
" This he maintained was the highest honor he could claim. " (Seroff, 1956, 113) Some of the melodies that Claude Achille Debussy created for example the C'est l'Extase' -- based on the ninths and series of common chords has continuous modulations which are embedded with a lot of changing tones and may have been symbolic of a breeze and the sounds of small voices. Like wise the use of rhythmic
It is as if the art was improvised, much like Monet's portrait of flowers gives the impression that the artist simply happened upon a cluster of flowers one day, and was moved to paint by the beauty he saw before him. Of course, it must be argued that neither composition, although they create such an extemporaneous impression, was truly spontaneous. Both works were carefully and consciously planned by the artist
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now