Debussy's Corner

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Am I right in thinking the Thibaudet is also available as part of a larger 'piano works' set?

Apparently it is. I hadn't realized. It's here:




[asin]B00751JXQ4[/asin]

[Jaakko Keskinen]

I love Debussy so much it hurts but he has some pieces that are, while extremely beautiful, also at the same time depressing or "scary". I feel that way for ex. about the girl with a flaxen hair and clair de lune. Girl with a flaxen hair in particular is simply put a perfect piece IMO and it is so beautiful but it also feels sorrowful, kind of like the girl in question would have a sad smile on her face. I haven't read that much about Debussy's life so I don't know if he had any real person in mind when he wrote that. Clair de lune also has some kind of melancholy in it.

At first Sibelius's Oceanides was more to my liking than la Mer when it comes to impressionistic compositions about water. At first I didn't even think about sea that much when hearing it. But nowadays I love it.

Pelleas et Melisande is one of my favorite operas of all time. It is really impressive Debussy managed to make such an original work, all the more due to the fact it was his first and only completed opera.

However, when it comes to Debussy, I most often so far have listened to his chamber music which includes several masterpieces. In general I think his style fits in well with piano works and chamber music, in smaller ensembles, although I have no problem with his orchestral works.

[Mirror Image]

You remind me Alberich I need to listen to Boulez's Pelleas et Melisande at some point. It's certainly a wonderful opera full of magical colors, textures, and atmosphere.

[Jaakko Keskinen]

You remind me Alberich I need to listen to Boulez's Pelleas et Melisande at some point. It's certainly a wonderful opera full of magical colors, textures, and atmosphere.

Pelleas is Debussy's greatest work, hands down.

[Mirror Image]

Pelleas is Debussy's greatest work, hands down.

Perhaps, but my favorite Debussy work is Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp. This never fails to put me under its spell and take my mind away to some distant land.

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Perhaps, but my favorite Debussy work is Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp. This never fails to put me under its spell and take my mind away to some distant land.

I just listened to it. Splendid, certainly. And the combination of instruments is certainly interesting.

[Mirror Image]

I just listened to it. Splendid, certainly. And the combination of instruments is certainly interesting.

Excellent. I'm glad you enjoyed it. If there's one work by Debussy that gives me any problems whatsoever it is Jeux, but even I'm warming to this one. Such an enigmatic work.

[North Star]

Pelleas is Debussy's greatest work, hands down.

Says someone whose forum name is Alberich. 
If I had to choose I'd take the piano & chamber music.

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Says someone whose forum name is Alberich. 

Not sure whether you're implying that it is obvious that my favorite work from Debussy is opera because my forum name is after an opera character, or whether it's ironic for Wagner fan to like it considering Debussy deliberately composed Pelleas as anti-wagnerian sounding as possible.

[ritter]

..., or whether it's ironic for Wagner fan to like it considering Debussy deliberately composed Pelleas as anti-wagnerian sounding as possible.

Yes, but if there hadn't been a Parsifal, there would never have been a Pelléas et Mélisande! 

I tend to agree with Alberich: I think the opera ranks very, very high among Claude de France's works. I would add the Études for piano and, yes, Jeux! Don't make me choose between these three works, though...

Cheers,

[Mirror Image]

Am I alone in thinking that La damoiselle élue is one of the best things Debussy composed? I mean it's just drop-dead gorgeous.

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Listened recently to Debussy's Images for piano. Most impressive. Perhaps I'll move next to orchestral ones.

[Mirror Image]

Listened recently to Debussy's Images for piano. Most impressive. Perhaps I'll move next to orchestral ones.

Images is an amazing work. The orchestral version is a feast for the ears. Enjoy!

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Images is an amazing work. The orchestral version is a feast for the ears. Enjoy!

Thank you. I'll listen to la damoiselle elue first, though, after reading your post about it. So far I'm enthralled. This is a bit worrying. Surely there is Debussy work I do not love? Well, images for piano did not instantly receive my unconditional love but after a few relistenings 'tis not anymore so.

[Mirror Image]

Thank you. I'll listen to la damoiselle elue first, though, after reading your post about it. So far I'm enthralled. This is a bit worrying. Surely there is Debussy work I do not love? Well, images for piano did not instantly receive my unconditional love but after a few relistenings 'tis not anymore so.

The Upshaw/Salonen performance of La damoiselle élue is something else and remains my reference for the work. What performance are you listening to? There will always be works that give problems on the first, second, and even third hearings, but, with a composer like Debussy, the more I listen, the more I begin to fall under the music's spell. It certainly doesn't take long at all or at least this is how it is in my own listening.

[Jaakko Keskinen]

The Upshaw/Salonen performance of La damoiselle élue is something else and remains my reference for the work. What performance are you listening to?

[Mirror Image]

Thumbs up!

[Abuelo Igor]

Images is an amazing work. The orchestral version is a feast for the ears. Enjoy!

I was quite certain that the only thing in common between the orchestral Images and the piano Images was basically the title...

[ritter]

Thumbs up!

Wonderful performance indeed! Upshaw and Salonen get this really right. There's only one version that I rank even higher: Bidù Sayão  under Ormandy on Columbia...ravishing! Sayão's sweet but also crystal clear voice, and her caressing of every word, are almost miraculous...



https://www.youtube.com/v/rBZjSH7EkzY

As for La Damoiselle being one of Debussy's greatest creations, well...it is gorgeous, no doubt, but stands well below the great achievements of late Debussy, where the compsoer has perfected his very personal and groundbreaking style...and the text, with it's bizarre erotic mysticism, is questionable (to put it mildly)...

I was quite certain that the only thing in common between the orchestral Images and the piano Images was basically the title...

Indeed...the orchestral Images are not an orchestral version of the piano Images...completely unrelated works... 

[Mirror Image]

Wonderful performance indeed! Upshaw and Salonen get this really right. There's only one version that I rank even higher than this: Bidù Sayão  under Ormandy on Columbia...ravishing! Sayão sweet but also very clear voice, and her caressing of every word, are almost miraculous...



https://www.youtube.com/v/rBZjSH7EkzY

As for La Damoiselle being one of Debussy's greatest creations, well...it is gorgeous, no doubt, but stands well below the great achievements of late Debussy, where the compsoer has perfected his very personal and groundbreaking style...and the text, with it's bizarre erotic mysticism, is questionable (to put it mildly)...

Thanks, I'll check out this performance at some point and if really enjoy it, I may seek out the recording of it. It doesn't really matter to me whether something is groundbreaking or scores lower in rank compared to some of his other works. Debussy is always worth a listen and the same goes for so many of my other favorite composers. Good music is good music...it's that simple.