The Unassuming Masterpiece

[Brian]

One of my great hobbies is reading commentaries on these while sipping freshly pressed apple juice...       

Fresh! mm! Where do you find it? I'm kinda sick of the grocery's Welch's and whatever namebrand stuff.

[Moldyoldie]

I gave it a 4.  I love La Mer and other orchestral Debussy, but the piece in question is a bit too precious and finespun for my tastes; i.e., a tad less than an abjectly innocuous 5.

[Don]

I've loved the work since I was a youngster - still do (a 10).  Giving it a (1) is odd.  After all, we aren't talking about a Dittersdorf piece.

[knight66]

I gave it a 10. I don't listen to it often, but do think it is a superb piece.

Mike

[Brian]

I've loved the work since I was a youngster - still do (a 10).  Giving it a (1) is odd.  After all, we aren't talking about a Dittersdorf piece.

Well, as the question was what we think of the piece rather than a critical estimation of its greatness, my (1) reflects the fact that I just don't like it. 

[jochanaan]

...But I confess that I never tire of reading the subjective responses of others on the  Faun  which is the 'ne plus ultra' of enchantment in music in my opinion...

Man, you gotta get out more.  If you think this is enchanting, try Scriabin's La poème de l'Extase or Prometheus.

[Don]

I'm not sure how feelings can be numbered, but this is one of the most beautiful pieces I know and I loved it on first hearing.  I give it 10.  Like Luke, I suspect many of the 1s are responses to the poster, not the piece.

That's the Obama syndrome - guilt by association.

[Operahaven]

Fresh! mm! Where do you find it? I'm kinda sick of the grocery's Welch's and whatever namebrand stuff.

Currently they are green and slightly tart organic apples from Chile at 'Whole Foods Supermarket' for $2.49 a pound... 

I have a special stainless steel 'Breville' juicer that is perfect for apples.. 

[Operahaven]

but the piece in question is a bit too precious and finespun for my tastes; i.e., a tad less than an abjectly innocuous 5.

Thank you Moldyoldie... That is what I like to hear.   

Dictionary.com defines as follows:

precious: affectedly or excessively delicate, refined, or nice.

finespun: highly or excessively refined or subtle.

****

Aren't those wonderful qualities in music especially when they are allied with such musical substance and subdued drama as we find in Debussy's masterpiece ?

 

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

10. An absolute gem.

I have to be in the right frame of mind, though, to listen to it. And you need a conductor who can really bring out the poetry, otherwise the piece may seem slighter than it actually is (the same goes for all of Delius, by the way).

[Monsieur Croche]

I voted 10. An absolute masterpiece, even though I listen to Debussy's piano music more often.

Several years ago I ordered about 30 books and monographs from various authors dating from 1901 to 1975 on the  Faun  and  Pelleas et Melisande  from 7 Parisian bookshops... Of course I had them translated into English... One of my great hobbies is reading commentaries on these while sipping freshly pressed apple juice... 

Then surely you have plenty of things to say about this piece. But I haven't seen you once discussing it in-depth from your posting history. Will you indulge me in this regard, Operahaven, for I too am a fellow Debussyite and wish to learn more about this piece?

(Genuine curiosity, not sarcasm).

I have sent a PM to only two people, you and Gurn. I wanted to get his perspective also because he is an ardent Beethovenian. That's all.

Oh, watching the dawn breaks is infinitely more meaningful than listening to Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony!

(Last words before the firing squad).

[Gurn Blanston]

Oh, watching the dawn breaks is infinitely more meaningful than listening to Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony!

No one would agree with you more than Beethoven himself!  No art surpasses nature.



----------------
Listening to:
Wiener Philharmoniker-Riccardo Muti - D 082 Symphony #1 in D 2nd mvmt - Andante

[(poco) Sforzando]

I've loved the work since I was a youngster - still do (a 10).  Giving it a (1) is odd.  After all, we aren't talking about a Dittersdorf piece.

Or even a Richard Arnell.
(ducks, run for cover, disclaimer: have never heard of Richard Arnell)

[Monsieur Croche]

No one would agree with you more than Beethoven himself!  No art surpasses nature.

I don't fear the great composers, Gurn; I fear their fanboy supporters. (You are obviously not one of them).

[Brian]

Oh, watching the dawn breaks is infinitely more meaningful than listening to Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony!

(Last words before the firing squad).

Oh, this forum is considerably more primitive than that. 

*sharpens his pitchfork*

[Monsieur Croche]

Oh, this forum is considerably more primitive than that. 

*sharpens his pitchfork*

What a relief, Brian - I suppose that would mean my knights of Sion can easily take care of you all. I may survive this ordeal after all.

[Brian]

What a relief, Brian - I suppose that would mean my knights of Sion can easily take care of you all. I may survive this ordeal after all.

Well, as it happens, I am a direct (and legitimate!) descendant of Genghis Khan ... via the western (Golden Horde) lineage ...

[Symphonien]

I voted 10, by the way. Not only a great piece to listen to, but also a very important piece in the history of music. If I remember correctly, Boulez called it the awakening of musical modernism. It's a great score to study too! Great orchestration - the first piece I know that makes use of crotales, excellent variety of colouring of the melody, brilliant use of the harp, that bar of complete silence on the opening page... very much about timbre, while stretching tonality to its limits, if not atonal. I can really see where Boulez is coming from.

[val]

A very sensual music, but very poetic also. However, I don't think it is one of Debussy's best works.

[eyeresist]

I voted 1, but my real feeling is "mild dislike".

Yes, I voted before reading the original post, and assumed 1 was strongly dislike. If I'd known, I would have voted lower

Some of his piano music is nice, but Debussy generally irritates/bores the hell out of me. Humid, sentimental, pretentious slop.

No, not a big Scriabin fan either.