Debussys Petit Suite Essay Example for Free

Debussys Petit Suite EssayClaude Debussy (1862-1918) was one of the most important composers of his time and is considered the founder of the impressionist relocation, essentially a one-person revolution. innate(p) in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Debussy was the eldest of five children of a crockery shop owner and a seamstress. Despite early dreams of becoming a virtuoso pianist, Debussy found greater success working as a composer, producing his first work as a teenager. His first piano work was written at age 18, and indoors a few years, he was composing symphonies, cantatas and operas. The origin of the his impressionistic unison stemmed from the Impressionistic art of compatriots- Monet, Renoir, Manet, and others, with the tendency to hint at an idea or else than state boldly, to feature color and atmosphere over Germanic clarity.The piano remained his main instrument and he ultimately became best known for his mature works for the instrument. His piano music is distinctive for its luminous tonal colors and often evoke an other-wordly and ethereal sense. This is a result of his skillful use of parallel chords, treatments of layers of fine-tune sound, unresolved harmonies, unusual pedal effects, free modulatory procedures, and full exploitation of the pianos resources.Debussy was only 24 years old when he began working on the 4-hand Petite Suite. The charming 4-movement suite was written about the same time as his two Arabesques for piano, conjuring a similar sense of lightness and delicacy, as well as conveying the same immediate charm. The work was originally conceived for piano, but was later re-scored for full orchestras. The reworking of Petite Suite for orchestra was accomplished not by Debussy himself, but by Henri Boesser, a slightly younger French composer who was noted for his orchestration skills. In its original form for piano, Petite Suite was first performed on February 2, 1889 by Debussy in collaboration with the pianist-publisher Jacques D urand. Transcriptions for string quartet, flute solo, saxophone solos, and other instrumentations have been written and performed. This works has a simple lyricism that contrasts with much of the composers music from the late 1880sLike the paintings of the Impressionists, most of Debussys music including the Petite Suite is inspired by the outdoors, suggesting moods and giving glimpses of nature. For Debussy, music always began where words and bundle left off.The first movements of Debussys Petite Suite of 1889 are drawn from two poems of Verlaines 1869 volume Ftes galantes. The poems evoke the era of 18th-century aristocrats on estate outings, the world depicted in the fanciful paintings of Fragonard and Watteau.En Bateau is one of the composers water pieces presenting a delicate theme reminiscent of Faure rippling accompaniment. It suggests revelers in a boat have their minds on romantic trysts as they sail at dusk on a dark lake. Debussys music captures perfectly a mood of wate r-borne serenity and languor, opening with a kind of musical sigh that made the Petite Suite immediately popular with a wide audience.The conterminous movement, entitled Cortge, Procession conveys the idea that boat revelers are playfully making their way along a promenade to retire from the boat ride.The third movement Menuet, triple metered dance, and fourth, Ballet although not set to a particular poem articulate broadly the nostalgia and the sparkle held in balance throughout the poems of Ftes galantes. The nett movement is an energetic, festive dance movement with the title Ballet.