Achille-Claude Debussy was one of the most renowned French composers who stimulated the music of the twentieth-century. Debussy’s life experiences have given an emotional and relatable truth in his work. Works such as Clair de Lune, Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, and La Mer are great achievements of Debussy that are the most familiar today. Debussy is worth reviewing because he uniquely structured his compositions that served as a base for musicians in the past, and will easily continue to motivate musical masterpieces for years to come.
Claude Debussy (born Achille-Claude Debussy) was born August 22, 1862, in St-Germain-en-Laye France. He showed a knack for the piano at the age of 9. Debussy was one of 5 children. Debussy did not come from a wealthy family. His parents owned a small shop. At age 11 he entered the Pairs Conservatory. At the Conservatory Debussy study piano and composition. While there he also studied theory with Alfred Lavignac, piano with Antoine Marmontel, harmony with Émile Durand, and harmony composition with Ernest Guiraud. Around 1880 a wealthy woman named Nadezhda Filaretovna von Meck, who was a pupil of Frédéric Chopin, and supported Pyotr llyich Tchaikovsky hired Debussy to teach her children. During summer vacations at the Conservatory he traveled with Nadezhda. He learned more about the Russian music and cultural which later would be reflected in his work. During his time in Paris he fell in love with Blanche Vasnier, who was an inspiration to his works in the early years. In 1884, Debussy won the Grand Prix de Rome with his cantata L’Enfant prodigue. Debussy became a cautious and difficult man who preferred cats to people. He did not really have many friends or confidants. In 1887 Debussy li...
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...n end. Debussy started to find inspiration from Musorgsky. In 1889 he heard Javanese Gamelan orchestra. Hearing this exotic music from the orchestra he later applied it to some of his work. He also drew his inspiration from poems, songs, and other composers, such as, Stéphane Mallermé poem, Mary Gardens song, and Louis Bourgault-Ducoudray compositions.
Debussy’s achievements and works were composed through his own life experiences. The emotional vibe from his pieces gives the everyday ear something to connect too. This connection to his audiences and compositions gives him importance. Debussy’s achievements and success through works such as Clair de Lune, Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, and La Mer credits his importance. A lot of people can relate to some aspect of Debussy’s life and his work allows a window to a past experience through music for everybody.
Gottschalk was a child prodigy, showing astonishing musical abilities at a young age. His father, against his mother’s wishes, sent him off to study music more intensively in Paris. During his time in Paris, Gottschalk studied piano with Charles Hallé, Camille Stamaty, and later studied composition with Pierre Maleden. Paris was just the beginning of the many places where he would compose some of his finest works.
At the age of 17, Balanchine entered the Conservatory of Music. He studied piano, composition and th...
The music for Le martyrdom comes from an advanced stage in Debussy’s career. As a point of reference, Pelléas et Mélisande had already been written in TK. There is a brief spoken introduction [excerpt TK], in which the narrator entreats the audience to silence and attentiveness, followed by the Prélude to Mansion One , or Act One, The Court of Lilies. The music calls to mind Pelléas, but with an even more restrained orchestration and leaner texture, which if anything serves to heighten the sensuality of the music.
Edgar Degas was born July 19th, 1834 in Paris, France. Born into wealth, Degas became well educated throughout his youth. He studied Law at the University of Paris, due to his father’s desire for him to achieve financial security on his own. However, his love for art was ever-present, even at a young age. He turned his bedroom into his own personal studio by age 18. During his time at the University of Paris, Degas met well-renowned artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, who encouraged him to pursue his talent. Shortly after, Degas was accepted to the premiere Ecole des Beaux-arts ('School of Fine Arts'). Post attendance, Degas traveled to Italy for three years to continue his artistic studies. Degas life was nowhere near perfect, when he was 13 years old, his mother passed away. This caused him tremendous heartache, due to the fact that his mother was a lover of the arts; she was an opera singer and often gave recitals in their home (“Edgar Degas”). She inspired and encouraged his artistic ways.
René Descartes was a French philosopher born in La Haye, France, on March 31, 1596. In the 17th century. Now that town is now named after him, because of the great things he has done. He spent most of his life in the Dutch Republic He had two siblings and was the youngest. His father and mother's name were Joachim and Jeanne Brochard. His mother died before his first birthday. In addition, his father was in the provincial parliament as a council member. After their mother died, Joachim had the kids go live with their grandmother on their mom's side. They stayed there even though their father eventually remarried. Even though their father did not want them around, he still wanted the best education for his children so he sent René when he was eight, to boarding school to the Jesuit college of Henri IV in La Flèche. And he stayed there until he was 15.
This is the second volume of Richard Taruskin's historical work, and it highlights composers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. He examines the progression of different styles and eras of music.
In this article, the author offers clear criticism of Hummel’s work. This article presents a side of Hummel that is quite interesting because it shows why some might consider him to be unpopular among certain circles. The author plainly states that the greatest work Hummel ever wrote is his Grand Sextet for Pianoforte, Stringed and Wind Instruments. While the author is highly critical of him, he states at the very end the importance to research and study Hummel’s works. This is an important article because it gives an opposing viewpoint on Hummel’s work. This is important because it demonstrates how important it is to consider as many possible points of opinion with regard to a piece of music. With a large, broad understanding of the piece, one can competently and accurately perform the piece in its proper context and style. If these considerations are absent from the performer’s mind, the likelihood of incorrect historical performance is then strengthened.
Chopin’s mother played a key role in developing his love for music by introducing him to music at an early age. In addition to his mother introducing him to music, his father’s career which involved him tutoring Warsaw’s aristocratic families helped to spark Chopin’s love for music. Music was an integral part of most aristocratic families’ lives. So, it is not surprising that music had a great influence on Chopin, who was exposed to aristocratic families. The influence of Music on Chopin’s life had a lasting impact on himself and eventually the rest of
Edgar Degas was born on the 19th of July, 1834, in Paris, France. His full name was Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas. A member of an upper-class family, Degas was originally intended to practice law, which he studied for a time after finishing secondary school. In 1855, however, he enrolled at the famous School of Fine Arts, in Paris, where he studied under Louis Lamothe, a pupil of the classical painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres.
John Warrack, author of 6 Great Composers, stated, “Any study of a composer, however brief, must have as its only purpose encouragement of the reader to greater enjoyment of the music” (Warrack, p.2). The composers and musicians of the Renaissance period need to be discussed and studied so that listeners, performers, and readers can appreciate and understand the beginnings of music theory and form. The reader can also understand the driving force of the composer, whether sacred or secular, popularity or religious growth. To begin understanding music composition one must begin at the birth, or rebirth of music and the composers who created the great change.
Franz Joseph Haydn is widely imitated because of his excellent technique that makes his music, so rich in quality and quantity by having one of the most fertile musical minds. Haydn is one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. He is also known as one of the pivotal figures in all western musical history. Here I will try to showcase and highlight some of Haydn’s brilliance by talking about the life he lead growing up, his work and career, a little introduction to his music, touching on some of his compositions, his contributions to music, and finally Haydn’s influence.
Claude Debussy is a French classical music composer. Debussy was born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France in 1862. Debussy’s music was considered to fall under the impressionism study as he veered away from the traditional musical composition methods of key and pitch and worried about the different intervals in a piece. Debussy started playing the piano at the young age of seven, by age ten it was apparent that Debussy was very gifted in what he did as he was selected to attend a prestigious school for talented musicians, dancers and artists. Debussy stayed at the Conservatoire for eleven years where he perfected his talents with the help of some famous composers such as I...
The music he produced had a lot of control with a lot of flair. He liked improvisation, but did not leave that up to the performer. Instead, he wrote very virtuosic passages for his pieces, with which the performer did not have much room for imaginative playing. Then there is his knowledge on how to writ...
This artist has done many works of art that some people just may not seem to understand why it was made. Some people find an interest in certain paintings while others may not find that exact attachment to the painting like others. I have chosen to write about this artist because of the many and beautiful arts of work he has created through many years. Although some I may not find a meaning to or why he would make a piece of art the way he did, they still seem to catch my attention to some.
Franz Liszt is said to be the most astounding piano virtuosos that existed during the Romantic era. This essay will discuss his achievements as a pianist as well as a composer. This essay will examine his life and will examine what influenced him at an early age. It will also look at his accomplishments as a pianist as well as a composer and examine how he became as well known as he is today. It will use his background to show what exactly influenced him to become a successful pianist and composer and it will discuss how essential he was during the Romantic era.