Claude Debussy Research Paper

8.      Claude Debussy was among the most influential composers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Born Achille-Claude Debussy in 1862 in St.-Germain-en-Laye, France, his mature compositions, distinctive and appealing, combined modernism and sensuality so successfully that their sheer beauty often obscures their technical innovation. Debussy is considered the founder and leading exponent of musical Impressionism (although he resisted the label), and his adoption of non-traditional scales and tonal structures was paradigmatic for many composers who followed. The son of a shopkeeper and a seamstress, Debussy began piano studies at the Paris Conservatory at the age of 11. While a student there, he encountered the wealthy Nadezhda von Meck, whom was most famous as Tchaikovsky's patroness. She employed Debussy as a music teacher to her children; through travel, concerts and acquaintances, she provided him with a wealth of musical experience. Most importantly, she exposed the young Debussy to the works of Russian composers, such as Borodin and Mussorgsky, who would remain important influences on his music. Debussy began composition studies in 1880, and

“Therese had not reached the age of thirty-five without learning that life presents many insurmountable obstacles which must be accepted, whether with the callousness of philosophy, the revolt of weakness or the dignity of self-respect.” (Chopin) Although the death of her husband was very hard on her, and at times she found herself wishing that she had died alongside him, she was forced to stand up, be strong, and assume the role that her late husband had played. She did not ask anyone for help, instead she did what was called upon her. She was strong and she refused to break under the extremely large emotional burden and responsibility that had been placed upon her.

The finest choral composer of Les Six his works are known for their melodic invention and originality. Because Poulenc’s family intended for him to have a career in the family business he was largely self-taught. His music often juxtaposes humor and irony with the sentimental and melancholy. After the death of a close friend in the 1930s he rediscovered Catholicism and composed many religious works. He was particularly fond of woodwinds and planned to write a set of sonatas

La Fayette was born on September 6, 1757 in the Castle of Chavagnac, in the southern region of France to a distinguished noble family. His lineage was already renowned throughout France for

Chopin soon began studying the theory of music, figured bass and composition at the Warsaw High School of Music, which was both part of the Conservatory and, at the same time, connected with Warsaw University. Its head was the composer Józef Elsner. Chopin, however, did not attend the piano class. Aware of the exceptional nature of Chopin's talent, Elsner allowed him, in accordance with his personality and temperament, to concentrate on piano music but was unbending as regards theoretical subjects, in particular counterpoint. Chopin, endowed by nature with magnificent melodic invention, ease of free improvisation and an inclination towards brilliant effects and perfect harmony, gained in Elsner's school a solid grounding, discipline, and precision of construction, as well as an understanding of the meaning and logic of each note. During this period of time, Frederic composed a series of extended works, and after the third year of his studies Elsner wrote in a report: "Chopin, Frederic, third year student, amazing talent, musical genius".

exhibition of his longing for the familiarity of Paris and the sanctity of his past, a

Achille-Claude Debussy or Claude Debussy was a French 20th century composer known for his prominent role in impressionistic music. Debussy never described his pieces as impressionism as he disliked the term when it was associated with his music. Born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, he and his family left for Paris in 1867 only to move to Cannes in 1870 to escape the Franco-Prussion war. Claude Debussy learnt to play piano from an Italian violinist by the name Jean Cerutti and later studied under a woman, by the name of Marie Mauté de Fleurville, who claimed to have been a pupil of Frédéric Chopin. In 1872 he was enrolled in the Paris Conservatoire and remained there to develop musically over the next 11 years. Debussy was infamous for his experimental nature breaking

Alexandre Dumas’s novels and in particular The Three Musketeers are so great for his ability to mix fact with fiction. As a historical novel, The Three Musketeers bases its story around some major characters and events of 17th century, French history. Cardinal Richelieu, Anne of Austria, and other important characters really lived and acted the way they do in the novel. In fact, the historical basis of Dumas's story extends all the way to his initial idea for the novel, even to the Musketeers and d’Artagnan themselves.(history 1)

At first glance, Chopin’s Story of an Hour (1894) and de Maupassant’s The Necklace (1884), appear to have very little in common. Chopin’s story, as displayed in its title is quite short; while in comparison, de Maupassant tells a much more detailed account of the beleaguered Loisel’s, who must learn from the self-centred Madam Loisel. With de Maupassant’s depiction of his female protagonist as selfish and ungrateful; it is difficult to fathom Chopin, known for her active role in describing woman's oppression in the nineteenth century. Interestingly, Chopin, a realist, did consider de Maupassant to

In later years following his graduation, after composing his ‘Suite Bergamasque’ for piano, he found himself in the impressionist art movement with fellow composers -like Maurice Ravel- because of the link French music had with the paintings of Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Van Gogh and other modern, like-minded artists, even though he stated that he never felt connected to the movement with the words,

Louis Octave Fauchon-Villeplee (who I will henceforth refer to as Louis) was born on the 13th of April in 1869 (De-Villeplee, 2014). Louis was born in the Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët commune located in Normandy, France (Salas, slide.1). He had one older brother by the name of Victor Fauchon-Villeplee II (Salas, slide.1). And his parents were Victor Fauchon-Villeplee and Alexandrine-Sophie Truele-Chauviniere (Salas, slide.1). So he was the baby of his family as far as we know. Later on in life, Louis became married to Marguerite Donon (in a location that is unknown). And together they had four children, those being: Janine Fauchon de Villeplee, Germaine Fauchon de Villeplee, Jacques Fauchon de Villeplee, and Pierre Fauchon de

Sylvain Bailly’s patisserie was in the most glamorous part of Paris where all the works of the baker could be seen. The 15-year-old Careme took his time with Bailly seriously, when he wasn’t working he spent his time studying from Bibliotheque Nationale. While working under Bailly, Careme gained

Claude Monet was born in Paris in 1840 and would become known as one of France’s famous painters. Monet is often attributed with being the leading figure of the style of impressionism; but this was not always the case. Monet started out his career as a caricaturist, showing great skill. Eventually “Monet began to accompany [Eugène] Boudin as the older artist . . . worked outdoors, . . . this “truthful” painting, Monet later claimed, had determined his path as an artist.” Monet’s goal took off as his popularity grew in the mid 1870s after he switched from figure painting to the landscape impressionist style. William Seitz supports this statement through his quote, “The landscapes Monet painted at Argenteuil between 1872 and 1877 are

In 1903 Debussy wrote, “Music is a mysterious form of mathematics whose elements are derived from the infinite. Music is the expression of the movement of the waters, the play of curves described by changing breezes. There is nothing more musical than a sunset.” (Vallas 8) Debussy felt a strong connection with the arts and nature. According to the Oxford Music Online article on Claude Debussy, written by Francois Lesure and Roy Howat, Debussy once said, “I love pictures almost as much as music”.

avel and Debussy influenced and respected each other, but their relationship suffered at the hands of critics eager to denigrate Ravel in favor of Debussy. From around 1900 until his death, Debussy was considered France's greatest living composer. Ravel assumed the mantle only after Debussy's death. Today, Debussy