Claude Debussy

by Paul Roberts

A revealing insight into the life and works of Claude Debussy (1862-1918), whose music formed a link between the Romantic and Modern eras

Genres: Music, Biography, Art, Classical Music

240 pages, Paperback

First published April 23, 2007

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Reviews

[CyLarge · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a very good chronological guide to Debussy, his life and work. You get a good understanding of some of his important works (at least those considered important when created like the Pelléas et Mélisande opera) and also some great insight on Debussy the person (including interesting little facts like his distaste for Beethoven or that he probably didn't even like Clair de lune). But, I didn't really get a good sense of his influence on modern music or how he fits into the pantheon of classical music composers, which I guess is ok for a straight-ahead biography. Maybe I'm a little nitpicky. Nonetheless, I'd still recommend it for those interested in understanding who Debussy was.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paul Robert's biography of the great French composer Claude Debussy fits in well with the other composer biographies published by Phaidon Press. It is 240 pages, lavishly illustrated, and focuses more on the life of Debussy than on the details of his music. Roberts is mainly focused on Debussy's relationships with the people in his life. His teachers, his friends and rivals, and his numerous wives and mistresses are presented. Roberts is able to report a great deal of these interpersonal dynamics by citing correspondence, many examples of which have only recently come to light. Roberts builds up a picture of Debussy as something of a man-child, unable to hold down a steady income or build a family, but nonetheless someone who made great and influential music.

I found the book useful for getting a chronology of Debussy's music. However, anyone looking to know more about the music, where Debussy may have taken inspiration for his striking innovations, and how these works were received would do better to seek out other resources.

[Khashayar Ghazianzad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Claude Debussy was one of the most innovative and creative composers in the history of classical music. He used the same melancholic and exotic themes that Cesar Franck introduced to romantic music and raised them to new heights of artistic creativity. I expected this book to be entirely devoted to Debussy's music and the inspirations behind his works. However, the author has devoted the majority of this book to explore Debussy's rather unsuccessful relationships, which in my opinion does not do the justice to this genius of a composer.
If you want to get into Debussy's music, I suggest that you start with his Three Nocturnes and Sirenes in particular. That piece truly encapsulates the very essence of his music.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This nice biography gets to the facts about Debussy's life and music in a direct and thorough manner. Roberts makes especially good use of excerpts from letters and diaries to give a sense of how Debussy lived and was viewed in his own time - it helps to strip away all the retrospective veneer and glamour he has acquired over the last century. I liked getting an up close, more nitty gritty perspective on Debussy's struggles and his triumphs, his successes and failures.

[Abbey Stellingwerff · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice biography on Claude Debussy's life and the psychology behind his music. I loved that the author focused on his works for orchestra, opera, and ballet instead of his more well-known and studied works (such as Clair de Lune). Although, at 220ish pages long, this biography is rather short, it is full of good information and helped me understand the man behind my favorite compositions.

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat dense, somewhat dry, yet chock full of the life story with interesting factoids, interesting characters, and the stage is...history.