Three Great Orchestral Works in Full Score: Prélude a l'après-midi d'un faune, Nocturnes, La Mer

by Claude Debussy

"It may be in fact that I have taken on a task that is too much for me: there is no precedent, so I am obliged to invent new forms." — Claude Debussy.
Unquestionably one of the most influential of modern composers, Claude Debussy (1862–1918) overturned traditional concepts of form, harmony, and coloring in creating a body of music characterized by innovation, individuality of style, and perfection of workmanship.
Among his most popular, most performed, most recorded works are the three compositions reprinted in this volume: the revolutionary Prélude à l'aprés-midi d'une faune, which, in a sense, "awakened" modern music; the exquisite Nocturnes, shimmering models of delicate impressionism; and La Mer, complex, suggestive, a masterpiece of orchestral texture.
This Dover volume presents the complete scores of all three works — reproduced from early French editions — in one convenient source. Musicians and music lovers will appreciate this inexpensive edition of a trio of orchestral favorites: pieces that mark not only key points in the composer's personal progress but also in the progress of modern music as well.

Genres: Music

288 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1983

About the author

Claude-Achille Debussy (22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures associated with Impressionist music, though he himself disliked the term when applied to his compositions. He was made Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in his native France in 1903. Debussy was among the most influential composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and his use of non-traditional scales and chromaticism influenced many composers who followed.

Debussy's music is noted for its sensory content and frequent usage of non-traditional tonalities. The prominent French literary style of his period was known as Symbolism, and this movement directly inspired Debussy both as a composer and as an active cultural participant.